Are Conservatives Easier to Manipulate?

subtitled: "Studies have repeatedly shown that conservatives are more susceptible to spin and lies".


From:

www.alternet.org...

The article is about the change in how people respond to a question when it was phrased in two different ways.

The Gallup poll report was titled “U.S. Support for Euthanasia Hinges on How It’s Described”.

And the two ways of phrasing the question were:

1) "described as allowing doctors to ‘end the patient’s life by some painless means" or
2) "'described as doctors helping a patient ‘commit suicide"

The questions where asked of Democrats and Republicans and collated by party affiliation.


A few quotes from the article to start the conversation:

That’s a fall-off from 71% down to 60% for Democrats – or a reduction of 15% – of Democrats, who can be manipulated by using different terminology; but it’s a fall-off from 68% down to 41% for Republicans – or a reduction of 40% – of Republicans, who can be manipulated by a mere synonymous rephrasing of the same question.

There is a vast amount of other empirical evidence showing that conservatives, and Republicans in particular, are more manipulable than non-conservatives.

In other words: whereas Democrats sought information, Republicans sought simply confirmation of their beliefs.

It's not a long article, well-written and sourced.

This relates to another thread "Low-Effort Thought Promotes Political Conservatism" that can be found here:

www.abovetopsecret.com...

I don't mean this to be upsetting. I know to some it will be - but it is important that we put effort into our thinking and listening. It's important to question everything, from anyone, at all times.

My personal experience with people of all stripes is that there is something to this idea that conservatives tend (and I can site many contrary examples) to lazy thinking and even lazier listening.

And that does tend to be included in the very definition of conservate: "a person who is averse to change and holds to traditional values and attitudes, typically in relation to politics. " It's easier to keep things the same, it's harder to design and implement new processes and goals.

'High-Effort' thought requires first an open mind.

reply to post by FyreByrd


Human beings are all capable of being lulled into a slumber and therefore easy to manipulate!!

The question you have to ask yourself is simply this, "With all of the labels that those of us with the herd mentality choose to believe in and cling too, does it not make it easy to manipulate data (polls) to fit the mood of those whom are controlling us?".

For example: Every day I can log onto ATS and see (in the US) fighting over two political parties and how one is bad and one is good. If that is the case, then how can ANYONE explain how BOTH political parties have seemed to successfully destroy our freedoms?? Destroy our ability to work for a living wage, while in the meantime, those we defend make millions while telling us serfs we need to work with them and WE ALL need to sacrifice???

The two party system is the biggest fraud EVER perpetrated against the American people! Two wings on the same vulture! Yet we believe in these people????

Come on..............................seems to me manipulation is the divisiveness that has enabled those whom control us to become more powerful than ANY time of our countries history!!

So to insinuate that it is only Conservatives that are more easily manipulated than Progressives is the ranting of a mad man!

"Mr. President to you wish to evade this politically damaging allegations?"

"Yes...evade? no...uhh"

There are entire departments dedicated to spinning stories for particular groups, but its hard to tell when you are being deceived, especially if its politically motivated!

I find that conservatives are generally smarter and harder to fool. I think it comes from the fact that they know what their values are and are very articulate about getting their point across. I always learn a lot from the past and particularly how good things used to be vs. today.

-roger that delta 1 implantation complete.... awaiting orders..... Delta 1 you are free to engage... roger that.

HEAD GO BOOM!

Originally posted by InverseLookingGlass
I find that conservatives are generally smarter and harder to fool. I think it comes from the fact that they know what their values are and are very articulate about getting their point across. I always learn a lot from the past and particularly how good things used to be vs. today.

-roger that delta 1 implantation complete.... awaiting orders..... Delta 1 you are free to engage... roger that.

HEAD GO BOOM!

Thank you for your experience - empirical evidence says otherwise. My experience says otherwise too.

Politician: "we gonna increase tax, give rich companies more money so they can think about giving us job or increase their bonus, and you only get to live if you have money"

People: "hmmm i don't know about this guy..he seems evil..something is missing...."

