Brain differences in political orientation - Page 2

jillio · 12-01-2011, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reba

What about people who change their political beliefs over the years? What does that mean?

That just supports the fact that the brain retains its plasticity over a lifetime.

**Beowulf** · 12-01-2011, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeafBadger

Fair enough, but it is just one single study that needs to be confirmed by further study. I wouldn't put a lot of weight on it.

Of course not, but I wouldn't immediately dismiss it out of hand, either.

whatdidyousay! · 12-01-2011, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jillio

Actually, that supposition doesn't hold water, because it is the amygdala that has been implicated in anxiety disorders such as OCD and depression. And anxiety disorders and depression are related to activation of the centers in the brain, not differences in volume.

It was worth a shot!

http://www.google.com/search?q=GOP+B...w=1024&bih=629

**deafskeptic** · 12-01-2011, 10:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeafBadger

Fair enough, but it is just one single study that needs to be confirmed by further study. I wouldn't put a lot of weight on it.

I don't think this is the only study that has been done though I'm sure jillio confirm this better than I can.

**deafskeptic** · 12-01-2011, 10:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whatdidyousay!

It was worth a shot!

I thought that was funny.

Anyway, I do tend to be prone to bouts of depression if not anxiety attacks.

**deafskeptic** · 12-01-2011, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deafskeptic

I thought that was funny.

Anyway, I do tend to be prone to bouts of depression if not anxiety attacks.

So is my mother and she's perhaps the most conservative member of my family.

jillio · 12-01-2011, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeafBadger

Fair enough, but it is just one single study that needs to be confirmed by further study. I wouldn't put a lot of weight on it.

There are thousands upon thousands of studies that confirm that these neuronal correlates are directly related to particular ways of thinking and particular functions within the brain. This study is just applying that information to a novel area...political orientation based on the behavioral obsevations that are indicative of a particular orientation.

**Beowulf** · 12-01-2011, 10:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reba

What about people who change their political beliefs over the years? What does that mean?

I was just kidding about the helmet. It is a good question, but one has to ask, did the tendency really change?

jillio · 12-01-2011, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deafskeptic

I thought that was funny.

Anyway, I do tend to be prone to bouts of depression if not anxiety attacks.

That would have more to do with activation centers in the brain and decreased functioning of particular synapses, not actual brain volume. Although chronic, severe, intractable depression has been linked to an overall reduction in gray matter particularly in the prefrontal cortex.

whatdidyousay! · 12-01-2011, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reba

What about people who change their political beliefs over the years? What does that mean?

They voted for Mitt Romney .

**Reba** · 12-01-2011, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beowulf

I was just kidding about the helmet. It is a good question, but one has to ask, did the tendency really change?

I don't know. I'm too emotionally rattled to think about it.

**Beowulf** · 12-01-2011, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reba

I don't know. I'm too emotionally rattled to think about it.

I know the feeling. I wouldn't consider myself liberal, nor conservative either. Arghhh.

**deafskeptic** · 12-01-2011, 10:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jillio

That would have more to do with activation centers in the brain and decreased functioning of particular synapses, not actual brain volume. Although chronic, severe, intractable depression has been linked to an overall reduction in gray matter particularly in the prefrontal cortex.

As for severe depression in my case and my niece Laura's case, it was due to low thyroid.. I wonder how that would affect the functioning of synapses?

I would imagine that in some cases that would affect that. It's rare for low thyroid to be a cause of depression.

**DeafBadger** · 12-01-2011, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beowulf

Of course not, but I wouldn't immediately dismiss it out of hand, either.

I wouldn't either. I considered it for 10 seconds and then dismissed it.

It really sounds absurd to me. It makes more sense that people's political choices are based on what they perceive to be in their best interest or the interest of they group(s) they consider themselves to be part of. As well as their religious beliefs or secular values. The cultural soup that they are a part of is a more likely predictor of political orientation, in my opinion.

**Beowulf** · 12-01-2011, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeafBadger

I wouldn't either. I considered it for 10 seconds and then dismissed it.

It really sounds absurd to me. It makes more sense that people's political choices are based on what they perceive to be in their best interest or the interest of they group(s) they consider themselves to be part of. As well as their religious beliefs or secular values. The cultural soup that they are a part of is a more likely predictor of political orientation, in my opinion.

Really? The more I think about it, the more I think it is true. Obviously, the different constructions of brains determine thoughts and actions; otherwise, everyone would be exactly the same. Take a village deep in the Amazon jungle, for example: everyone is exposed to the same culture and teachings, but some members become potters, others fighters, others teachers, and others healers, etc. The choices are made in that cultural soup and it best fits their "personality," which I think is determined by the inner workings of the brain.
I could be wrong, of course.

jillio · 12-01-2011, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeafBadger

Fair enough, but it is just one single study that needs to be confirmed by further study. I wouldn't put a lot of weight on it.

