Ballot-box biology
19 September 2008
Can contrasting political beliefs be explained by differences in our brains? It might sound far fetched, but some scientists claim that biology plays an important role in determining people's political persuasions. Antenna investigates this new and controversial area of research...
This research was published in the journal Science on 19 September 2008.
This research was published in the journal Science on 19 September 2008.
Image: iStockphoto.com
Political opinions are generally thought to be shaped by a mixture of our environment - where we grow up, go to school, and what our parents tell us - and decisions we make based on our personal circumstances such as how much we earn and whether or not we have children.
But in recent years some scientists have started to suspect that elements of our biology - brain structure, for instance - could also be important.
Does your brain chemistry make you vote for Cameron or Brown?
Image: AFP / Getty Images
Earlier this year, a team of American scientists decided to look for links between biology and political attitudes among voters in Nebraska.
They showed 46 volunteers a series of photos. Hidden among them were three frightening images: a maggot-infested wound, a large spider crawling across someone's face, and a person splattered with blood.
Volunteers were shown threatening images.
Image: Kevin Smith
While the volunteers looked at the images, the scientists monitored their responses by measuring the electrical conductivity of their skin - a technique also used in lie-detector tests.
The volunteers were then asked about their thoughts on several contentious political issues, such as abortion rights, gay marriage and the Iraq war.
Skin conductivity tests monitor the tiny amounts of sweat we produce when we're scared or excited. The more frightened we are, the more we sweat.
Image: Tek Image / Science Photo Library
So what were the results?
The people most startled by the threatening images were those who held certain conservative political beliefs. 'Liberals' were not so easily scared.
The researchers say that the different reactions of 'liberals' and 'conservatives' reflects a biological difference in their brains, unlikely to be due to conditioning.
Do other experts agree?
'All this study shows is that there's a small to medium correlation between people who are easily spooked and people who could be called right-wingers. But the fact that frightened people tend to support more conservative groups is well established - 20th-century history can tell us that!' Jason Edwards, political science expert
'Attributing a biological basis to political attitudes is incredibly contestable. To fully understand North American politics you need to speak to economists, sociologists and political commentators because the biological approach misses out the most important thing: cultural factors.'
Jason Edwards, political science expert, University of London.
Image: Jason Edwards
So are people's political opinions really determined by their brain chemistry?
'We firmly believe that the reason for political beliefs is not environmental or biological - it's both. The conventional wisdom is not wrong. We simply argue that you can get a more complete understanding by taking account of biology as well.' Kevin Smith, political science expert
'The take-home message from our study is that when people disagree on political issues it can seem as if they are acting irrationally. But by acknowledging that there is a biological component we can, I think, understand one another better. However, even a biological response can be overcome - biology isn't destiny.'
Kevin Smith, political science expert, University of Nebraska.
Image: Kevin Smith