Partisans - Not Thinking

The NY Times answers your questions about Atrios, Team Powerline, and, dare I say it, yours truly:

Liberals and conservatives can become equally bug-eyed and irrational when talking politics, especially when they are on the defensive.   

Using M.R.I. scanners, neuroscientists have now tracked what happens in the politically partisan brain when it tries to digest damning facts about favored candidates or criticisms of them. The process is almost entirely emotional and unconscious, the researchers report, and there are flares of activity in the brain's pleasure centers when unwelcome information is being rejected.

I can't tell you how many flares of pleasure I enjoyed during the last campaign; was it good for you, too?

In 2004, the researchers recruited 30 adult men who described themselves as committed Republicans or Democrats. The men, half of them supporters of President Bush and the other half backers of Senator John Kerry, earned $50 to sit in an M.R.I. machine and consider several statements in quick succession.

The first was a quote attributed to one of the two candidates: either a remark by Mr. Bush in support of Kenneth L. Lay, the former Enron chief, before he was indicted, or a statement by Mr. Kerry that Social Security should be overhauled. Moments later, the participants read a remark that showed the candidate reversing his position. The quotes were doctored for maximum effect but presented as factual.

"Doctored for maximum effect" - was Maureen Dowd paid for her participation?

After the participants read the contradictory comment, the researchers measured increased activity in several areas of the brain. They included a region involved in regulating negative emotions and another called the cingulate, which activates when the brain makes judgments about forgiveness, among other things. Also, a spike appeared in several areas known to be active when people feel relieved or rewarded. The "cold reasoning" regions of the cortex were relatively quiet.

The absence of activity in the "cold reasoning" area will come as a no surprise to blog readers.

Researchers have long known that political decisions are strongly influenced by unconscious emotional reactions, a fact routinely exploited by campaign consultants and advertisers. But the new research suggests that for partisans, political thinking is often predominantly emotional.

It is possible to override these biases, Dr. Westen said, "but you have to engage in ruthless self reflection, to say, 'All right, I know what I want to believe, but I have to be honest.' "

"Ruthless self-reflection"?  "I know what I want to believe, but I have to be honest"?  Is he kidding?  This must be coming from a guy who has, like, thirteen readers.  C'mon, anyone can face facts - it takes a real man (or woman!) to keep spinning when all about you others are jumping ship.

MORE:  But seriously, folks - thirty men?  I assume there is an explanation (and if pressed to guess, I would venture that sex-based brain differences muddy the comparisons), but why no women?

UPDATE:  More at Live Science.

Comments

[Sue]

They needed a study for this? Just visit my house on a holiday where the democrats and republicans are just about evenly split and mention Bush.

[topsecretk9]

Sue
That they had to study this may explain the huge earnings dive.

[topsecretk9]

Also Sue

democrats and republicans are just about evenly split and mention Bush.

I bet I know the answer to which of these parties decides to lob the "B" grenade just as everyone lifts their fork.

[Gary Maxwell]

careful TM you are about to stray from the beaten path and wander right in Larry Sommers territory! If if there are difference we dont tak about them ( unless of course it makes the males look like base and disgusting creatures which then makes it perfectly all right).

[topsecretk9]

TM

but why no women?

You think because it makes the results look boring? By nature women tend to be mediators. I would guess when including women the results of the overall study tend to make the study look pointless.

[Dwilkers]

That was an orgasmic post TM! 8^)

[topsecretk9]

Gary

Yes...my comment didn't exactly say what you did, but I meant it in a way.

[topsecretk9]

Gary

Yes...my comment didn't exactly say what you did, but I meant it in a way.

[Right of Center™]

Seems like this experiment should be repeated with variouis editors and reporters at the NYT. I'd bet the results would be ...interesting.

[Specter]

I wonder where they got the funding for this study? Must've been an earmark....

[larwyn]

Please correct me if I am reading this incorrectly.

The 30 men are supporters of one or the other.
Therefore, they already know or should know certain details regarding both KenLay/Enron and
Social Security.

They know that Lay was supporter of Bush - but they also know that once the Enron meltdown SURPRISED
THE ENTIRE FINANCIAL REPORTER LSMers, including the NYT'S, that
the admin did nothing to save or cover up any of the Enron evil deeds.

On Kerry - study was in 2004 -
his supporters already know he is
against "PRIVATIZING SOCIAL SECURITY" and they are also against
it.

