Brain structure differs in liberals, conservatives: study

This is what I suspected, some have automatically equated the conservative mindset to the political party labeled "Republican", and the liberal mindset to the one labeled "Democrat".

Where does that place someone who says "I have, and will always vote Democrat, no matter what!".

To me, this makes them ideologically conservative, because they are averse to change, yet they vote Democrat... how can that possibly be?
Here's my take: the main stream media convinces us that, somehow, the political parties stand for specific ideologies. They may have in the past, but today, they stand for whatever is more likely to get them elected and increase their campaign finances and lobby revenue.

con·serv·a·tive   
[kuhn-sur-vuh-tiv]
–adjective
1.
disposed to preserve existing conditions, institutions, etc., or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change.

Source

the Billmeister

study - www.cell.com/current-biology/abstract/S0960-9822(11)00289-2 or dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2011.03.017 (will work later)

Funding source

Acknowledgments

This work was funded by the Wellcome Trust.

Preprint - Article in Press, Corrected Proof

jjjtir.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/political-orientations-are-correlated-with-brain-structure-in-young-adults.pdf

Supplemental Information/image

jjjtir.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/mmc1.pdf

see the graph, includes "Middle of the Road" 'classification'.

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/2c11e8eb46a9.jpg[/atsimg]

If anyone is interested, here is a related study:
www.cosmosmagazine.com ...

WASHINGTON DC: Calm people tend to be liberals, while those who react strongly to sudden noises and threatening images tend to be political conservatives, says a study in the U.S. journal Science today.

"Individuals with measurably lower physical sensitivities to sudden noises and threatening visual images were more likely to support foreign aid, liberal immigration policies, pacifism, and gun control," said the study conducted by U.S. researchers from Rice University in Texas, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the University of Illinois, and the Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioural Genetics.

Strong beliefs

"Individuals displaying measurably higher physiological reactions to those same stimuli were more likely to favour defence spending, capital punishment, patriotism, and the Iraq war," the authors write.

reply to post by centurion1211


I doubt that.

Some posters seem to assume that the act of reporting constitutes "taking a side" - even though my OP asked, "Does this make sense to everyone?" ...Why shoot the messenger?!

Fact is, I think our brains are extremely "plastic" and also that - now-routine manipulation can change the physical structure of our brains.

Here's a bit of background to explain my thinking:

* I wrote this in 2005: Neuro-Marketing: Straight to the Brain

The latest trends in advertising and marketing use neuroscience, and look beyond influencing our choices to directly affecting our brains at a physical level. Technology to monitor and alter brain waves dates back to the 1970's. Current research uses functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) to map the brain's responses to stimuli. In 2001, "The Brighthouse Institute for Institute for Thought Sciences" gave birth to the BrightHouse Neurostrategies Group, the first neuromarketing company, based in Atlanta. Last week, neuroscientist Baroness Susan Greenfield told the Institute of Direct Marketing how marketing can create new neuronal networks in the brain. Critics say using neuroscience to directly manipulate the brain is unethical and will be used to control our thinking, and voting too.

* Neuroplasticity

Neuroplasticity (also known as cortical remapping) refers to the ability of the brain to change as a result of one's experience, that the brain is 'plastic' and 'malleable'. The discovery of this feature of the brain is rather modern; the previous belief amongst scientists was that the brain does not change after the critical period of infancy.

Also another thing to keep in mind is that blue as a color is often associated with being relaxed. Red is associated with aggression. I'm not sure where I heard this, but thought I'd say. I"m not saying this is backed by any evidence. It's just what I've thought over the years.

And in advertising I've heard that red catches peoples eyes. Like the Fred Meyer sign.

Here is more explanation for what I'm trying to say:
en.wikipedia.org ...

I just think it's ridiculous how the study worded things. It's obviously biased.

"dealing with complexity"

How many brain regions deal with complexity? How many different wiring and firing patterns are found in intelligent, compassionate people? My guess would be much more than a few.

The AAC has MANY roles, and our understandings of it is very limited.

The AAC is involved with emotional interpretation as well...




"The left has nothing right, and the right has nothing left" --author unknown


They're both blundering, idiotic, corporate controlled parties, imo.

I wonder which regions "dealing with complexity" are fired in the minds of those who would agree with the previous statement?? Now THAT would be interesting to analyze, imo.

The study is bogus:

The OP's article, cross referenced with the publisher:

Agence France-Presse (AFP) is a French news agency, the oldest one in the world,[

en.wikipedia.org...

France...explains everything! " Study " fail!

