"One might believe it’s just a matter of making a persuasive argument, loaded with empirical facts and sound logic, articulated with perfect clarity. This is what the left-wing media often believes, and we have seen how successful that strategy has been — Donald Trump is as influential as ever.

But what if I told you that our neural wiring determines whether we have the ability to change our minds? What if I told you that science suggests conservatives, who are extremely likely to be voting for Trump this election, generally have more rigid cognitive systems, which means they are less adaptable, and therefore, less likely to adopt a new framework or perspective when their approach fails?

A seminal study by social psychologist David Amodio and colleagues at New York University suggests that the typical conservative is not likely to be convinced by something as simple as a logically persuasive argument. For some conservatives, it's like asking them to change the color of their eyes. A progressive worldview cannot pierce their psyche because being dogmatic is programmed into the fabric of that worldview. It is not just that they are “stubborn”; their brains are actually wired to resist things that are new and different. So, you could say they lack “free will” when it comes to their voting decision. When we speak of free will in a modern sense, we are talking about the personal agency that enables one to override ingrained biases and consider alternative perspectives.

To understand the implications of this study, we must voyage into the realm of neuroscience, where secrets of the mind await discovery. The ERN, which stands for “error related negativity,” is a spike in brain activity that is triggered when we commit an error. It serves as a kind of internal alert system within our brain, signaling when a mistake has been made. It emerges in the brain region known as the anterior cingulate cortex, which helps us navigate situations where established patterns or behaviors are ineffective and require adjustment. For example, if a person is learning to play a musical instrument and hits a wrong note, the ERN might spike, prompting them to correct their finger positioning and playing style. Over time, as they practice and adapt, the frequency of these ERN spikes will decrease, indicating improved proficiency and fewer mistakes.

Armed with a knowledge of the nature of the ERN, Dr. Amodio and colleagues ventured into the terrain of politics. Their highly-cited 2007 study revealed an illuminating connection between one's political orientation and the intensity of the ERN response. What they found was that participants with liberal views exhibited a more pronounced ERN. This suggests they have a heightened sensitivity to error signals, indicating a cognitive system that acknowledges the need for adjustments in perspective and strategy. Essentially, when their established behavioral patterns were shown to be incorrect or suboptimal, their brains signaled more intensely for an adaptive response. From these findings, we can conclude that progressive-minded individuals possess a neural predisposition for recognizing the need for change and growth.



Conservatives, on the other hand, exhibited a smaller ERN. This suggests that their cognitive system is more resistant to signals advocating for change or reconsideration. We can think of this as a neural reflection of their preference for stability, tradition and consistency. The typical conservative voter’s mental landscape, sculpted by a combination of genetics and indoctrinating experiences, values the familiar and reliable. Established norms and long-held beliefs provide a safe harbor in the face of a changing society and an uncertain future. It's a mindset where radical shifts or sudden upheavals are perceived not as opportunities but threats to a delicate equilibrium. Conservatism is essentially a neurocognitive inclination aimed at preserving the status quo.

So, what are we supposed to take away from these results? Does it mean there’s no hope for shifting anyone’s stances this election?

One might reasonably conclude that we should simply focus on getting all those already on our ideological side to turn out to the polls on voting day.

But using that strategy alone is risky. We should not give up hope in spreading a progressive worldview, because resistance to change and evolution eventually leads to societal collapse. History has unequivocally demonstrated that. Adaptivity is the key to individual and collective survival. This means we have an ethical obligation to be evangelists for progress and sensible change. This will require a bit of social engineering and some creativity.

No-one?

That is not what the paper says at all.

Conservatives find it very hard to change their mind.

mothra wrote on Oct 16^th, 2023 at 12:57pm:


Cares

Jovial Monk wrote on Oct 16^th, 2023 at 1:13pm:


Not at all. We Conservatives originally thought you might be sane. We quickly changed our mind once we saw your inability to change your insanity driven tosspottery.

mothra wrote on Oct 16^th, 2023 at 12:57pm:



Well, Aborigines must be the most inflexible conservatives then - they kept everything totally unchanged for 40,000 years.

The Bbwianesque brain science news is in: "Aborigines had the world's oldest continuously conservative, totally inflexible culture.

Lisa Jones wrote on Oct 16^th, 2023 at 1:19pm:


Once upon a time leftists were sane most of them have changed Setanta would be an exception. They objected to government making decions that weren't supported by facts protested against censorhip communism etc.

Today they accept lies and misinformation lockdowns vaccine mandates what happened to my body my choice and government over reach as we saw with covid. They call for people to be censored and cancelled if they don't go along with their idiocy and as we saw recently hurl slurs like racist stupid and dickhead to anyone who dares to have a different opinion.

This is why i am no longer a leftist and a proud centrist.

Well…Mothra….. That was a an interesting read, and from a social viewpoint, it puts some people (mainly in my area that are older, more traditional or set in their ways) as what I always thought were hard headed 
Even my own mother… she even had a fridge magnet “My mind’s made up, don’t confuse me with the facts”
I always thought I was too easily swayed as I struggled to make up my mind at times.
My dad was a progressive, my mum a conservative. Hence why they clashed and fought a lot?

I can now see this conservative mind set as a type of security living within their set safe boundaries. Almost like prisoners in their own minds.
My dad would say they were like wombats, walk the same line, sleep in the same hole, and shyte at the same stump.
So I’m a progressive! I always felt adaptability was the way to survive and be more adventurous in life, risk taking, and experience different scenarios, and to learn more and expand the mindset. They say travelling does that… broadens the mind.
It makes sense now, to me, why some I know don’t go further afield and prefer to stay close to their home boundaries. Kind of sad really.

As for voting… seems a lot are like that in Oz, either Libs or Labs! It has bothered me forever why always them 2 parties … now I know….