Democrats and Republicans Ignore the Facts

[Rincewind]

I'm not one to wantonly stir up trouble in the sandbox (haha), but I found this interesting article via Slashdot

http://www.livescience.com/othernews...decisions.html

Originally Posted by Slashdot

"Any democrat will tell you the republicans ignore the facts. Any republican will tell you the democrats ignore the facts. Turns out they're right. A new study monitored brain activity of partisans; they shun logic and use emotional processing centers to justify their candidate's contradictory statements. 'With their minds made up, brain activity ceased in the areas that deal with negative emotions such as disgust. But activity spiked in the circuits involved in reward, a response similar to what addicts experience when they get a fix.'"

I always had a feeling arguing politics was mental masturbation...

So go ahead and get your fix: start discussing

[Steeler]

Oh God I'M COMING DOOOWWWWNNNN.......

[leejo]

I bet this is true for most people, partisan or otherwise. The Miers-Briggs personality test has already categorized personalities by people's preferences in decision-making. For example, I am an ENTJ - moderately extroverted, moderately intuitive, strongly thinking, strongly judging.

If I made decisions based on feelings, I would be an ENFJ. As it turns out, I'm pretty ruthlessly analytical and feelings play a very small role in how I process information. According to the tests I've taken, anyway.

Here's a free online test for anyone who's curious: http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp

And an exlanation of the various types here: http://applejedi.org/me/types/fieldmarshal.html

I linked to my type but the others are down at the bottom.

[Trooper]

i truely agree.

Both parties at times have great ideas and if they would just mix them together and listen things would be so much easier. Its almost as if you are part of one party you are not aloud to listen to the other party becuase it will get you shunned by yours. Just kind of discourageing to us as citizens when we know something needs to be fixed or want something, we know its going to take 3 years to actaully get taken care of becuase of this problem. One day we just wont care

now back to my mental fondleing

[leejo]

Another thought: the study is flawed because they asked participants to evaluate statements made by people like President Bush and Senator Kerry - public figures about whom many people have already made their minds up, often with good reason.

I'd be curious to see how people evaluated the same political statements if a non-controversial figure made them. Elmo, for example, could read one statement, then the other statement, and the researchers could see how brains reacted then.

It may be that people aren't reacting so much to the ideas as to the speakers. As popular as crying "ad hominem" is in these forums, it's actually a pretty useful technique our brains use to filter bs from useful info. Sure it's not logically sound, but logic is overrated anyway. Ask my wife.

[Mateo]

There is only one party.

[Mjr Doodie]

Originally Posted by leejo

I bet this is true for most people, partisan or otherwise. The Miers-Briggs personality test has already categorized personalities by people's preferences in decision-making. For example, I am an ENTJ - moderately extroverted, moderately intuitive, strongly thinking, strongly judging.

If I made decisions based on feelings, I would be an ENFJ. As it turns out, I'm pretty ruthlessly analytical and feelings play a very small role in how I process information. According to the tests I've taken, anyway.

Here's a free online test for anyone who's curious: http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp

And an exlanation of the various types here: http://applejedi.org/me/types/fieldmarshal.html

I linked to my type but the others are down at the bottom.

I'm INTJ
Great post...... very interesting

[rs_al]

Originally Posted by leejo

I'd be curious to see how people evaluated the same political statements if a non-controversial figure made them. Elmo, for example, could read one statement, then the other statement, and the researchers could see how brains reacted then.

From the article:

Other relatively neutral candidates were introduced into the mix, such as the actor Tom Hanks. Importantly, both the Democrats and Republicans reacted to the contradictions of these characters in the same manner.

I can only assume their reaction was "wtf tom hanks?"

[SmokingTarpan]

Originally Posted by leejo

I'd be curious to see how people evaluated the same political statements if a non-controversial figure made them. Elmo, for example, could read one statement, then the other statement, and the researchers could see how brains reacted then.

Elmo says war on terror good. Elmo says al-qaeda baaaaad.

I think too many people would be laughing their posteriors off to be judged seriously. It would be entertaining, though. :P

[aeroripper]

Democrats and Republicans Ignore the Facts

This is news?

[CingularDuality]

Originally Posted by leejo

Here's a free online test for anyone who's curious: http://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp

Hmmm.

I'm INTJ

(bold=distinctively instead of moderately)

[CingularDuality]

Original topic: isn't this more about truthiness?

[Rincewind]

Originally Posted by leejo

Another thought: the study is flawed because they asked participants to evaluate statements made by people like President Bush and Senator Kerry - public figures about whom many people have already made their minds up, often with good reason.

I'd be curious to see how people evaluated the same political statements if a non-controversial figure made them. Elmo, for example, could read one statement, then the other statement, and the researchers could see how brains reacted then.

It may be that people aren't reacting so much to the ideas as to the speakers. As popular as crying "ad hominem" is in these forums, it's actually a pretty useful technique our brains use to filter bs from useful info. Sure it's not logically sound, but logic is overrated anyway. Ask my wife.

They did that. See the bottom "Vote for Tom Hanks". Of course, I doubt the science journalism is very good at pointing out how exactly this study went down. The general idea is there, though.

Link to /. comments.

[Diceman]

It's interesting that we have so many ENTJs and INTJs here. I am also INTJ. I did some research on types a few years ago, and I recall that, among other things, INTJs comprise only about 1% of the population. Maybe it's the nature of the sandbox?

[Steeler]

INTP, motherfudgers!