In each case the second of the
doctored "fake but accurate" statements is the accurate one.

So what is the surprise in "feeling good" that the study
givers finally got it correct.

Yeah let's sign that Kyoto Treaty
as soon as possible and get that
S.Korean doc over here to guide the
stem cell research.

[Cecil Turner]

I'd like to hear the researchers when they looked over the MRI results. I know I'd be sorely tempted to make Star Wars jokes:
"Look, a 'weak-minded fool.'"
"Heh, 'the force is strong in this one.'"

Seems like this experiment should be repeated with variouis editors and reporters at the NYT.

Funny you should mention that. I have it from an anonymous sourceâ„¢ that the NSA monitored the program, and fitted particularly malleable subjects with a special hat to enhance reception of Karl Rove mind beams. (Apparently Chris Matthews got one of the pre-production models.)

[maryrose]

It seems more of a personal preference test to me. People like Bush for who he is and for the ideas and concepts he presents. Kerry supporters see him in a different way. Having a background in psychology I have trouble with the following variables :
1. Not enough people in the sample group
2. no women in the sample group
3 topics used to engender results{ maybe people don't care about Enron or Ken Lay}
4.not enough questions or variations in types of questions
concern as to the validity of these results.

[Sue]

The answer as to why there were no women is simple. We recognize bullshit faster than men. We would have skewed the results...

::grin::

[alcibiades]

The answer as to why there were no women is simple. We recognize bullshit faster than men. We would have skewed the results...

Clearly Sue doesn't know the same partisan females that I do! I think they are more irrational and emotional about it, if possible. some of them definitely seem to need a permanent supply of prozac.

[Sue]

Just because they won't admit it, doesn't mean they don't recognize it. ::grin::

[topsecretk9]

first was a quote attributed to one of the two candidates: either a remark by Mr. Bush in support of Kenneth L. Lay, the former Enron chief, before he was indicted, or a statement by Mr. Kerry that Social Security should be overhauled.

Is John Kerry really the best model for this study...I mean isn't everyone accustomed to hearing him flip flop?

I'd say the liberals in this study were given an unfair advantage.

[topsecretk9]

just remember that if they come out with a side by side comparison.

[larwyn]

Topsecret:
Their goal is to prove that conservatives are just as emotional in their thoughts/decisions as the KOS KIDS.

You know we throw as much food and
send hate emails and use crude language and call opposition names.

We are just like them - no difference - all the same.

In a way this is good if it lulls them into continuing their "emotional" vs rational arguments/statements.

"Plantation" by Hillary good example.

[Patrick R. Sullivan]

' earned $50 to sit in an M.R.I. machine '

People that stupid aren't of any use.

[Lew Clark]

I respond positively to the truth and negatively to lies. I could have told them that for free and saved them the $50 as well as the time on a very expensive machine.

[sonicfrog]

Of coarse they only used men. It's because boys are STUPID and get worked up in a lather easier than the more intelligent girls:-)

[maryrose]

Patrick Sullivan;
Your post made me laugh out loud and after a hard day that is much appreciated.

[Lew Clark]

Well, I'm waiting for Chuck. We could be saying some really stupid stuff here and without Chuck to tell us, how will we know?

[larwyn]

Shrinkwrapped,a practicing Psychiatrist in NYC, responded to an email I sent him about this study.

"I no longer bother reading the Times science articles unless they have a link to the original article. I took a more careful look at a report in the Times about psychiatric medications and wrote a post on how distorted the article was. If you haven't seen it, my post is "Science Mis-Reporting" at http://shrinkwrapped.blogs.com/blog/2005/09/science_misrepo.html

Interesting - the only link I found in the article was for
Ken Lay! Aren't they just so cute.

[Beto Ochoa]

"and wrote a post on how distorted the article was."
Bingo. Just bingo.
There was a fifth column from Nantucket....

[rcb]

In the first place, there was the ennui. And such ennui as it was! A heavy, overpowering ennui, such as results from a participation in eight courses of steaming, gravied food, topping off with salted nuts which the little old spinster Gummidge from Oak Hill said she never knew when to stop eating--and true enough she didn't-- a dragging, devitalizing ennui, which left its victims strewn about the living-room in various attitudes of prostration suggestive of those of the petrified occupants in a newly unearthed Pompeiian dwelling; an ennui whch carried with it a retinue of yawns, snarls and thinly veiled insults, and which ended in ruptures in the clan spirit serious enough to last throughout the glad new year.

from 'Christmas Afternoon', circa 'After 1921'.

