Reply #164: Very interesting; but there's always the issue of what is cause and what is effect

[LeftishBrit]

The 'chicken and egg' issue that often comes up with regard to brain imaging studies. Do conservatives respond less efficiently to conflict because of something hardwired in their brain, or do they show different brain activation patterns because they are using inefficient strategies? For example, work by McClelland and his colleagues shows that dyslexics show different brain activation patterns on language tasks than non-dyslexics (in particular, less use of the left angular gyrus), but that if they are given intervention that improves their reading, they also show more typical brain activation patterns.

In any case, it is interesting that conservatives are less effective in dealing with conflict and uncertainty even in simple tasks - which may well be linked to their preference for simplistic political solutions.

Another possibility, of course, is that there is a specific disorder called rightwingitis, which causes its victims' brains to seize up in the presence of a W!