Politician: "oh yeah.. i love god etc etc"

People: "that settles it, no way he can be evil now... he gettin' ma vote"

reply to post by InverseLookingGlass


That is the problem, all conservatives wear rose colored glasses.. and the "good ol days"... surprise.. time change. things change, people change... adapt or die.

Not everything in the nostalgia filled good ol days were good.. especially if your are black.. lol

reply to post by luciddream

That is the problem, all conservatives wear rose colored glasses.. and the "good ol days"... surprise.. time change. things change, people change... adapt or die.

Not everything in the nostalgia filled good ol days were good.. especially if your are black.. lol

There is no doubt that you have been highly manipulated! Are you a liberal, or a conservative?

See ya,
Milt

Originally posted by FyreByrd

And the two ways of phrasing the question were:

1) "described as allowing doctors to ‘end the patient’s life by some painless means" or
2) "'described as doctors helping a patient ‘commit suicide"

That is hardly a valid question.
1. ‘end the patient’s life by some painless means" Seems to indicate a) patient is under doctors care so they must be sick and b) "painless" makes one wonder if the patient is already suffering.

2. Makes it sound like a guy goes into the doctors office and says "Hey doc had a terrible day at work and my dog ran away. Please help kill me."

Originally posted by Bassago

Originally posted by FyreByrd

And the two ways of phrasing the question were:

1) "described as allowing doctors to ‘end the patient’s life by some painless means" or
2) "'described as doctors helping a patient ‘commit suicide"

That is hardly a valid question.
1. ‘end the patient’s life by some painless means" Seems to indicate a) patient is under doctors care so they must be sick and b) "painless" makes one wonder if the patient is already suffering.

2. Makes it sound like a guy goes into the doctors office and says "Hey doc had a terrible day at work and my dog ran away. Please help kill me."

It's a perfectly valid question (what is an invalid question???).

And you are making the point for me.

Connotation makes a huge difference in perception of a question - that is a given.

The point is that conservatives are more likely to base their choices on how a question is phrased rather then what the question or issue actually is.

From which one can conclude that conservatives tend (I know many deep thinking and articulate conservatives who would agree with me on this so back off) to answer and react to questions based on presentation only rather then really thinking about the actual ISSUE and it's impact on society when answering the question.

reply to post by FyreByrd

No, these sound like 2 subtly different questions. OK "valid" different questions.

or as they say in the courtroom "Leading the witness your Honor!"

the whole freaking American public is easy to manipulate.

I'm a conservative, and I don't fall for their crap.

I think that anybody who blindly follows only one political viewpoint was already easily manipulated. We were all born with a brain, more people should use it to determine things for themselves and not just allow your political party of choice to spoon feed the information to you.

Originally posted by Bassago

Originally posted by FyreByrd

And the two ways of phrasing the question were:

1) "described as allowing doctors to ‘end the patient’s life by some painless means" or
2) "'described as doctors helping a patient ‘commit suicide"

That is hardly a valid question.
1. ‘end the patient’s life by some painless means" Seems to indicate a) patient is under doctors care so they must be sick and b) "painless" makes one wonder if the patient is already suffering.

2. Makes it sound like a guy goes into the doctors office and says "Hey doc had a terrible day at work and my dog ran away. Please help kill me."

You are exactly who this is talking about. They are the same question but one has some flavor added to it. It's still a doctor assisted suicide. It's never been anything other than euthanasia, no matter how it's phrased.

Originally posted by Bassago

Originally posted by FyreByrd

And the two ways of phrasing the question were:

1) "described as allowing doctors to ‘end the patient’s life by some painless means" or
2) "'described as doctors helping a patient ‘commit suicide"

That is hardly a valid question.
1. ‘end the patient’s life by some painless means" Seems to indicate a) patient is under doctors care so they must be sick and b) "painless" makes one wonder if the patient is already suffering.

2. Makes it sound like a guy goes into the doctors office and says "Hey doc had a terrible day at work and my dog ran away. Please help kill me."

