News:

There is also the shroud of turin, which verifies Jesus in a new way than other evidences.

Main Menu

A link between ideology and interest in novel data

Started by Asmodean, July 17, 2016, 06:36:35 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

Asmodean

I found this kind of interesting in in-line-with-my-own-observations-but-in-a-different-way kind of sense. I wonder, can not the term "political ideology" here be easily replaced with the word "religion"..? If so, is politics really where the correlation lies?

Quote
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Conservatives are less interested than liberals in viewing novel scientific data, according to a psychology researcher at The University of Alabama.

Dr. Alexa Tullett, assistant professor of psychology at UA, recently conducted the project, titled "Is ideology the enemy of inquiry? Examining the link between political orientation and lack of interest in novel data." The article will be published in the Journal of Research and Personality in August.

In three separate studies, Tullett and colleagues offered participants in both the Deep South and West Coast a chance to view data on three topics: the justness of the world, the efficacy of social safety nets and the benefits of social media. Participants were given no advanced knowledge of what the data would tell them. Tullett found that conservatives were less interested in viewing empirical data than liberals in all three studies. Moreover, conservatives were more skeptical about the value of science compared with liberals. These differences suggest that conservatives and liberals may differ with respect to the kinds of information they find persuasive in the context of political debate, Tullett said.
Continued at UA News
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on July 25, 2013, 08:18:52 PM
In Asmo's grey lump,
wrath and dark clouds gather force.
Luxembourg trembles.

Dave

I remember seeing something like this a year or so ago.

Is the "liberal" mind more open than one that is well tied to any kind of ideology?

In my days in tech. college (1973) the "Liberal studies" session was open to whatever the tutor fancied. Since we had six tutors in three years this ran from morals and ethics, more general philosophy, the effects of technology on society (basically "Future Shock) and psychology to a marathon game of "Civilisation" (which I won!). It was my favourite period.

The "socialists" in the class thought it was a waste of time. Don't think we had any conservatives.

Yup, reckon ideology is the enemy of free thought and creativity!
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

Asmodean

Yes, but is it? Is ideology a cause or a symptom, that's my question.
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on July 25, 2013, 08:18:52 PM
In Asmo's grey lump,
wrath and dark clouds gather force.
Luxembourg trembles.

Dave

Quote from: Asmodean on July 17, 2016, 07:43:29 PM
Yes, but is it? Is ideology a cause or a symptom, that's my question.
Both?

On a spectrum?

Depending on circumstances of the individual?

Is it a genetic propsensity?

Nature and/or nurture?

On second thoughts this could be a circumstance where nature - that genetic propensity - may be stronger than the nurture - imposed thought patterns. The result could be anything between neurosis (repression of "true nature")  and rebellion (escape to independence).
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

Asmodean

Hm... Yes, the answer probably does involve some massive cluster fuck scenario where the symptoms of one condition are the causes of another in a nastily interconnected manner. Psychology, while interesting, is often too multidimernsional for easy comprehension.
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on July 25, 2013, 08:18:52 PM
In Asmo's grey lump,
wrath and dark clouds gather force.
Luxembourg trembles.

Dave

Quote from: Asmodean on July 17, 2016, 08:12:32 PM
Hm... Yes, the answer probably does involve some massive cluster fuck scenario where the symptoms of one condition are the causes of another in a nastily interconnected manner. Psychology, while interesting, is often too multidimernsional for easy comprehension.

Yeah! As applied it is often a "best guess" scenario. It can be almost a (statistical) science - like medicine. Experimentally it can be fairly precise, predictive. Out in the wild world it's often a real mess! But still useful in large terms, crowd behaviour psychology seems to work within useful limits.

Individuals are somewhere on that spectrum. Everywhere on that spectrum. Grab the biggest percentile and call that "normal"!
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

Icarus

Brits, Norsemen, and Europeans may see the southern states of the US as bastions of stupidity. In some areas, I agree. I am pleased to proclaim that Universities such as University of Alabama do indeed have admirable credentials and teaching habits that refute the general vision of southern mediocrity. The same goes for U of Texas, U of Arkansas, U of West Virginia, U of Tennessee, or colleges of other southern states.  We do have some phony private colleges that are bastions of  ignorance and intolerance. They are private colleges such as Bob Jones University, Liberty U, Oral Roberts, and a few others who are champions of the irrefutable word of god as narrowly interpreted in the KJV, Book of Morman, and similarly questionable sources.. 

Dave

Quote from: Icarus on July 18, 2016, 03:13:45 AM
Brits, Norsemen, and Europeans may see the southern states of the US as bastions of stupidity. In some areas, I agree. I am pleased to proclaim that Universities such as University of Alabama do indeed have admirable credentials and teaching habits that refute the general vision of southern mediocrity. The same goes for U of Texas, U of Arkansas, U of West Virginia, U of Tennessee, or colleges of other southern states.  We do have some phony private colleges that are bastions of  ignorance and intolerance. They are private colleges such as Bob Jones University, Liberty U, Oral Roberts, and a few others who are champions of the irrefutable word of god as narrowly interpreted in the KJV, Book of Morman, and similarly questionable sources..
I would be more bothered by what the schools teach in some ways. Not sure what proportion of kids get to uni but "public" behaviour is usually determined by the larger groups.

