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cloudboy -> RE: Why are conservatives happier than liberals? (11/15/2006 8:05:27 AM)
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>We have reviewed several theories of individual differences,
epistemic and existential needs, and individual and collective
rationalization to arrive at eight specific hypotheses concerning the
motivated social–cognitive bases of political conservatism. In
what follows, we consider evidence for and against the hypotheses
that political conservatism is significantly associated with (1)
mental rigidity and closed-mindedness, including (a) increased
dogmatism and intolerance of ambiguity, (b) decreased cognitive
complexity, (c) decreased openness to experience, (d) uncertainty
avoidance, (e) personal needs for order and structure, and (f) need
for cognitive closure; (2) lowered self-esteem; (3) fear, anger, and
aggression; (4) pessimism, disgust, and contempt; (5) loss preven-
tion; (6) fear of death; (7) threat arising from social and economic
deprivation; and (8) threat to the stability of the social system. We
have argued that these motives are in fact related to one another
psychologically, and our motivated social–cognitive perspective
helps to integrate them. We now offer an integrative, meta-analytic
review of research on epistemic, existential, and ideological bases
of conservatism.<
Actually I got that from findings in a Sociology paper named:
POLITICAL CONSERVATISM AS MOTIVATED SOCIAL COGNITION, Psychological Bulletin, 2003, Vol. 129, No.3, 339-375
Authors:
John T. Jost, Stanford University
Arie W. Kruglanski, University of Md. College Park
Jack Glaser University of California, Berkeley
Frank J. Sulloway, University of California, Berkeley
Basically the findings are about how conservatives don't react well to facts or information that might threaten their own pre-existing belief systems. Examples include: mixed marriage, Sabbath observance,
the theory of evolution, modern art, royalty, White superiority, socialism, women
judges, apartheid, birth control, suicide,
jazz music, divorce.
I thought about this when watching FRONTLINE's report last night on Jim West. (Not the gay culture icon from the Wild Wild West, BTW.)
JIM WEST:
"Spokane Mayor Jim West, who championed an anti-gay agenda during his tenure as one of the most powerful Republicans in the Legislature, yesterday admitted to using the trappings of his current office to entice what he thought was a young adult man but denied allegations that he molested two young boys more than 20 years ago."
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