Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Think Again: Science appears to have proven that partisans tend to respond emotionally, on a subconscious level, when confronted with political news. In short, political partisans often aren't very rational.

Using M.R.I. scanners, neuroscientists have now tracked what happens in the politically partisan brain when it tries to digest damning facts about favored candidates or criticisms of them. The process is almost entirely emotional and unconscious, the researchers report, and there are flares of activity in the brain's pleasure centers when unwelcome information is being rejected.

Of course, we all already knew this to be true. We enjoy hearing bad news about our political enemies and react very skeptically to any news that goes against our preferred candidates or political views. Hell, I got a big smile on my face when I read the article on this experiment. So that just makes me a partisan nonpartisan. (Hat tip: Centerfield)