Hmm, thst needs qualification - the larger active group. Those who just let the world go by do not affect it actively though their inaction allows others to affect change - or prevent it from changing.

Apathy allows others to rule. Do schools teach apathy or action? Actively or by default?
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

Recusant

Interesting article, Asmodean. Of course I'm interested in seeing the actual data that serves as the basis for these studies.  ;)

I posted about this at a small political site. Of the two conservatives have responded so far, one has more or less rationalized his distrust of data by saying that he's seen data skewed by people with an agenda. Of course these studies weren't about how data has been manipulated, but whether particular demographics are interested in examining the data at all. The other, who states that he's an engineer, agrees with the first, but then goes on to say that he's willing to trust data from studies "where sources, sample sizes, and test methods used in obtaining the data are adequate and fully disclosed, and the method of analysis is both objective and logical." He then goes right back to talking about how data can be distorted, apparently referring to writers of popular articles. Essentially he's attempting to explain the results of the studies in a way that makes conservatives' lack of interest in data seem sensible.
"Religion is fundamentally opposed to everything I hold in veneration — courage, clear thinking, honesty, fairness, and above all, love of the truth."
— H. L. Mencken


Asmodean

Quote from: Recusant on July 18, 2016, 06:45:10 AM
Interesting article, Asmodean. Of course I'm interested in seeing the actual data that serves as the basis for these studies.  ;)

Lemmesee if I can help you with that...

The paper can be found here: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092656616300666

If you have some creative credentials, you won't even have to pay for it.
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on July 25, 2013, 08:18:52 PM
In Asmo's grey lump,
wrath and dark clouds gather force.
Luxembourg trembles.

Dave

Have re-read your OP, Asmo, I note that the "sciences" involved are all "social" subjects. I wonder if the ideologically conservative mind might see such as intrusive, as potential challenges to their "faith". 

Most "social sciences" involve analysis of personal and peer group motivation and reaction/action. This is something the ideologue might be more concerned about than a more liberal thinker.
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

Dave

Later: I should also have noticed the emphasis on "novel". If the ideology is at all conservative, as religion and "conservative" political movements often are (and political movements of both the left and right can be "conservative" in this context) then the new, especially an unknown or mis-understood new, could also seem potentially challenging.

Head in sand philosophy, "hiding" in the familiar, the comfortable.
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

Asmodean

I do consider "novel" among the key words here, yes. Therefore my question of whether political ideology correlates to accepting new ideas, evidence, etc as cause correlates to an effect, or as two effects to their common cause or cluster of causes, or as two common causes to something else entirely... Or any combination thereof.

Intuitively, I would say that being religious, conservative (politically), racist, bigot, etc, all share a common cluster of causes with being close-minded, such as poor quality education, for instance.
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on July 25, 2013, 08:18:52 PM
In Asmo's grey lump,
wrath and dark clouds gather force.
Luxembourg trembles.

Dave

Quote from: Asmodean on July 18, 2016, 11:19:26 AM
I do consider "novel" among the key words here, yes. Therefore my question of whether political ideology correlates to accepting new ideas, evidence, etc as cause correlates to an effect, or as two effects to their common cause or cluster of causes, or as two common causes to something else entirely... Or any combination thereof.

Intuitively, I would say that being religious, conservative (politically), racist, bigot, etc, all share a common cluster of causes with being close-minded, such as poor quality education, for instance.
I would question any correlation between education and religion in the context you seem to use, Asmo. I have met some very well educated and read devout religious people. I still cannot get my head around the dichotomy this creates in my mind!

I am sure there are also devoutly religious scientists who welcome the bew in, at least, their gield. Can't help but think the subject of the original article is self limiting to "novel social data" and possibly has little application in other fields.

The usual questions of things like the parameters used in the selection of interview victims subjects also raise their ugly heads. I admit that I have not read the paper as yet.
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

Asmodean

#14
Quote from: Gloucester on July 18, 2016, 11:31:31 AM
I would question any correlation between education and religion in the context you seem to use, Asmo. I have met some very well educated and read devout religious people. I still cannot get my head around the dichotomy this creates in my mind!
Crappy education does not have to be the factor, but rather a red flag in a cluster of factors.

That said, yes, there are highly educated people who believe in gods of various names and descriptions, however, there is a difference between "small" gods living in the gaps of our understanding and in the shadow of scientific evidence and... Well, the Jesus-daddy, for instance. One would assume that most of those well-educated religious people believe in the former rather than the latter. If they are devout Christians or Muslims or some such nonsense, well... Then maybe they are not as well-educated as they want to appear. To put it this way, you can have a Ph.D and be able to sign your name in fourteen languages, yet still be an intellectually bankrupt waste of blood and organs.

Ok, that may be going a little too far, but if you are one of those very narrow-profile specialists with excellent education and understanding of one particular area of study/vocation/subject, can you claim to be overall-well-educated? Do you not have to be at least half-decent a generalist for that?
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on July 25, 2013, 08:18:52 PM
In Asmo's grey lump,
wrath and dark clouds gather force.
Luxembourg trembles.