New study reveals how partisan thinkers avoid facts and reason that get in the way of their political viewpoint.

Somebody Get the Lights

I can remember watching films in high school documenting advanced psychological research.  It involved rare subjects who for some reason or other had part of the brain exposed to view.  (car accidents, special operations, mad scientist left him on the doorstep...)  Patients were kept conscious during brain surgeries they say because the brain has no pain receptors.  I'm no brain surgeon, but I think they kept the patients awake because it's a lot of fun.  The doctor would touch part of the brain and the brain-owner would say "mmmm chocolate!"  Touch the probe somewhere else and "ooooh!  My hair is on fire!"

Well put away the alligator clips and tin foil.  A more recent study of the brain uses functional magnetic resonance imaging that records what parts of their brain were active.  Basically, psychologists can see areas of the brain light up as they come into use.

The Study

Scientists at Emory University, lead by Drew Westen studied a group of devout Republicans and Democrats in the three months prior to the 2004 election. The partisan volunteers were given tasks evaluating information contrary to their candidates position.  I am not surprised that Westen reports "We did not see any increased activation of the parts of the brain normally engaged during reasoning."  Instead they saw different assortment of circuits lighting up.  Some are believed to regulate emotion and others involve resolving conflicts.  Once the partisan hacks had found a way to arrive at conclusions that fit their beliefs - generally by ignoring information they can't rationally disprove - negative emotion circuits were shut down and behavior reward circuits (like what researchers have seen when addicts get their drug) are fired up.

What Part of my Brain Does This Light Up?

 The researchers saw no particular involvement of areas that indicate reasoning is occurring. Dr. Westen noted "It appears as if partisans twirl the cognitive kaleidoscope until they get the conclusions they want, and then they get massively reinforced for it." God I love that quote! 

The subjects were given statements from Bush, Kerry or a neutral figure.  Then came follow-ups that challenged them to rate and evaluate the discrepancy.  Contradictions in their own candidates, appear to have been ignored.  Contradictions by the neutral figures were evaluated equally by both the Republican and Democrat groups. Contradictions by the opposing candidates were agreed to by both sides.   All apparently without accessing the reasoning function of the brain.  That's right, Michael Savage, liberals aren't the only ones with this mental disorder.

The Emory University researchers hypothesize that this emotion based substitute for reason stamps in or calcifies defensive beliefs that allow them to enjoy their positions in logic defying luxury.  It is felt such a person can learn very little from new data in their area of  "calcification."   This emotional bias can range beyond politics.  Becoming emotionally attached to a position can affect decision making in all areas of life.

Politics particularly exploits this mental dysfunction.  Speeches are designed to appeal to emotionally biased reasoning.  How many times have you thought "Surely someone on this guys staff can see the logical holes in what he is saying?!"  Pollster John Zogby said "we are exposed to political messages meant to provoke a specific emotional reaction, designed to make you want to 'buy' politics, like a car or toothpaste."

My Debate Show Fantasy

Gentlemen, thank you for coming on our show and agreeing to wear the magnetic resonance helmets.  In the upper left and right corners of the screen we will see your brain activities. Icon flags will appear when your mind shuts down reasoning, fabricates outright lies, rewards you for arriving at your biased conclusion or thinks your hair is on fire.