There is plenty of research that support the findings of this study. In fact, this was a replication of earlier neurological studies. It simply applied it to a novel area: political orientation. You wouldn't question neurological implication involved in other areas of orientation, such as being oriented more toward math and science, or being oriented more introversion or extroversion, would you? I mean, that has been shown over and over and over. That is the same type of cognitive process involved in the tendency to politically orient toward a certain way of thinking and perceiving.

rolling7 · 12-01-2011, 10:47 PM

Looks like this junk science forgot to account for the independents.

jillio · 12-01-2011, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeafBadger

I wouldn't either. I considered it for 10 seconds and then dismissed it.

It really sounds absurd to me. It makes more sense that people's political choices are based on what they perceive to be in their best interest or the interest of they group(s) they consider themselves to be part of. As well as their religious beliefs or secular values. The cultural soup that they are a part of is a more likely predictor of political orientation, in my opinion.

It only sounds absurd if you are not willing to take a look at all of the information that supports it that has been collected over the years. Dismiss it if you so choose, but I can tell you what your automatic dismissal of new information that disagrees with your previous knowlege says about your brain.

**Reba** · 12-01-2011, 10:49 PM

What does this mean about the brains of people in other countries that don't have a two-party system?

**Beowulf** · 12-01-2011, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reba

What does this mean about the brains of people in other countries that don't have a two-party system?

I was thinking the same thing, and decided that explains why there are politicians anyway. They exhort others to listen to their fears and want them to be covered.

**deafskeptic** · 12-01-2011, 11:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steinhauer

"The Liberal Mind: The Psychological Causes of Political Madness"
Lyle H. Rossiter Jr., M.D.

That strategy works both ways.

I'm not familiar with your guy but even a cursory glance at his work makes me wonder if he's a creditable source in his field.

My guess is that he may be even less respected than Dr Phil on TV. I can see a lot of flaws in his thinking even in a brief glance at his excerpt.

I'm afraid that strategy only works with creditable sources and I'm pretty sure your man isn't one of them.

jillio · 12-01-2011, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reba

What does this mean about the brains of people in other countries that don't have a two-party system?

The same thing. These differences are related to different types of cognition and information processing. Just because this study related it to politcal orientation doesn't mean that it doesn't occur in other applications as well. In fact, it does occur in many other applications. But you must admit, that someone's political orientation is directly bound to the way they think and perceive information. So it was a natural application.

Beach girl · 12-01-2011, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reba

What does this mean about the brains of people in other countries that don't have a two-party system?

It means their politics will be a mess, but their arts, architecture, music and fashion will be exquisite.

Like Italy, for example. Or Brazil.

**deafskeptic** · 12-01-2011, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deafskeptic

I'm not familiar with your guy but even a cursory glance at his work makes me wonder if he's a creditable source in his field.

My guess is that he may be even less respected than Dr Phil on TV. I can see a lot of flaws in his thinking even in a brief glance at his excerpt.

I'm afraid that strategy only works with creditable sources and I'm pretty sure your man isn't one of them.

If he is at all respected in his work, then others in his field would make a lot of referrals to his work.

**deafskeptic** · 12-01-2011, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beach girl

It means their politics will be a mess, but their arts, architecture, music and fashion will be exquisite.

Like Italy, for example. Or Brazil.

Or they could be like the Soviet Union.

Beach girl · 12-01-2011, 11:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by deafskeptic

Or they could be like the Soviet Union.

No, they had a one-party system for too long. So all their brains must be alike, no doubt.

**Reba** · 12-01-2011, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jillio

The same thing. These differences are related to different types of cognition and information processing. Just because this study related it to politcal orientation doesn't mean that it doesn't occur in other applications as well. In fact, it does occur in many other applications. But you must admit, that someone's political orientation is directly bound to the way they think and perceive information. So it was a natural application.

I'm asking about their political orientation. What if their country isn't divided into two political parties but into several? Or they have only one party? Or they have no parties?

jillio · 12-01-2011, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beach girl

It means their politics will be a mess, but their arts, architecture, music and fashion will be exquisite.

Like Italy, for example. Or Brazil.

Actually, that isn't what it means at all.

You can see the existence of the same type of cognition and perception that we see in conservative political orientation in many different domains. It would still support the biological differences in these different ways of thinking and perceiving.

Sunshine · 12-01-2011, 11:08 PM

Canada not have two party system either.

**TXgolfer** · 12-01-2011, 11:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reba

I'm asking about their political orientation. What if their country isn't divided into two political parties but into several? Or they have only one party? Or they have no parties?

And....how do they explain Senator Kevin from Prickly City?

12-01-2011, 10:47 PM	#47 (permalink)
rolling7 Banned Join Date: Apr 2010 Posts: 3,340	Looks like this junk science forgot to account for the independents. airportcop likes this.

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12-01-2011, 10:49 PM	#49 (permalink)
Reba Granny Terp Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: South Carolina Posts: 39,107	What does this mean about the brains of people in other countries that don't have a two-party system?

12-01-2011, 11:08 PM	#59 (permalink)
Sunshine Banned Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Home of Canucks! Posts: 3,269 Blog Entries: 2	Canada not have two party system either.