Conservatives and liberals don’t seem to agree about much, and they might not agree about recent studies linking conservatism to low intelligence and “low-effort” thinking.

As The Huffington Post reported in February, a study published in the journal “Psychological Science” showed that children who score low on intelligence tests gravitate toward socially conservative political views in adulthood—perhaps because conservative ideologies stress “structure and order” that make it easier to understand a complicated world.

Ouch.

And now there’s the new study linking conservative ideologies to “low-effort” thinking.

“People endorse conservative ideology more when they have to give a first or fast response,” the study’s lead author, University of Arkansas psychologist Dr. Scott Eidelman, said in a written statement released by the university.

Does the finding suggest that conservatives are lazy thinkers?

“Not quite,” Dr. Eidelman told The Huffington Post in an email. “Our research shows that low-effort thought promotes political conservatism, not that political conservatives use low-effort thinking.”

For the study, a team of psychologists led by Dr. Eidelman asked people about their political viewpoints in a bar and in a laboratory setting.

Bar patrons were asked about social issues before blowing into a Breathalyzer. As it turned out, the political viewpoints of patrons with high blood alcohol levels were more likely to be conservative than were those of patrons whose blood alcohol levels were low.

But it wasn’t just the alcohol talking, according to the statement. When the researchers conducted similar interviews in the lab, they found that people who were asked to evaluate political ideas quickly or while distracted were more likely to express conservative viewpoints.

“Keeping people from thinking too much…or just asking them to deliberate or consider information in a cursory manner can impact people’s political attitudes, and in a way that consistently promotes political conservatism,” Dr. Eidelman said in the email.

The study was published online in the journal “Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.”

I agree with the idea that people resort to what ever is easiest and I think that in some communities, often white, it is real easy to say things like “why don’t poor people work harder” or “send all the immigrants back to where they came from”

but it is also easy to say in some communities, often black, “thats racist” or “give me some Obama money” which doesn’t make them very conservative.

Another way to put it, is it is hard to be a black conservative, or a liberal military officer. It is easy to be a white southern conservative or a black liberal. It takes more thought and guts to break out of your community norm.

I think the sad state of affairs is that people on both sides of the fence are more worried about their team, and what is easiest for their situation then they are what is best for all. Team thinking above what is right qualifies as low effort in my opinion.

It appears that people who regurgitate this as a political talking point are using low effort thinking.

The study used items rated on a Likert scale. Some of the items used were:

“Production and trade should be free of government interference.”
“Ultimately, private property should be abolished.”
“A first consideration of any society should be property rights.”

These are statements of principle about points that are fundamental to how the US was founded. It would make sense that in a situation that prohibited a lot of deliberation, that people would have more definite responses to the principle, more toward the foundation of the country, than if they deliberated and thought of possible exceptions.

One might also look at the results and conclude that people are at heart more conservative but allow for some variance based on conditions.

Couple of things….First, you are quoting a story out of the Huffington Post.  Aside from the Dail Kos, the HP is about as left wing as they come.  I frequently read the the HP to keep my debating skills up because it is extremely low hanging fruit and I understand the Liberal POV fairly well.  The HP posts NOTHING without a heavy liberal slant….that would be like me Quoting a study out of Fox News…you would do the typical “Faux News” banter as I am doing with you…..

Now they did a study at a bar…are you kidding me….a bar?  Which bar?  Where was it?  What was the average age of the patron?  What is the average income and education background of the patrons?....Come on TB…I expect a lot more of you than this.

It seems that you are suggesting that children being raised with no structure is the preferred way.  Dr.  Benjamin Spock screwed up a generation with that poppycock.

In fact I submit to you that perhaps even more structure is necessary than ever because thanks to social media, kids and adults can literally lose themselves in this world without parameters.  It is becoming almost like an addiction as real as any drug or alcohol can be to a person.

Really interesting responses. Particularly when you consider there aren’t any politics mentioned here just the thought process.

CU_Tigers, sounds kinda like you’re one of the people who you are referring to when you say the back and forth is like an addiction. I agree it is… only because people by nature are greedy. And of course they would be, since we are all animals by nature. Dogs fight for food, cave men, yes those people thousands of years ago that did live, they too fought for food.

What is their food is now our money.

Now when you consider by nature we are greedy beings, now consider the elite that were defeated in the civil war. Yea, those people…. and think about after getting their butt kicked by that damn northern aggression, think about what they did next. They went and out smarted the share croppers and southern poor folks into their position of that damn northern aggression. And from that we had sides. Those damn Yankees and that northern aggression and the mean federal government that was coming to get you and they are taking your freedom ie money. Verses those liberal northerners from Boston and Washington DC… those disrespectful Yankees.

Look, the first step to stopping an addiction is admitting you got one. In order politically speaking to stop ‘your’ madness you have to step back and breath and think. THINK… and thinking includes not taking a position against your better interests.

Again, not taking a position against YOUR better interests. Think about that.

Although I don’t know but I’m willing to guess that very few who read this are radical christian headbangers. I’d also be willing to bet most aren’t in the 1 percent. And they also love having seniors taken care of when they grow old because they know when you get old, you need it.

And finally that dang trickle down thing.. you know, when the one percent pay none or less taxes than I or the other 99 percent they are the job creators and when they are good, us under them are good too. You know they create jobs and the money flows..

Well, again…........ G R E E D. It’s proven time, and time, and time and now as we dig out of it, it’s being pitched again. AND.. some lazy thinkers are listening to it. Just 3 shorts years removed from the platform but one we still feed into because of the instant news cycles including the social media that you correctly pointed to have made the concept ‘for the people’ only words as our elected officials only care about getting re-elected. What once was a calling is now a career for them. Not all, but most of them in public office.

However, those same people who read this will vote to back those positions that those greedy carry because of their addiction AND because they don’t think.

They just don’t think….... lazy thinkers. And sometimes instead of arguing or debating you just wanna hug them. Poor things.

Here is what I think of “GREED”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Muz1OcEzJOs

Thanks for the Grapefruit…...

Greed is good…...