Morgan BellArguing with conservatives is futile
September 23rd 2008 01:06
I'm not sure I believe this report, as it was posted on the Huffington Post, a website with a notable liberal swing, but it's interesting nevertheless.
A study from Yale suggests that conservatives were more likely to cling to their beliefs even when offered rational refutation of those beliefs.
Well, HuffPo makes it seem like only conservatives have this rigid sense of thinking:
"A new study out of Yale University confirms what argumentative liberals have long-known: Offering reality-based rebuttals to conservative lies only makes conservatives cling to those lies even harder. In essence, schooling conservatives makes them more stupid."
That's a little harsh, especially since the article in the Washington Post clearly states that liberals experience the same effect:
"People who did not like Roberts to begin with, then, ought to have been most receptive to the damaging allegation, and this is exactly what Bullock found. Democrats were far more likely than Republicans to disapprove of Roberts after hearing the allegation."
HuffPo latched onto one comment by the researcher, a PhD student at Yale, who suggested "that Republicans might be especially prone to the backfire effect because conservatives may have more rigid views than liberals: Upon hearing a refutation, conservatives might "argue back" against the refutation in their minds, thereby strengthening their belief in the misinformation."
The Washington Post noted one important point, though, that the researchers were all Democrats. Definitely some skepticism is required in this case.
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Comment by Damo
Other people have noted that both terms seem to have much more specific meaning in the USA. Whereas in Australia such terms are considered stereotyping.
It is interesting watching the US election being fought out in such polarized terms.
However any study about opponents that concludes that they are stupid is a joke.
Comment by Cibbuano
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Comment by Anonymous
It's that kind of "Sports Team" politics that cripples the United States and makes their system a convoluted mess.
They are two different mind-sets that cross at nearly every possibly point. I've never met anyone who did not at one point or another feel inclined to the opposite political affiliation.
So why people want to act like it's a war between Liberal minds and Conservative minds, I don't know at all.
That kind of behavior is just backfiring and kicking everyone in the balls.
The Liberal / Conservative war claims more innocent minds each year than Smoking, Drugs and Gun-Violence combined.
Thanks a lot dipshits.
Comment by D. Armenta
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In my opinion. what America needs is other political options; unfortunately, American media only covers those two parties.
I am appalled at the amount of namecalling and mudslinging both parties have indulged in this season--not only are both parties avoiding giving any real answers to important questions (such as--just what the hell are we going to do with all of this debt?) but it's an insult to the intelligence of anyone with an IQ higher than 40.
Comment by Cibbuano
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Why aren't there more dominant parties? What happened?
Comment by Timothy Powell
my second my first blog
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Comment by Timothy Powell
my second my first blog
poetryatrics
Comment by Lilla
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Lets argue over who argues more than who, shall we, jolly good. we can worry about the pollution and other important issues later, tiddly pip.
Anyone for another Port?
Comment by D. Armenta
The Florida Keys and Everglades
The Black Sheep Chronicles
What constitutes bad manners?
The male mystique
Debate Fan
Cibby: We haven't had any third-party exposure since the chairmen of the Demo and Repub parties took over the debates, appointing themselves as the arbiters.
They forced out the League of Women Voters, who up until then had moderated fairly and impartially.