Conservative brain big on fear, liberal brain on logical analysis

by David Safier

The conservative brain and the liberal brain are different. Conservatives have a larger fear/threat brain center. Liberals have more gray matter in the portion of the brain associated with making sense of conflicting information. So says a recent study.

I checked a bunch of sources to make sure this information didn't originate with The Onion. It didn't. It came from the University College London's Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience. The very fact I decided to check that out before I posted shows I can consider the dual possibilities this information may be based in science or it may be a hoax — which makes me a classic liberal.

You can find the study written up in Science, as well as CBSNEWS Health Watch and ABCNEWS Health.

I've posted about other studies concluding conservatives have a more active startle reflex than liberals. They also react more negatively to smells they consider unpleasant. Those traits would tend to make them fearful and suspicious when they encounter people and things outside of their comfort zones. In other words, the "Other" would tend to trigger a visceral negative response. This study indicates a biological reason for these conservative/liberal differences.

It helps explain a whole lot about how easy it is to use fear to manipulate conservatives, doesn't it?