Study finds left-wing brain, right-wing brain

LA Times ^ | September 10, 2007 | Denise Gellene

[DarkSavant]

Even in humdrum nonpolitical decisions, liberals and conservatives literally think differently, researchers show. By Denise Gellene, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer September 10, 2007 Exploring the neurobiology of politics, scientists have found that liberals tolerate ambiguity and conflict better than conservatives because of how their brains work. In a simple experiment reported todayin the journal Nature Neuroscience, scientists at New York University and UCLA show that political orientation is related to differences in how the brain processes information.

[craig_eddy]

liberals tolerate ambiguity and conflict better than conservatives

Gee, sounds like they're saying Conservatives have a disorder. Maybe we can qualify for disability benefits...

[Izzy Dunne]

Study finds left-wing brain

It was caught and tamed by Joe Lieberman!

[Jaysun]

Similar to the way the male / female brains work.

[6SJ7]

Maybe we can qualify for disability benefits...

... or the gulag

[caver]

“liberals and conservatives literally think differently”

That’s an understatement!

[presidio9]

Again?

[WorkerbeeCitizen]

"Even in humdrum nonpolitical decisions, liberals and conservatives literally think differently, researchers show. "

Liberals do not think, they "feel".

[COBOL2Java]

...liberals tolerate ambiguity and conflict better than conservatives because of how their brains work.

That's because liberals don't think with their brains.

[Uncle Miltie]

"liberals tolerate ambiguity and conflict better than conservatives"

That's because accuracy and truth are at odds with Liberals' world-view.

[visualops]

It’s not that they tolerate ambiguity, it’s that they don’t like facts.

[Filo]

Stupid study, but what do you expect. . .

[Ranxerox]

liberals tolerate ambiguity and conflict better than conservatives

Translation: Liberals don't care that they don't have any answers to problems, but will fight about it anyway.

[dragonblustar]

liberals tolerate ambiguity

Let me get this right. They can tolerate lies and the defense of those lies? Is that it?

[DBrow]

“liberals tolerate ambiguity and conflict”

If I reversed the LATimes spin I could say lies and doublethink, but that would be mean-spirited.

[HungarianGypsy]

Isn’t it funny, I think and feel. No wonder my liberal friend calls me a closet liberal.

[Minn]

Every year or so liberal professors release a “study” purporting to show their own superiority. Then they issue a disclaimer that says "This doesn't mean we are better. It only means we are more tolerant and open minded than idiot conservatives."

[xcamel]

Bullmush.

Left-wing brain, "artsy-fartsy" part of brain used to make serious rational process decisions, and "touchy-feeley" part to make fight-or-flight decisions...

[KarlInOhio]

Liberals had more brain activity and made fewer mistakes than conservatives when they saw a W,

No bias there, right?

(Yes, I took it out of context. I just thought it was peculiar.)

[Matchett-PI]

"Political differences might be explained by a fundamental variation in how our brains are "wired" to process information, according to a study published today. Scientists have found that the brains of people calling themselves liberals are more able to handle conflicting and unexpected information than the brains of their conservative counterparts. The study points to a likely neurological basis for complex personality and behavioural traits.

David Amodio, of New York University, writing in the journal Nature Neuroscience, says conservatives were found to be "more structured and persistent in their judgments"; in tests they had "higher average scores" on measures of the personal need for "order, structure and closure". Liberals showed "higher tolerance of ambiguity and complexity".

Dr Amodio asked 43 volunteers to press a button on seeing a frequent cue - that caused an habitual response. A less frequent cue required no button pressing. Electroencephalograms revealed liberals were more likely to withhold the habitual response and had more activity in a part of the brain involved in conflict monitoring. The study is not conclusive, Dr Amodio says, but it is possible that political orientation to some degree reflects a person's style of information processing."

Hummm... I'll bet Dr. Amodio of the odious leftist echo-chamber aka NY University, was no doubt favorably impressed by Lash LaDouche in the movie "Johnny Nuance", too.

Here's another "nuanced" movie dealing with "complex personality and behavioural traits" he'll probably also like: