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People with lower emotional intelligence are more likely to hold right-wing views, study finds

 
 
 
ZiprHead

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New research from Belgium provides evidence that deficits in emotion understanding and emotion management are related to right-wing and prejudiced attitudes. The study has been published in the journal Emotion.

“Many scholars have investigated the cognitive basis of ideology in general, and right-wing ideological attitudes in particular. In the present study, we wanted to investigate if a similar relationship would exist for emotional abilities.”

In two studies, the researchers assessed the emotional abilities and political ideology of 983 Belgian undergraduate students. The second study also examined the participants’ cognitive ability. Emotional ability was measured with three tests: the Situational Test of Emotional Understanding, the Situational Test of Emotion Management, and the Geneva Emotion Recognition Test.

The researchers found that individuals with weaker emotional abilities — particularly emotional understanding and management — tended to score higher on a measure of right-wing authoritarianism and social dominance orientation.

Right-wing authoritarianism is a personality trait that describes the tendency to submit to political authority and be hostile towards other groups, while social dominance orientation is a measure of a person’s preference for inequality among social groups.

“The results of this study were univocal. People who endorse authority and strong leaders and who do not mind inequality — the two basic dimensions underlying right-wing political ideology — show lower levels of emotional abilities,” Van Hiel told PsyPost.
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This is a no brainer, at least for persons with decent observational skills. It's pretty easy to spot and identify a person who is running on their "rat brain." We need to develop a "vaccine" that enlarges a person's prefontal cortex.
 
Even right wingers can't deny this one after all of the "fuck your feelings!" bullshit. Oh who am I kidding, of course they'll deny it.
 
Okay, but it's so easy to sustain a counterclaim here. I have seen Mitch McConnell and Jim Jordan in tears -- not just misty eyes, but sobbing -- when discussing the covid deaths we've seen in America and the plight of families whose bread winners cannot go to work.

Wait. My clozapine ran out three weeks ago.
 
Right-wingers sometimes portray low emotional intelligence as a virtue, something that makes them better suited to handling the challenges that we face. Like:

If you're young and not a liberal, you have no heart
If you're old and not a conservative, you have no brain

Facts don't care about your feelings

Fuck your feelings


Political Orientations Are Correlated with Brain Structure in Young Adults
Conservatism and the neural circuitry of threat: economic conservatism predicts greater amygdala–BNST connectivity during periods of threat vs safety

Right-wingers may take this result and portray their greater fearfulness as less complacency.
 
I am skeptical of this research, because it's also known that "emotional intelligence" is a pretty shaky concept that correlates strongly with general intelligence. People who are smart, also tend to be smart in social situations. The abstract says that there is already plenty of research to show that right-wing political views correlate with low cognitive abilities. So what if lack of emotional skills is just a proxy for generally low cognitive abilities?

They should have normalized the results based on IQ.
 
Unless I missed something when I scanned the link, it appears as if only 35 students were examined although it did mention something about adding 17 females. That is such a tiny study, that imo, it's meaningless. Plus, who is nutty enough to agree to a study where they are told that they might receive an electric shock while being tested? I'd back out at that point, even if it was just a lie. I'm not impressed by this study at all.

I doubt that brain structure has that much impact on our political views unless we suffer from sociopathy, in which case, there is a total lack of empathy for others. I tend to think that political views are far more influenced by environmental things like religion, culture, peer groups, geographical location, etc. Plus, some people change their political views as they age, and it's not necessarily true that liberals become more conservative. I've met quite a few people who went in the opposite direction once they gave more thought to their views. And, it's likely that most people have more moderate views and don't strongly identify with right wing or left wing. These days, people can't even agree on what is right and left wing for that matter.

But, the study would explain why so many physicians hold strong right wing views! :D. Seriously! I read an online medical journal that has a comment section. Many, if not most of the physicians hold right wing views. My brother in law who is a dentist is also a right winger when it comes to financial things. I don't think we can generalize about why or who holds right wing views based on emotional or intellectual intelligence.
 
southernhybrid said:
Unless I missed something when I scanned the link, it appears as if only 35 students were examined although it did mention something about adding 17 females. That is such a tiny study, that imo, it's meaningless.
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Can't you just embrace that the other side is wrong and more dumber? :D
Plus, who is nutty enough to agree to a study where they are told that they might receive an electric shock while being tested? I'd back out at that point, even if it was just a lie. I'm not impressed by this study at all.

I doubt that brain structure has that much impact on our political views unless we suffer from sociopathy, in which case, there is a total lack of empathy for others. I tend to think that political views are far more influenced by environmental things like religion, culture, peer groups, geographical location, etc. Plus, some people change their political views as they age, and it's not necessarily true that liberals become more conservative. I've met quite a few people who went in the opposite direction once they gave more thought to their views. And, it's likely that most people have more moderate views and don't strongly identify with right wing or left wing. These days, people can't even agree on what is right and left wing for that matter.
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A study a while ago showed how partisanship is rewarded by the brain, using an MRI to monitor W and Kerry supporters. Obfuscation pays out dopamine rewards. Another study indicated that conservatives were generally as thoughtful and caring as liberals, but generally within a smaller circle of people. This is certainly observed among social conservatives whose views expand and become broader when their circle opens up a bit more, ie... the gay son or daughter.

Personally, I've felt, at least in this recent time, the right-wing seems more susceptible to Id targeted propaganda. But populism has floated along both sides of the aisle over the past couple centuries.
 
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