The Cognitive Costs of Being an Ideological Misfit

Abstract

An impressive quantity of data suggests that ideologically conservative individuals are more closed-minded and cognitively rigid than ideologically liberal individuals are (Jost et al., 2003). Yet, the vast majority of the work supporting this conclusion was conducted in communities where ideological conservatives are in the numerical minority. The current dissertation project examines whether being in the numerical minority, rather than being ideologically conservative, fosters increased cognitive rigidity. I investigated this in 3 studies. In Studies 1 and 2, I examined large archival national samples of liberals and conservatives who lived in communities that varied in their degree of conservatism and who completed self-report measures of cognitive style. In Studies 3a and 3b, Iexperimentally manipulated a sense of ideological misfit and then assessed self-reported cognitive rigidity in addition to nonverbal behavioral rigidity and verbal rigidity. Across studies, ideological misfit predicted greater cognitive rigidity. Yet, ideological conservatism also corresponded with greater cognitive rigidity. This finding suggests that misfit accounts for part, but not all, of the relationship between conservatism and cognitive rigidity. Rather, ideological misfit and ideological conservatism each uniquely predict cognitive rigidity.

Advances and Open Questions in the Science of Subjective Well-Being

“…For example, a large internet study in the greater London area (Jokela et al, 2015) found that residents who are high in openness to experiences were more satisfied with their lives if they live in urban areas (where there is more demographic diversity, as well as arts) than those living in the outskirts of the city. Likewise, Republicans are more satisfied with their lives if they live in a Republican district than a Democratic district, whereas liberals are more satisfied with their lives if they live in a Democratic district (Motyl & Oishi, 2016). Furthermore, the person-environment fit effect was explained by sense of belonging.…”

“…As summarized in the person-culture fit section, Londoners who are high in openness to experiences were more satisfied with their lives if they lived in a city center (more ethnically diverse and dense) than if they lived in a suburb (Jokela, Rentfrow, Bleidorn, Lamb, & Gosling, 2015). Politically liberal Americans were more satisfied with their lives if they lived in politically liberal areas than in conservative areas (Motyl & Oishi, 2016; see also Fulmer et al, 2010; Oishi, 2000 for a culture-person fit effect). Furthermore, this fit effect was explained by a greater sense of belonging.…”