Researchers help define what makes a political conservative

[BlueState]

By Kathleen Maclay, Media Relations | 22 July 2003

BERKELEY – Politically conservative agendas may range from supporting the Vietnam War to upholding traditional moral and religious values to opposing welfare. But are there consistent underlying motivations?

Four researchers who culled through 50 years of research literature about the psychology of conservatism report that at the core of political conservatism is the resistance to change and a tolerance for inequality, and that some of the common psychological factors linked to political conservatism include:

• Fear and aggression
  
• Dogmatism and intolerance of ambiguity
  
• Uncertainty avoidance
  
• Need for cognitive closure
  
• Terror management
  
  ...
  

http://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2003/07/22_politics.shtml

An interesting read.

[PunkinPi]

1. we should send a copy to the freepers.

[Kathy in Cambridge]

2. They forgot some other factors:

-IQs under 100
-Blaming anyone, especially libruls, for their lot in life and why things suck
-Pathological selfishness
-Unresolved anger from being unpopular or getting the shit kicked out of them on the playground.

[annak110]

3. We should read the research on Adorno's "authoritarian personality"

The research began just after WWII (published in 1950) with Adorno's attempt to discover what factors allowed people to cling to and believe right-wing propaganda (Adorno was only one of the members of Nevitt Sanfords team at Berkley but the research got his name) . The study continues in work such as that of Bob Altemeyer (1994) in "The Authoritarian Specter" in which he uses authoritarian submission authoritarian aggression, and conventionalism to define right-wing authoritarianism. Much of the research is described in this book and Altemyer is entertaining as well as an excellent researcher. Read also Stanley Milgram's (1974) experimental work, a facinating and horrifying read!.

[bicentennial_baby]

6. Milgram- Obedience to Authority

A twisted read indeed.

[dani]

4. cognitive closure

Uncertainty avoidance ... Need for cognitive closure

In other words, a keen avoidance of the inconveniences of realistic thinking.

[priller]

5. Or just avoiding messy reality altogether

No doubt that's why religion appeals to the same group so much. Bush is famously black & white in his thinking. No doubt that appeals to this group who simply have no gray-level detectors.

[mainer]

7. Wonderfu link. Thank you!

It states what I've always thought about conservatives. They're terrified babies.

And even though the article strives NOT to say "conservatives are simple-minded", it actually implies it, doesn't it?

[LWolf]

8. Wow.

The research supports what we've all seen over and over and over...

Fear, aggression, intolerance.....and they proudly announce their conservative label to the world.

:think:

How about a discussion on the Guy James show tomorrow???