PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Liberals aren't like the rest, or so they think

2013-11-19
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Anna Mikulak
amikulak@psychologicalscience.org
202-293-9300
Association for Psychological Science
Liberals aren't like the rest, or so they think Liberals tend to underestimate the amount of actual agreement among those who share their ideology, while conservatives tend to overestimate intra-group agreement, according to new research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.

These findings may help to explain differences in how political groups and movements, like the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street, gain traction on the national stage:

"The Tea Party movement developed a succinct set of goals in its incipient stages and effectively mobilized its members toward large-scale social change quite quickly," says psychological scientist Chadly Stern of New York University. "In contrast, despite its popularity, the liberal Occupy Wall Street movement struggled to reach agreement on their collective mission and ultimately failed to enact large-scale social change."

Stern, with co-authors Tessa West and Peter Schmitt, recruited almost 300 hundred participants to complete an online survey. The participants read political statements (e.g., "In general, I support labor unions,") and non-political statements (e.g., "I enjoy coffee") and were asked to indicate whether they agreed or disagreed with each statement. They were also asked to indicate how much others of the same political persuasion would support their own attitudes – a measure of perceived in-group consensus.

Liberals showed what the researchers call "truly false uniqueness," perceiving their beliefs as more divergent from the beliefs of other liberals than they actually were. Moderates and conservatives, on the other hand, showed evidence of "truly false consensus," perceiving their beliefs to be more similar to those of other members of their political group than they actually were.

Data from a second study suggest that the relationship is driven by participants' desire to feel unique: Liberals reported a stronger desire for uniqueness than did moderates or conservatives.

Surprisingly, these trends even emerged among nonpolitical judgments, such as preference for coffee: Liberals believed their preferences were more different from those of other liberals than they actually were, while conservatives believed their preferences were more similar to those of other conservatives than they actually were.

Given that perceptions of in-group consensus can be an important motivator for social change, these new findings may help to explain why liberal and conservative movements develop different political trajectories:

"Liberal social movements might struggle to develop solidarity and formulate shared goals within their ranks, both because liberals want to maintain unique beliefs and because they underestimate the amount of agreement among their members," Stern explains.

"Conservative social movements might initially capitalize on perceiving agreement to galvanize their ranks, but their inaccurate perceptions could impair group progress when actual agreement is necessary."

###

For more information about this study, please contact: Chadly Stern at cds330@nyu.edu.

This research was supported by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship awarded to C. Stern and by funding from New York University awarded to T. V. West.

The APS journal Psychological Science is the highest ranked empirical journal in psychology. For a copy of the article "The Liberal Illusion of Uniqueness" and access to other Psychological Science research findings, please contact Anna Mikulak at 202-293-9300 or amikulak@psychologicalscience.org.

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Could basic fertility information be key to reversing late-parenthood trend?

2013-11-19
Could basic fertility information be key to reversing late-parenthood trend? Study finds college students plan to have kids earlier after reading brief pamphlet Increasingly, young people around the world are planning to have children later in life, despite the fact ...

Salk scientists for the first time generate 'mini-kidney' structures from human stem cells

2013-11-18
Salk scientists for the first time generate 'mini-kidney' structures from human stem cells Findings may lead to much-needed therapies for kidney disease LA JOLLA, CA— Diseases affecting the kidneys represent a major and unsolved health issue worldwide. The kidneys rarely recover ...

Scientists fingerprint single cancer cells to map cancer's family tree

2013-11-18
Scientists fingerprint single cancer cells to map cancer's family tree A new method to take the DNA fingerprint of individual cancer cells is uncovering the true extent of cancer's genetic diversity, new research reveals A new method to take the DNA fingerprint ...

Evidence found for granite on Mars

2013-11-18
Evidence found for granite on Mars Researchers now have stronger evidence of granite on Mars and a new theory for how the granite – an igneous rock common on Earth -- could have formed there, according to a new study. The findings suggest a much ...

