Pervasive Irony

Recently we noted that recent neurological research has shown that people show interesting neurological effects when discussing politics; people react with disinterest when their opponents are talking, and with pleasure when their opponents get shut down.

Interestingly, the Strib notes the same study today.

I'd have figured they'd have spiked this story:

We all know people who seem to let their feelings drive their politics, untroubled by a steady flow of contrary facts. Still, it's a surprise to read of neurological research confirming precisely those impressions.

Wonder if anyone tested this writer when he said:

...But here's what I found troubling about your letters, Red: Many of you don't seem to realize you live in Minnesota. You think you are in Alabama....the 1960s are over. What worries me is the people who want to go back to the 1860s.

Back to the editorial:

Across the board, the partisans forgave their man and took a dim view of his opponent (it's not clear how they judged Hanks but here, too, the researchers found no difference between Republicans and Democrats). Here's the shocker: They did so without firing up the parts of their brains associated with reasoning. Instead, they shut down the circuits associated with negative emotions, like disgust, and activated those associated with pleasurable rewards, like drugs.

Strib: "I'm shocked, shocked, to find out that anyone acts like that!"

Probably these findings will not surprise the people who shape campaign messages and aim them elsewhere than the intellect. But they should be sobering to citizens who want to believe their political views, of whatever stripe, are based on something more than self-perpetuating bias. Nothing in the Emory study suggests that even the most partisan folks can't think for themselves -- only that, far too often, they don't.

Wow - those baaad partisans.

We don't know anyone like that, do we?

Posted by Mitch at January 30, 2006 06:18 AM | TrackBack