- Aug 10, 2008
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Is Your Brain a Democrat or Republican?
How does this work?
A 2014 study concluded that people who were more prone to disgust are more conservative and tend to align with the republican party. But, why?
Some scientists believe it's ancestral and that the adverse reactions were used to protect primitive ancestors from contamination and disease. This way a person wouldn't confuse drinking water with dirty pond scum.
The study measured participants' brain response to "disgusting" imagery using an MRI. The study could predict party affiliation with up to 98% confidence. The questionaire on chartsme.com uses Jonathan Haidt's disgust scale in lieu of MRI and imagery, so results are likely far less accurate. Watch TED Talk to learn more.
How does this work?
A 2014 study concluded that people who were more prone to disgust are more conservative and tend to align with the republican party. But, why?
Some scientists believe it's ancestral and that the adverse reactions were used to protect primitive ancestors from contamination and disease. This way a person wouldn't confuse drinking water with dirty pond scum.
The study measured participants' brain response to "disgusting" imagery using an MRI. The study could predict party affiliation with up to 98% confidence. The questionaire on chartsme.com uses Jonathan Haidt's disgust scale in lieu of MRI and imagery, so results are likely far less accurate. Watch TED Talk to learn more.
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