Science at NYU: A Public Lecture Series
The Neuroscience of Elections and Human Decision-Making:
Find Out What Really Rocks Your Vote
Do your political decisions reflect conscious, reasoned choices—or are you liberal or conservative based on your neural circuitry? This question was examined at a recent event by three New York University scientists, whose recent research suggests political leanings are linked to brain biology. They discussed emotion’s impact on learning and memory, how liberals and conservatives may handle mental conflict differently, and if there is a psychological basis for political ideology.
John Jost
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John Jost, a professor of psychology at NYU, spoke about the correlations between certain personality traits and political leanings to find that, for example, persons who prefer “order” and “predictability” more often self-identify as conservatives. Jost went on to discuss his recent study of messy rooms and neat offices and how they might reveal voting behavior. |
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David Amodio
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David Amodio, an associate professor of psychology at NYU, talked about how ideology is rooted in neurocognitive processes, associated with how our brain’s perceive and process information—debunking the notion that it’s wholly environmental. |
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Elizabeth Phelps
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Elizabeth Phelps, a professor of psychology at NYU, covered the latest studies in trying to identify the physical parts and processes of the brain that relate to political behavior and though. This is the newest frontier of exploring the topic, and Phelps sounded cautionary notes about drawing too many firm conclusions yet (at least not for the 2008 election). |
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