Columbia engineers make world's smallest FM radio transmitter

2013-11-18
Columbia engineers make world's smallest FM radio transmitter Team demonstrates new application of graphene using positive feedback New York, NY—November 17, 2013—A team of Columbia Engineering researchers, led by Mechanical Engineering Professor James Hone and ...

Researchers capture structure of key part of deadly Nipah virus

2013-11-18
Researchers capture structure of key part of deadly Nipah virus What began as a summer internship project designed for an undergraduate student evolved into a one-year study of one of the deadliest, but little known viruses. Researchers at The Scripps Research Institute ...

Novel study charts aggressive prostate cancer

2013-11-18
Novel study charts aggressive prostate cancer Study in the Journal Cell Cycle reveals new developments in prognosis LOS ANGELES (Nov. 18, 2013) – Many patients diagnosed with prostate cancer have indolent, slow-growing forms of the disease that are not life-threatening. ...

New research finds link between red cell distribution width levels and depression in heart patients

2013-11-18
New research finds link between red cell distribution width levels and depression in heart patients DALLAS – Researchers at the Intermountain Medical Center Heart Institute have discovered a link between elevated red cell distribution width levels and ...

Long-term oral contraceptive users are twice as likely to have serious eye disease

2013-11-18
Long-term oral contraceptive users are twice as likely to have serious eye disease Research shows birth control use over three years could be a risk factor for glaucoma NEW ORLEANS – Nov. 18, 2013 – Research presented today, at the 117th Annual Meeting of the American ...

Faster surgery may be better for hip fractures: McMaster study

2013-11-18
Faster surgery may be better for hip fractures: McMaster study In many countries waits for hip surgery can be 24 hours or longer Hamilton, Nov. 18, 2013 – The speed of surgery after a hip fracture may have a significant impact on outcomes for older patients, ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Carbon capture, utilization, and storage: A comprehensive review of CCUS-EOR

New high-temperature stable dispersed particle gel for enhanced profile control in CCUS applications

State gun laws and firearm-related homicides and suicides

Use of tobacco and cannabis following state-level cannabis legalization

Long-term obesity and biological aging in young adults

Eindhoven University of Technology and JMIR Publications announce unlimited open access publishing agreement

Orphan nuclear receptors in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease development

A technological breakthrough for ultra-fast and greener AI

Pusan National University researchers identify key barriers hindering data-driven smart manufacturing adoption

Inking heterometallic nanosheets: A scalable breakthrough for coating, electronics, and electrocatalyst applications

Adults with autism show similar brain mapping of body parts as typically developing adults

Uncovering behavioral clues to childhood maltreatment

Premenstrual symptoms linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease

Newly discovered remains of ancient river landscapes control ice flow in East Antarctica

Newly discovered interstellar object 'may be oldest comet ever seen'

Animal-inspired AI robot learns to navigate unfamiliar terrain

Underserved youth less likely to visit emergency department for concussion in Ontario, study finds

‘Molecular shield’ placed in the nose may soon treat common hay fever trigger

Beetles under climate stress lay larger male eggs: Wolbachia infection drives adaptive reproduction strategy in response to rising temperature and CO₂

Groundbreaking quantum study puts wave-particle duality to work

Weekly injection could be life changing for Parkinson’s patients

Toxic metals linked to impaired growth in infants in Guatemala

Being consistently physically active in adulthood linked to 30–40% lower risk of death

Nerve pain drug gabapentin linked to increased dementia, cognitive impairment risks

Children’s social care involvement common to nearly third of UK mums who died during perinatal period

‘Support, not judgement’: Study explores links between children’s social care involvement and maternal deaths

Ethnic minority and poorer children more likely to die in intensive care

Major progress in fertility preservation after treatment for cancer of the lymphatic system

Fewer complications after additional ultrasound in pregnant women who feel less fetal movement

Environmental impact of common pesticides seriously underestimated

[Press-News.org] Liberals aren't like the rest, or so they think