Conservatives ARE more squeamish than liberals: Study finds right-wingers are more easily disgusted

 

Volunteers were shown this image of a man eating worms: The response, measured by changing voltage in their skin, showed off their likely political leanings

Volunteers were shown this image of a man eating worms: The response, measured by changing voltage in their skin, showed off their likely political leanings

How easy do you find it to look at revolting images such as a man eating worms?

If the answer is 'difficult', it might offer an insight into your politics.

Scientists at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln showed 50 volunteers a series of 38 disgusting images - including one of a man eating worms (the actual image is pictured, right).

Others included an incredibly emaciated body, a bloody wound and an open sore with maggots in it, as well as human excrement floating in a toilet.

The researchers then measured the electrical 'disgust' response in the skin of their 50 volunteers.

When people are disgusted, their reaction causes a measurable change in the electrical conductivity in their skin.

It's a 'disgust' response that cannot lie.

They found, as they had predicted, that people who expressed strong conservative political views had a far stronger disgust response.

People who were repulsed by the images were particularly likely to disapprove of gay marriage.

The researchers accept that people of all political hues are unlikely to accept their ideas - people like to imaging their political views are rational, rather than physical.

But they pointed out that it's far more likely that the disgust response could influence a person's politics than the other way round.

Sir Elton John and David Furnish: People with a strong physical 'disgust' response were more likely to express right-wing views such as disapproving of gay marriage

Sir Elton John and David Furnish: People with a strong physical 'disgust' response were more likely to express right-wing views such as disapproving of gay marriage

The researchers wrote, 'Individuals with marked involuntary responses to disgusting images, such as of a man eating a large mouthful of writhing worms, are more likely to self-identify as conservative and, especially, to oppose gay marriage than are individuals with more muted physiological responses to the same images.'

Individuals with strong responses to the images were much more likely to respond with disapproval to issues such as gay marriage.

Sex-related issues appeared to be most strongly influenced by the 'disgust' response - a primitive instinct designed to protect people from disease.

The researchers suggest that basic, physical responses might be closely tied to our politics.

Interestingly, that suggests that politics could be influenced far more strongly by genetic factors than previously believed.

'Mounting evidence points to the relevance of subconscious factors in political decision-making situations,' wrote the researchers.




The comments below have not been moderated.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

We are no longer accepting comments on this article.