Gun Control & RKBA
In reply to the discussion: Dear Gun Carriers [View all]Dog Gone at Penigma
(433 posts)There is actually quite a large body of research on the differences between conservative and liberal thinking.
While I occasionally write and admin for a friend's gun blog, one of my more passionate interests is in cognition and how brain function affects decision making. Recognizing that not everyone else is a neuroscience geek, this gives a pretty good summation:
http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/intersection/2011/09/07/your-brain-on-politics-the-cognitive-neuroscience-of-liberals-and-conservatives/
The two books on the topic, by Chris Mooney, which correlate a lot of complimentary but separate research make excellent reading, and tends to be supported by the separate but somewhat related work in neuro-economics as it relates to emotional decision making affects risk assessment, and how brain chemistry relates to fluctuating testosterone levels.
http://community.nasdaq.com/News/2011-09/neuro-economics-this-is-what-your-brain-looks-like-when-you-trade.aspx?storyid=95653
We know quite a bit about how decision making takes place, what part is intellect, and what part is emotion.
Being conservative, which the more adamantly pro-gunners tend to be, predisposes to emotional decision making, as does your testosterone levels and expectations.
And yes, I am capable of making better decisions - see above - than someone who is more emotional by the changes to their amygdala, or from testosterone.
That makes me doubly better than you are likely to be in decision making.