If You're Disgusted Easily, You Might be Conservative

One characteristic of political conservatives, according to research, may be discomfort with life’s unpleasantness such as dead bodies or slimy insects. Those who shudder over stickiness or gore tend to judge things based on purity and morality

Two Cornell University studies revealed those who are squeamish are more conservative politically, especially in attitudes towards lesbians and gays. The role of disgust helps humans maintain a safe clean environment but is also involved in judgments of purity and morality, according to scientific results explained by study leader David Pizarro, Cornell assistant professor of psychology. In the first study, 181 U.S. adults from politically mixed "swing states" were rated on psychological scales where researchers found a correlation between being more easily disgusted and political conservatism. To test the link between disgust levels and specific conservative positions, 91 Cornell undergraduates were studied to assess their disgust sensitivity and then tested to find their positions on issues such as gay marriage, abortion, gun control, labor unions, tax cuts and affirmative action. Pizarro maintains liberals and conservatives don't agree on whether disgust is part of making moral judgments. Conservatives believe there is wisdom in feeling disgusted about something to judge it right or wrong whereas liberals are more likely to make judgments on whether something actually causes harm as opposed to simple repugnance. Researchers believe this might explain why people have such strong differences of opinions on certain matters where they may feel disgusted. Research also shows that a lot of moral values are driven by emotion. Pizarro, the head researcher, maintains this “can have tragic effects -- as in cases throughout history where minorities have been victims of discrimination by groups that perceived them as having disgusting characteristics.” Further the research reflects a need to be cautious about making moral judgments. Cognitive science agrees with this conclusion and some believe that the link between emotions and moral judgment is important. Some also believe moral judgments are intrinsically motivating. There are those in social science who believe moral judgments are virtually intuitive. They say we make many of our judgments based on how we feel at any given moment about something. We will do something because it feels right and don't always analyze our decisions and judgments. The process of reason leads us to think this is the right thing to do. So perhaps this explains why some conservatives might not go into medicine or nursing because of the disgust issue regarding slimy or gooey things, which are part of the human body. One wonders how science might explain those doctors who continue to work with body organs in a fashion that would make others shudder, and still be conservative.