I agree, the questions and the method of reporting indicates a biased. "study." if you look at the results rationally, it actually indicates conservatives put more thought into their answers which is consistent with my experience that liberals are more driven by emotion than reason. Say something, anything, is "for the cheeeeldrun" and libs by it without even a thought.

reply to post by xstealth

The left-right spin machine makes sorting the truth a little time consuming so it's good we have alternate media sources now.

I'm not sure if I qualify as conservative, used to think of myself as a liberal minded person. Hmm let's see:
Believe in the Bill of Rights, check.
Believe folks should be able to do as they please as long as they do no harm, check.

Both the Left and the Right probably hate me.

This is why I like factcheck.org

Originally posted by Bassago
reply to post by FyreByrd

 

No, these sound like 2 subtly different questions. OK "valid" different questions.

or as they say in the courtroom "Leading the witness your Honor!"

edit on 6-6-2013 by Bassago because: (no reason given)

Again, precisly the point of the article. -

Leading the Witness - exactly - leading by the nose.

Originally posted by Bassago
reply to post by xstealth

 

The left-right spin machine makes sorting the truth a little time consuming so it's good we have alternate media sources now.

I'm not sure if I qualify as conservative, used to think of myself as a liberal minded person. Hmm let's see:
Believe in the Bill of Rights, check.
Believe folks should be able to do as they please as long as they do no harm, check.

Both the Left and the Right probably hate me.

Off topic but - who decides if an action "does no harm" you, me.....

Definitions of Conservative & Liberal

Conservative
Syllabification: (con·serv·a·tive)
Pronunciation: /kənˈsərvətiv/
Translate conservative | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of conservative
adjective
• holding to traditional attitudes and values and cautious about change or innovation, typically in relation to politics or religion.
• (of dress or taste) sober and conventional:a conservative suit


• (of an estimate) purposely low for the sake of caution:the film was not cheap—$30,000 is a conservative estimate


• (of surgery or medical treatment) intended to control rather than eliminate a condition, with existing tissue preserved as far as possible.
• (Conservative) of or relating to the Conservative Party of Great Britain or a similar party in another country.
noun
• a person who is averse to change and holds to traditional values and attitudes, typically in relation to politics.
• (Conservative) a supporter or member of the Conservative Party of Great Britain or a similar party in another country.
•
• liberal
• Syllabification: (lib·er·al)
• Pronunciation: /ˈlib(ə)rəl/
• Translate liberal | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
• Definition of liberal
• adjective
• 1open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values:they have more liberal views toward marriage and divorce than some people


• favorable to or respectful of individual rights and freedoms:liberal citizenship laws


• (in a political context) favoring maximum individual liberty in political and social reform:a liberal democratic state


• (Liberal) of or characteristic of Liberals or a Liberal Party.
• (Liberal) (in the UK) of or relating to the Liberal Democrat Party:the Liberal leader


• Theology regarding many traditional beliefs as dispensable, invalidated by modern thought, or liable to change.
• 2 [attributive] (of education) concerned mainly with broadening a person’s general knowledge and experience, rather than with technical or professional training.
• 3(especially of an interpretation of a law) broadly construed or understood; not strictly literal or exact:they could have given the 1968 Act a more liberal interpretation


• 4given, used, or occurring in generous amounts:liberal amounts of wine had been consumed


• (of a person) giving generously:Sam was too liberal with the wine


• noun
• a person of liberal views.
• (Liberal) a supporter or member of a Liberal Party.



oxforddictionaries.com...
oxforddictionaries.com...

Originally posted by FyreByrd

Originally posted by Bassago
reply to post by FyreByrd

 

No, these sound like 2 subtly different questions. OK "valid" different questions.

or as they say in the courtroom "Leading the witness your Honor!"

edit on 6-6-2013 by Bassago because: (no reason given)

Again, precisly the point of the article. -

Leading the Witness - exactly - leading by the nose.

No. They worded two questions very differently. A thoughtful person would look at each question and evaluate them based on their individual merit and potential ramifications. The potential ramifications of both, as already mentioned above, are very different. The results actually contradict the results claimed by the observers and actually suggest that conservatives are more thoughtful and take a more reasoned approach than liberals.