HAHAHAHAHA !!!! Seriously?? They had to do an experiment to show this??? How much money did they waste on that one! I could have told them that for free! Think fear based , limp wristed loosers who are frightened of anything that happens outside thier own nation, and you get conservatives. Think deep thinkers who are interested in the complex systems involved in creating an idea situation for everyone , accepting of no compromise when it comes to equality and fairness, and you have democrats, or lefties as some call them, doesnt matter which side of the pond you are on , its the same.

Originally posted by TrueBrit
HAHAHAHAHA !!!! Seriously?? They had to do an experiment to show this??? How much money did they waste on that one! I could have told them that for free! Think fear based , limp wristed loosers who are frightened of anything that happens outside thier own nation, and you get conservatives. Think deep thinkers who are interested in the complex systems involved in creating an idea situation for everyone , accepting of no compromise when it comes to equality and fairness, and you have democrats, or lefties as some call them, doesnt matter which side of the pond you are on , its the same.

I would think that some fear is good. Maybe both parties need each other. Perhaps without lefties there would be too few scientists and without republicans we'd have no military to defend against foreign invaders. I would want to think they're complimentary.

I mean think about evolution. I think dreams are a evolutionary trait that train us for potential realities. Since it gave us good results we kept on dreaming and that's why we dream today. I think it's a similar thing with the political parties. Since we've been attacked by monsters and twisted men in the past it makes sense that we've had conservatives who're extra-sensitive to these things. Like anti-bodies. And since we've always had a complex world that's hard to understand we've had liberals to study it and to make it accessible to the common man. And some people gravitate inbetween. One thing is for sure though. In life, you have to pick a life to live and you can't be an expert at all things. We all need each other.

But reality rarely fits what's on paper. The presence of an argument does not mean it's justified. One person might be arguing that the moon is composed of spaghetti, but that's in fact not true. It could be that lefties are a hold back from ancient times. Or it could that conservatives are. It's hard to say. For example, we tended to put on the pounds in the past to survive winters. They were cold and food was more scarce so it made sense to gain weight during the food producing months. But now that we no longer live like that gaining weight in good times is making us obese. So it could that elements of conservativsm or liberalism are holdovers from the past and no longer appropriate. Perhaps we need a little less fear or a little more. Who knows?

Originally posted by muzzleflash

Originally posted by Misterlondon
I think you apply this to some of the people on this site aswell..
I've seen some posts and threads and their brain definitely works different to normal human beings..

edit on 8/4/11 by Misterlondon because: (no reason given)

All human brains work the exact same. Only differences would be due to chemical differentiations or due to brain damage issues.

Incorrect. Their can be neurobiological differences as well. In fact, no two brains are similar, as you noted in your previous post, LOL!

The brain is an organ, similar to the Heart or the Liver. It is essentially the same among all homo sapiens sapiens. It is encoded into our DNA chain the exact blue prints to the design and function of the brain. This is a fact.

Incorrect. The same general functions are usually there, but specific neurological changes exist. The blue print is NOT the exact same. We have different genetic makeups. I'm a natural lefty. My brain is hard wired different than most people, in a large way. The corpus collusum is larger, and I have similarities to most people's left brain's biology existing within my right brain.

If someone thinks differently than you, the obvious answer is that their brain (a computer processor) has been fed different information (data), and thus their conclusions will come out differently.

Incorrect: Genes interacting with environment give us our different interpretations and perceptions.

I added a new section to my OP - hope that's not breaking some code or another, and hope you'll all check it out. ...Clarifies the "conspiracy angle" I see here.



reply to post by guessing

reply to post by Misterlondon

reply to post by thisguyrighthere

reply to post by muzzleflash

reply to post by centurion1211

reply to post by Billmeister

reply to post by projectvxn

reply to post by SunnyDee

reply to post by jonnywhite

reply to post by OhioPariah

reply to post by Unity_99

reply to post by jjjtir

reply to post by jonnywhite

reply to post by unityemissions

reply to post by Whereweheaded

reply to post by TrueBrit

This reminds me of the German "studies" before WW2 that were used to scientifically validate aryanism. X - race does such and such while race Y is more blah blah.
This is swampy ground best avoided by all, especially scientists.

Originally posted by Asktheanimals
This reminds me of the German "studies" before WW2 that were used to scientifically validate aryanism. X - race does such and such while race Y is more blah blah.
This is swampy ground best avoided by all, especially scientists.

Point taken. As a long time paranoid about Eugenics policies, gotcha.

BUT.

The physical differences are real, whatever the interpretation - and I remain concerned about the neuro-marketing's effects on our brains' physical structure.

Whether the findings are legitimate or not, the only function served is to perpetuate the paradigm which encourages division in the United States.

