Politics On The Brain

We don't need neurobiologists to tell us that liberals and conservatives think differently, but it is interesting that they have discovered the reason why. According to a new report, scientists have been able to show that political orientation is related to differences in brain activity and in how a person's brain processes information.

The study demonstrated that there are indeed two very distinctive cognitive styles, liberal and conservative, which influence political orientation as well as everyday decisions. Because of how their brains work, liberals are more apt to accept new religious, social, and scientific ideas, and can tolerate ambiguity and conflict better than conservatives. Conservatives are better able to block out distracting information and commit to a single-minded purpose.

The study, conducted by scientists at NY University and UCLA, was not meant to show that one political party was better than another. The findings, however, can help explain why liberals and conservatives just can't seem to see eye to eye.