Political ideology can kill reasoning ability

[knapplc]

LINK

 

Everybody knows that our political views can sometimes get in the way of thinking clearly. But perhaps we don’t realize how bad the problem actually is. According to a new psychology paper, our political passions can even undermine our very basic reasoning skills. More specifically, the study finds that people who are otherwise very good at math may totally flunk a problem that they would otherwise probably be able to solve, simply because giving the right answer goes against their political beliefs.

 

The study, by Yale law professor Dan Kahan and his colleagues, has an ingenious design. At the outset, 1,111 study participants were asked about their political views and also asked a series of questions designed to gauge their “numeracy,” that is, their mathematical reasoning ability. Participants were then asked to solve a fairly difficult problem that involved interpreting the results of a (fake) scientific study. But here was the trick: While the fake study data that they were supposed to assess remained the same, sometimes the study was described as measuring the effectiveness of a “new cream for treating skin rashes.” But in other cases, the study was described as involving the effectiveness of “a law banning private citizens from carrying concealed handguns in public.”

 

The result? Survey respondents performed wildly differently on what was in essence the same basic problem, simply depending upon whether they had been told that it involved guns or whether they had been told that it involved a new skin cream. What’s more, it turns out that highly numerate liberals and conservatives were even more — not less — susceptible to letting politics skew their reasoning than were those with less mathematical ability.

 

 

[AR Husker Fan]

A pretty good illumination of how bias can skew thought.

[Danny Bateman]

I'd certainly posit that we've reached such a partisan age in US politics that many of us are prone to immediately reject opposite party ideology as incorrect or ludicrous without critically examining it. I know I certainly am guilty of this at times. It's very much ingrained in our affiliation at this point. Independents may be less prone to this by not choosing a side, but even they may get very set in their opinions about certain ideologies eventually.

 

I think the point is it's important to continue to revisit our long-held beliefs periodically. Dont accept something as gospel just because your side does, or because it's been that way forever. Both are logical fallacies.

 

Cool study. Good find Knapp.

[knapplc]

I think we're all guilty of this at times, and all guilty of not striving against it even when we can tell we're falling prey to it.

[BigRedBuster]

I'd certainly posit that we've reached such a partisan age in US politics that many of us are prone to immediately reject opposite party ideology as incorrect or ludicrous without critically examining it. I know I certainly am guilty of this at times. It's very much ingrained in our affiliation at this point. Independents may be less prone to this by not choosing a side, but even they may get very set in their opinions about certain ideologies eventually.

 

I think the point is it's important to continue to revisit our long-held beliefs periodically. Dont accept something as gospel just because your side does, or because it's been that way forever. Both are logical fallacies.

 

Cool study. Good find Knapp.

Over the last 3-4 years, I have honestly tried to make a very concerted effort to try to do this. Open my mind to "the other side" and to question everything, even my long held beliefs.

 

It has been an interesting time for me with Politics.

 

It is tricky to be both open minded and critical of everything. What I have found though is that I think both sides are so full of crap that they can't be trusted in what they say.

[TGHusker]

Good post. I think exposing ourselves ( Not that kind of exposing of self - I know what you were thinking ) to different viewpoints helps us to get over this problem. When we run in a pack of like minded people the more narrow minded our views are and the stronger our bias. That is common sense but for the most part we blind ourselves to it - self deception by group think. I can honestly say that hearing everyone's opinion on this forum for example, has helped me to see the broader picture. I've moderated in some areas for sure (thanks Knapp, and many others and even Corn - Corn you can still use some moderation but I'm getting to understand you!). A few years back I would not support a moderate Kasich but now, he seems like the only 'reasonable' choice in the group - and he is still a moderate right candidate. Yet the partisan environment of today's politics gets him labeled as an unacceptable 'moderate' establishment guy. Yes there are some values and positions we may hold as non-negotiable and that is fine.
For example, I'm not going to vote for someone who supports late term abortions - however, there are other candidates who may be liberal in other areas but conservative on abortion that I'm sure I could support.

When our litmus test of 'non-negotiables' become a mile long, then we close out the voices we need to hear and we become a part of the delusional fringe.