Low-Effort Thought Promotes Political Conservatism

Abstract

The authors test the hypothesis that low-effort thought promotes political conservatism. In Study 1, alcohol intoxication was measured among bar patrons; as blood alcohol level increased, so did political conservatism (controlling for sex, education, and political identification). In Study 2, participants under cognitive load reported more conservative attitudes than their no-load counterparts. In Study 3, time pressure increased participants' endorsement of conservative terms. In Study 4, participants considering political terms in a cursory manner endorsed conservative terms more than those asked to cogitate; an indicator of effortful thought (recognition memory) partially mediated the relationship between processing effort and conservatism. Together these data suggest that political conservatism may be a process consequence of low-effort thought; when effortful, deliberate thought is disengaged, endorsement of conservative ideology increases.

The Impacts of Attributional Styles and Dispositional Optimism on Subject Well-Being: A Structural Equation Modelling Analysis

“…And then this style of this attribution may take as a positive attributional style. On the other hand, if people attribute positive outcomes to effort, the positive affective reaction is too feeble to strength the behavior reaction which may be considered as negative attributional styles (Shepperd et al Eidelman et al 2012). However, this may not true in Chinese culture and the above inferences were not proved in the CFA results of current study which showed the important need for contextualized research of the structure of attributional style.…”

On the Grammar of Politics—or Why Conservatives Prefer Nouns

“…Furthermore, research on personality characteristics documents a link between conservative political orientation (especially when it comes to social and cultural issues) and lower openness to new experiences and higher conscientiousness (e.g., Carney et al, 2008). In line with these findings, conservatism is also associated with epistemic needs to maintain certainty, structure, and closure, along with a generally rigid or persistent cognitive style (Eidelman, Crandall, Goodman, & Blanchar, 2012;Jost et al, 2003Jost et al, , 2008Jost et al, , 2009Jost & Krochik, 2014;Thorisdottir & Jost, 2011;Tetlock, 1983). …”

Does Lower Cognitive Ability Predict Greater Prejudice?

“…The immediate response to this threat involves prevention (vs. promotion) reactions that emphasize what is already known and familiar (i.e., the status quo), in the interest of reducing uncertainty and anxiety and minimizing potential harm or danger. As such, prevention responses and "conservative" reactions are both basic and normal (Eidelman et al, 2012), triggered by an oversensitivity to the unfamiliar (or to perceived threats) but also representing a reasonable response based on a critical evaluation of threatening environmental factors.…”

“…Furthermore, Eidelman, Crandall, Goodman, and Blanchar (2012) have provided experimental support that low-effort thinking promotes political conservatism. Linear relations have also been confirmed longitudinally, with poorer mental abilities in childhood predicting stronger endorsement of right-wing authoritarianism and social conservatism (e.g., Deary et al, 2008a;Heaven et al, 2011;Hodson & Busseri, 2012;Schoon et al, 2010) and right-leaning voting behavior (Deary, Batty, & Gale, 2008b) in adulthood.…”