WHY CONSERVATIVES DON'T REASON

[HowHasItComeToThis]

see THIS LINK http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090821135020.htm

How We Support Our False Beliefs

ScienceDaily (Aug. 23, 2009) — In a study published in the most recent issue of the journal Sociological Inquiry, sociologists from four major research institutions focus on one of the most curious aspects of the 2004 presidential election: the strength and resilience of the belief among many Americans that Saddam Hussein was linked to the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

[rrneck]

1. Thar's gold in that thar stupid! nt

[opihimoimoi]

2. "Motivated Reasoning"...I like it...Belief in ones Rational and interest.

[sixmile]

3. Know who else is conservative?

The Taliban.

[Lagomorph]

4. troofers are everywhere....nt

[hfojvt]

5. they don't really say that this is particular to conservatives

"Co-author Steven Hoffman, Ph.D., visiting assistant professor of sociology at the University at Buffalo, says, "Our data shows substantial support for a cognitive theory known as 'motivated reasoning,' which suggests that rather than search rationally for information that either confirms or disconfirms a particular belief, people actually seek out information that confirms what they already believe."

Is that going to be true of ALL people, or just of SOME people, the type that were part of the study?

"The study team employed a technique called "challenge interviews" on a sample of voters who reported believing in a link between Saddam and 9/11. The researchers presented the available evidence of the link, along with the evidence that there was no link, and then pushed respondents to justify their opinion on the matter. For all but one respondent, the overwhelming evidence that there was no link left no impact on their arguments in support of the link."

I am also curious about this. How did they provide "overwhelming evidence" of a negative?

That may be where their theory falls down and perhaps they should have used something more readily demonstrable. Could you convince people, for example, that Bush was wrong when he said of his tax cut plan "By far the vast majority of the help goes to those at the bottom end of the economic ladder"? Then it might depend on how much math people could or would grasp, whether they believe it or not. Can they understand the evidence?

[bettyellen]

7. overwheming evidence that shows that all arguments supporting the link were manufactured from whole

cloth.

which is the truth. but not shocked you'd forget that. these conservatives don;t want to think about it either.

[jmondine]

6. That's like asking why fish don't live in trees

[unblock]

8. they appeal on faith BECAUSE reason no longer supports their cause

faith doesn't HAVE to contradict reason, but if you're trying to sell something and can't come up with a logical reason, you can see the appeal of appealing to faith....

[Roland99]

9. Willful ignorance.

Or just flat-out stupidity.