The deeper sources of political conflict: Evidence from the psychological, cognitive, and neuro-sciences

John R. Hibbing, Kevin B. Smith, Johnathan C. Peterson, Balazs Feher

Research output: Contribution to journalComment/debatepeer-review

16 Scopus citations

Abstract

Political disputes ruin family reunions, scuttle policy initiatives, and spur violence and even terrorism. We summarize recent research indicating that the source of political differences can be found in biologically instantiated and often subthreshold predispositions as reflected in physiological, cognitive, and neural patterns that incline some people toward innovation and others toward conservatism. These findings suggest the need to revise traditional views that maintain that political opinions are the product of rational, conscious, socialized thought.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)111-113
Number of pages3
JournalTrends in Cognitive Sciences
Volume18
Issue number3
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2014

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology
  • Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
  • Cognitive Neuroscience

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