Very interesting thread. I think you may be onto something with the 'programming' aspect of our brains. As an example, it seems natural to me that people who watch and agree with FOX news on a regular basis are naturally going to develop a larger fear center in their brain (terrorists, Muslims, gays and progressives). Come on you guys, FOX news is all about spreading fear. And people who watch and agree with MSNBC are going to develop skills in understanding complexities like peaceful solutions, conflict resolution, equal rights, etc.

I watched both when I was watching news, but I rarely agreed with FOX and I watched it with a sense of leaning what they were up to instead of turning to them to get information. I eventually started viewing MSNBC the same way and gave them both up. Maybe watching FOX developed my suspicion cortex enough to realize that MSNBC was just as bad! That's pretty funny.

Good thread.

Originally posted by soficrow
reply to post by centurion1211

 

I doubt that.

You doubt what? I've ripped this to shreds on several levels, so not sure which one you doubt.

Some posters seem to assume that the act of reporting constitutes "taking a side" - even though my OP asked, "Does this make sense to everyone?" ...Why shoot the messenger?!

Because you - the messenger - have always had a consistent and one-sided theme - bashing conservatives. You cannot now presume to act like you are somehow not biased. In fact, making a thread out of this bogus study proves that you ARE biased.

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
Very interesting thread. I think you may be onto something with the 'programming' aspect of our brains. As an example, it seems natural to me that people who watch and agree with FOX news on a regular basis are naturally going to develop a larger fear center in their brain (terrorists, Muslims, gays and progressives). Come on you guys, FOX news is all about spreading fear. And people who watch and agree with MSNBC are going to develop skills in understanding complexities like peaceful solutions, conflict resolution, equal rights, etc.

1,000 X BS - BH. You should know better than to post something reeking of so much hypocrisy.

Liberals also like to spread plenty of fear of their own.

Examples:

* liberals promote class warfare - attempting to get people to fear the "rich".
* liberals are constantly saying conservatives are going to take away this and take away that. Look at the headlines on Drudge just this morning.

DNC FACEBOOK event calls for dumping trash at Boehner's house...
Pelosi calls GOP plan 'war on women'...
Dem: Shutdown 'equivalent of bombing innocent civilians'...
Jesse Jackson compares to Civil War...
REID: GOP wants shutdown to keep 'women from getting cancer screenings'...

None of that is fearmongering???

Again, I call BS.

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic
Very interesting thread. I think you may be onto something with the 'programming' aspect of our brains......

I watched both when I was watching news, but I rarely agreed with FOX and I watched it with a sense......

Good thread.

I agree. I only watch the news to see what the mainstream is up to. They all twist the truth and have an agenda. That agenda is rarely the truth and more about ratings and not breaking from what the suits at the top want them to do. I try to get information from as many sources as possible. Lately I've been coming to these forums a lot for news. There's too much paranoia, but if you filter that out you can get at todays news.

I think what we watch and do could affect our brain. But since the study doesn't say how it happened, only that these brain differences are present, it's hard to make any conclusion.

This quote is applicable:

''Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become you.''

After reading this thread, I might change it to:

''Watch your thoughts; they become words. Watch your words; they become actions. Watch your actions; they become habits. Watch your habits; they become you your brain.''

Originally posted by centurion1211

Liberals also like to spread plenty of fear of their own.

Examples:

* liberals promote class warfare - attempting to get people to fear the "rich".
* liberals are constantly saying conservatives are going to take away this and take away that. Look at the headlines on Drudge just this morning.

DNC FACEBOOK event calls for dumping trash at Boehner's house...
Pelosi calls GOP plan 'war on women'...
Dem: Shutdown 'equivalent of bombing innocent civilians'...
Jesse Jackson compares to Civil War...
REID: GOP wants shutdown to keep 'women from getting cancer screenings'...

None of that is fearmongering???

Again, I call BS.

edit on 4/8/2011 by centurion1211 because: (no reason given)

Sure, they use fearmongering to communicate with conservative Democrats. Democrats are not liberals, and Republicans are not conservatives. Especially the two parties that are currently in power.

Originally posted by centurion1211
reply to post by soficrow

 

BTW, I just completed my own study by searching ATS with the words "soficrow" and "Fox News".

Results: Over 10 pages of hits with soficrow trashing Fox News.

But now all of the sudden they're OK because he was able to cherry pick some data from a study purporting to "prove" that liberals are somehow superior to conservatives.

Deny hypocrisy ...

Deny hypocrisy indeed. And disinformation, and misinformation, and and and.

Again, I am most interested in the effects of neuromarketing on the brain's physical structure - effects we may find this study actually documents. If the trash-talkers can get past their denials and biases long enough to take a real look at it.

Also - I have never been particularly interested in Fox News and don't recall focusing on them. Just ran a search here for "soficrow +fox news" - and those I checked show others referring to Fox in the thread; if I addressed "Fox," it was in a direct response.