Using Less Effort to Think, Opinions Lean More Conservative

[sinkingfeeling]

http://newswire.uark.edu/article.aspx?id=18125

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – When people use low-effort thought, they are more likely to endorse conservative ideology, according to psychologist Scott Eidelman of the University of Arkansas. Results of research by Eidelman and colleagues were published online in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.

The researchers stressed that their results should not be interpreted to suggest that conservatives are not thoughtful.

“Everyone uses low-effort thinking, and this may have ideological consequences,” they write. “Motivational factors are crucial determinants of ideology, aiding or correcting initial responses depending on one’s goals, beliefs and values. Our perspective suggests that these initial and uncorrected responses lean conservative.”

Eidelman is an assistant professor of psychology in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas.

[rhett o rick]

1. I think being skeptical is good also. nm

[get the red out]

2. Values

I think a lot of it comes down to that. What does someone value? Conservatives often value following an authoritarian lead, they like black and white answers, this favors less thinking overall. Most progressives value a bit of independance, which makes one have to think more about things to discover what represents their values.

Conservatives value rules = don't think, obey; progressives value discovering the highest potential good in most cases, without rules imposed from dogma of some kind interferring with that process.

[CJCRANE]

3. I think the key to that is curiosity

and openness to new ideas.

Of course not all liberals have that quality but I would guess that most conservatives don't. They prefer to listen to their favorite talking head (whether pastor, mullah, rabbi or TV pundit) and accept what they say on face value.

IMO if you're curious about things then you will eventually find your way closer to the truth.