Scare Easily? You May Be a Conservative

Study suggests political leanings could be hard-wired

By Katherine Thompson, Newser Staff

Posted Sep 19, 2008 1:27 PM CDT

(Newser) – People who startle more easily at loud noises or frightening images may be more prone to taking conservative political stances, reports the Washington Post. A new study suggests that there may be a biological basis for people's stands on contentious issues, with those who react less strongly to perceived threats seemingly predisposed to have liberal ideologies.

The study's authors emphasize that you can't gauge any one person's politics by jumping out from behind furniture and yelling "Boo!" but they hope the results can lead to a little less hate in political arguments. The idea that innate biological traits may play even a small role in determining political preferences might help dissuade the notion that those in the opposite camp are simply stupid or irrational.

[Images (2)]

[Quotes (1)]

A study author cautions that not all those who are easily scared are going to identify with Republicans, and not all GOPers are especially jumpy. (Flickr)

How you react to being startled may play at least a small role in your politics. (ShutterStock)

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We are not saying if you sneak up on someone and say 'Boo!' and see how hard they blink, that tells you what their political beliefs are. - Co-author John Hibbing, cautioning people about the implications of the study

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Scare Easily? You May Be a Conservative