Are political views shaped by personality traits? - BBC News

Entitlement is associated with more right-wing positions and exhibitionism with more left-wing positions. And narcissists are also generally ... Wheredoourpoliticalbeliefscomefrom?Thereisincreasingevidencethatanimportantpartoftheanswerisdeep-rootedwithinournature.Itseemsthatwearepredisposedtohavecertainpersonalitytraitsand,ultimately,certainpoliticaltastes.Psychologistsnormallymeasureyourpersonalitybyaskingquestionsaboutyourapproachtolife.Themeasuresareknownasthe'BigFive':opennesstoexperience,conscientiousness,extroversion,agreeablenessandneuroticism.Theseareneithergoodnorbad,butsimplyaspectsofwhoyouare.Dovotersneedtherapy?SirJohnCurtice:WhyagenotclassmattersmostinvotingForexample,someonescoringhighinconscientiousnesswilltendtobemoreorganisedthantheaverageperson,butalsomoreinflexible.Scoresonthesedifferenttraitspredictlotsofthingsaboutus:fromhealthyeatingtomaritalstability.ItisperhapsnotsurprisingthattheBigFivealsocorrelatewithpeople'spoliticalviews.JeffMondak,politicalscienceprofessorattheUniversityofIllinois,saysthatpeoplewhoscorehighinopennessandlowinconscientiousnessaremorelikelytobeleftwing.Hearguesthat"opennessequateswiththewillingnesstotrynewthings.Andthatincludesnewpolicies.Conscientiousnessoftensignalsaverystrongsenseofpersonalresponsibility:itwouldbeviewedasourownjob,notthegovernment'sjob,totakecareofus."'Darker'personalitytraitsThesemaynotbetheonlypersonalitytraitswhichshapeourpolitics,however.Thereisalsothe'DarkTriad':Machiavellianism,narcissismandpsychopathy.Themostimportantoneoftheseforpoliticalbehaviourisnarcissism.Thisisnotjustaboutadmiringyourreflectionandattentionseeking,butalsoasenseofimportanceandentitlement.Twokeycomponentsofnarcissism-exhibitionismandasenseofentitlement-correlatewithourpoliticalviews.Entitlementisassociatedwithmoreright-wingpositionsandexhibitionismwithmoreleft-wingpositions.Andnarcissistsarealsogenerallymorelikelytogetinvolvedinpolitics.JulieBlais,anassistantprofessorintheDepartmentofPsychologyandNeuroscienceatDalhousieUniversity,says:"Peoplewithnarcissistictraitsaremuchmorelikelytoengage.It'sawayofgettingattentionandmakethemselvesappearbetterthanotherpeople."Whatshapesourpersonality?Personalitydifferencesappeartoberelatedtoourpoliticalviewsandourpoliticalparticipation.Butwheredothesedifferencescomefrom?IfyoutaketheBritishpopulationtoday,abouthalfthevariationinpersonalitytraitsappearstobegeneticallyinherited.Thatdoesn'tmeanthatthereisasinglegenewhichdecidesourpersonality.Norisitaspecificpartofthebrain.KevinMitchell,anassociateprofessorofgeneticsandneuroscienceatTrinityCollege,Dublin,saysthatpersonalitytraitsare"manifestationsofhowthebrainisputtogether-therearen'tlittlebitsofthebraindoingonejoboranother."Imagesource,PAMediaImagecaption,StudentsgoingtovoteArewepredisposedtoourpoliticalviews?Doesthisallmeanthatourpoliticalviewsarealsopartlybiological?Likepersonality,politicalideologyisgeneticallyheritabletosomeextentandoneexplanationforthisisthatinnatepersonalitytraits,liketheBigFiveornarcissism,causepoliticalattitudes.However,somearguethatthereisactuallysomethingdeeperinourbiologythatdirectlylinkstoourpolitics.Maybeitisverybasicpreferences,perhapsrelatedtoriskorthreatavoidance,fromhumanity'sevolutionarypastwhichinformourmoderndaypoliticalpreferences.RoseMcDermott,professorofpoliticalscienceandinternationalrelationsatBrownUniversity,says:"Thespecificissue,whetherit'staxesorwelfare,canchangeovertimeandfromcountrytocountry.Buttheunderlyingissuesremain:Howdowedecidewhogetswhatwithinourcommunity;howdowedecidewho'sallowedintoourcommunity;howdowedecidewhowe'regoingtofightagainst?"Thesecoredifferencescontinuetoexistbecausetherewasneveranevolutionary'rightanswer'tothosequestionsinthepast,shesays."Whensomethingissomuchbetterthaneveryalleveryotheralternativeitconvergestouniversality.Sowhyhavewenotconvergeduniversallyonideology?Becauseweneedboth.Youneedliberalsforcooperation,butyoualsoneedconservativesbecauseyouhavetodefendthoseco-operators."Abitmoreunderstanding?Ofcourse,therearesomeimportantcaveatstotheideathatbiologyequalsideology.Firstoff,thesearesimplytendencies.Mygeneticmake-updoesnotdeterminemypersonalityormypoliticalviews;itjustinfluencesthem.Second,thisisaboutpeople'sattitudes,nottheirvotes.ThereisnobiologicalimperativetosupportpartyXoverpartyY.Nonetheless,weshouldprobablytakeseriouslytheideathatourpoliticalattitudesarepartiallyduetoourpersonalityorotherinnatetendenciesthatwecannotdomuchabout.And,perhapsironically,thismightbehelpfulinreducingoneofthebugbearsofthemodernage:politicalpolarisation.Polarisationisallabout'us'versus'them'.Maybeonewayofcounteringthatistoacceptthat'they'justhavedifferentpreferencesto'us'.Thisisnotbecause'they'arestupid,brainwashedorignorant,justthat'we'aredifferentto'them'.AsKevinMitchellsays:"Conflictusuallyarisesbecausepeople'sgoalsdifferwitheachotherandthethingsthattheyvalueinagivensituationdiffer.Andatsomelevel,partofthosedifferencescomefromourbiology."JamesTilleyisaProfessorofPoliticsattheUniversityofOxfordandaFellowofJesusCollege,Oxford.Hepresents'PersonalityPolitics'onBBCRadio4at20:30GMTonMonday1February2021.Moreonthisstory'Ican'tsleepbecauseofBrexit'4April2019'Iamangryandthefuturescaresme'21June2018TopStoriesLive. UkraineclaimsfightbackinkeyeasterncityMeetthebabyasoldasthewar.VideoMeetthebabyasoldasthewarPublished21hoursagoShotdeadbypolicewhiletryingtogetfuel.VideoShotdeadbypolicewhiletryingtogetfuelPublished6hoursagoFeaturesFivewaysRussia’swarinUkrainemayplayoutTheRussiansoldiersrefusingtofightinUkraineWhythismuch-lovedSingaporedishisunderthreatIndianwoman'splanto'marryherself'sparksdebatePrinceHarryandMeghanremainlow-keyatJubileePlatinumJubilee:Queen'slifeinpicturesManmakescustomcasketsforkidskilledinTexas.VideoManmakescustomcasketsforkidskilledinTexasCouldtoxicDepp-Heardcasedeterotheraccusers?The'oversizedpotatoes'thatstoletheQueen'sheartElsewhereontheBBCThe'oversizedpotatoes'thatstoletheQueen'sheartHowayoungprincess'sloveforherdogturnedintoalife'spassion.PlatinumJubilee:Queen'slifeinpicturesAstheQueenmarks70yearsonthethrone,wepresentanimagefromeveryyearofherlife.LISTEN:ThesecretstoplayingtheQueenFindouthowtheseactressesportrayedtheworld'smostrecognisedwomanonradio,stageandscreen.MostRead1RoyalswishLilibetahappyfirstbirthday2HarryandMeghannavigateatrickyreturntoduty3MariahCareysuedforcopyrightoverChristmashit4RussianmanaccusedofLitvinenkokillingdies5Indianwoman'splanto'marryherself'sparksdebate6Palaceconcerttocontinuejubileefestivities7Drought-strickenUSwarnedoflooming'deadpool'8Iran'sKhameneiaccuses'enemy'ofstirringprotests9Inpictures:HarryandMeghanjoinroyalsforservice10Trump-backedcelebritydoctorwinsSenateprimary