[kim]

What the world needs is more Benchley, and Geometry.
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[richard mcenroe]

"The answer as to why there were no women is simple. We recognize bullshit faster than men."

Sue —

Tom.
Cruise.

Jeff — Hey, can I take the test where we had to give the guy the electric shocks instead? That was way more fun...

[cathyf]

Having read the article Tom linked to in the update, I noticed a striking thing. The "researchers" made this huge big deal about how the reasoning centers of the brain were not involved. It apparently didn't occur to them that the "political partisans" (aka policy wonks) that they were studying might already be quite knowledgeable on the topics presented, and might not be encountering any of the statements for the first time. And that their reactions were not reactions to the candidate statements, but to the researchers' cluelessness as evident by the statements that the researcher's were presenting them with.

cathy :-)

[Syl]

Cathy

Bingo :)

[nittypig]

That is an excellent point. If they wanted this study doen right they would have to ask the participants, before they left the MRI, whether this was the first time they had heard Bush support Lay or Kerry propose Social Security Reform. If this wasn't the first time they had heard that the study is clearly bogus.

Perhaps they could ask the same questiosn to Libby and Russert while they were at it.

[larwyn]

Cathy:
That was exactly one of my points
in the 10:38am comment of 1/24

"In each case the second of the
doctored "fake but accurate" statements is the accurate one.

So what is the surprise in "feeling good" that the study
givers finally got it correct."

Also I sent out to some of the psych blogs and note above that
Shrinkwrapped gave up reading NYT's
"science" articles as they rarely
link to the actual study. He provided a link to a post from last
October that showed discrepancies of the NYT's article on certain drugs and what the actual drug study found.

I went back to the MRI original NYT article, only link I saw was to (SURPRISE!)
KENNETH LAY

Cute!

[larwyn]

The real goal of this study is to PROVE that we are just as
- irrational as they are
- all yokels who vote based on
"emotional feelings"

You know all that family value and individual responsibility "emotion"
- hell, that PATRIOTIC EMOTION is
soooo scary. Ask Joel Stein of LAT.

I have actually suggested in comments on the psych blogs that we
challenge the LEFT to a functional
PET SCAN. We put up 50-100 of our
best against their 50-100 and get to compare the process of the right/conservative to the LEFT/
"PROGRESSIVE".

Perhaps the NYT has just opened the door.

Lordy! Wouldn't it be marvelous to watch Kerry's brain working as he answers simple questions.
How about Pelosi's, Kennedy's, Maddy Albright's--------I can dream.

[topsecretk9]

Sorry if you got this too, but it seems apropos:

"The FBI had an opening for an assassin. After all the background checks,
interviews, and testing were done there were 3 finalists. Two men and a
woman.

For the final test, the FBI agents took one of the men to a large metal door
and handed him a gun.

"We must know that you will follow your instructions no matter what the
circumstances. Inside the room you will find your wife sitting in a chair.
Kill Her!

The man said, "You can't be serious, I could never shoot my wife." The agent
said, "Then you're not the right man for this job. Take your wife and go
home."

The second man was given the same instructions. He took the gun and went
into the room. All was quiet for about 5 minutes. The man came out with
tears in his eyes, "I tried, but I can't kill my wife."

The agent said, "You don't have what it takes. Take your wife and go home."

Finally, it was the woman's turn. She was given the same instructions, to
kill her husband. She took the gun and went into the room. Shots were heard,
one after another. They heard screaming, crashing, banging on the walls.
After a few minutes, all was quiet. The door opened slowly and there stood
the woman. She wiped the sweat from her brow.

"This gun is loaded with blanks" she said. "I had to beat him to death with
the chair."

MORAL of the story: Women are evil. Don't mess with them
Pass on this advice !!

[kim]

cf, write a letter to the editor of the journal the reprt was in. See what happens.
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[kim]

cf, write a letter to the editor of the journal the report was in. See what happens.
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[Beverly]

Sit and Watch TV MRI scanner htt://www.uprightmri.com

[Beverly]

Sit and Watch TV MRI scanner htt://www.uprightmri.com

[Beverly]

Sit and Watch TV MRI scanner htt://www.uprightmri.com

[kim]

Interactive MRI scanning ought to be fun. I'll bet you can generate feedback loops that would really light up the screen. The new superhero, Magnet Man.
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