A recent Livescience.com article appearing in Yahoo! News highlighted a study by psychologist Gordon Hodson of Brock University in Ontario in which a nexus is supposedly found between being unintelligent and conservative and being racist. I presume then that, as conservatives and morons tend to be more racist, the dots between them are connected? The story not only provided an overview of the study but also links to other similar studies which appear to back up Hodson’s conclusions. Well then, there it is. We always knew that liberals are smarter and more tolerant. We just needed a study to prove it.
Gordon HodsonAt best, psychology is an inexact science, as the human brain is the most complex system in the known universe, and to try to understand what makes it tick is daunting if not impossible. But layer on top of that the possibility that the researchers themselves may harbor a bias that leads them to subconsciously steer their studies towards reaching pre-determined conclusions, and you have the makings of a sham science project … with predictable results.
Hodson’s complete study is not available for free online, so I readily admit I only know what has been made public. Apparently the researchers offered a list of questions which would measure participants’ left or right leanings based upon the answers. For example, one measure in defining “conservative” is gauging one’s level of agreement with the statement “schools should teach children to obey authority.” Then they overlaid these results with responses to questions with overtly racial overtones such as “I wouldn’t mind working with people of other races.” I guess if you answer “yes” to authority and “no” to working with others not like you, you are a conservative racist. Conversely, if you replied “fight the power, maaan” and “I want my office to look like a rainbow, my brother,” then you are a tolerant and cognitively well-adjusted liberal. Oh, if only the world were so simple.
But the world is not simple. Even the questions I offer as examples have nuance. For instance, I was never taught by my Marine Corps dad (as conservative as they come) to unconditionally obey authority. In fact, he revered the Founding Fathers, for whom declaring our independence was an enormous thumb in the eye of the crown’s authority. I was, however, taught to respect authority. There is a subtle difference. When it comes to blindly obeying, it depends on the situation. If it involves heeding police instructions at an intersection, then by all means I do it—unless I discover that the cops are beating a man to death with night sticks and demanding I join in. As to working with other races, that depends on the individuals. Are they college-educated or street thugs? Are they going to speak a foreign language in my presence all day, making me uncomfortable? This applies to whites as well, though. Are they respectable or trailer trash? So it is not race per se that will make me choose the complexion of my co-workers but who they are. How does one distill these textured concepts into a questionnaire that may pigeonhole me as racist if I check box A instead of B?
Speaking of complexity and texture: to me, the salient feature of this article and only real admission that this study may not be fair, or even complete, is this parenthetical afterthought: “(These questions measured overt prejudiced attitudes, but most people, no matter how egalitarian, do hold unconscious racial biases; Hodson’s work can’t speak to this ‘underground’ racism.)”
Well, I can speak to it. “Underground racism” is an antiseptic term for “how liberals behave as opposed to what they profess.” One can insist until blue in the face that they are color-blind (and answer as such on Hodson’s study earning them a gold star), but the moment they can afford to, they will move as fast as they can to an all-white neighborhood to raise their kids. They will insist they do not see the world through multi-colored glasses, but when a presidential candidate calls Barack Obama the “food stamp president,” immediately those whom I bet this study would label as the non-racists jump to the conclusion that such a statement is racially charged. It is not. It is a straightforward fact that more Americans of all shades have joined the food stamp rolls during Obama’s watch than ever before. One can argue the economics underscoring this trend, but only those who either consciously or subconsciously associate food stamps with blacks would see racism in such a statement where none exists. So who are the true bigots again? I refer you to Bill Maher for an illustration of the concept.
The fault is with Brock University to allow an unproven “psychologist” to publish, with financial rewards, a supposed “science” research study without independent unbiased peer review and qualifying footnotes verifying statistical means and methods.
Same group of morons who bought into Man Made Global Warming.
I have not been able to find the title of a book of which I read a review a few years ago. The author, a liberal academician (yeah, almost a redundant statement) set out to prove his theory that liberals give more than conservatives. After a year of research he was astounded to find the opposite, that conservatives even give more blood than liberals. I understand his associates hounded him to publish the “truth,” not his findings. You can imagine the heat to which he was subjected. Reportedly he officially switched from Democrat to Republican but later to independent to maintain his legitimacy as an unbiased researcher. I gotta find the title of that book.
As for smarter – I cannot believe that the following is smarter: “Oh I don’t know anything about his voting record or his policies, I just love him, don’t you?” I got that from several women before the current President was elected. Those people vote . . . and bear children.
Gorden Hodson must have been chewing a lot during his study, what does he know at his age,
you need a lot more to study humans inside their brainwaves, their emotions, their stand on what is right,
their courage to be ready to fight for their COUNTRY, their tolerance on smaller humans and their brightness in judgement definition of right and wrong, the CONSERVATIVES MAKE THE BEST MILITARY and officer of the law, detectives and intell AGENCY, because they have the ability to pinpoint the plot faster than other party
ya GORDON YOU SHOULD HAVE CALL US, BEFORE MAKING A FOOL OF YOURSELF.
I just read of that mother being aware that her 12year old daughter was playing not far with
her friend same age, when they start running being chase by a COUGAR, the one girl make it but the other is delayed by the snow, the mother see and run yelling and all 3 are yelling, the cougar is at arms length, of her daughter, he stop look at the mother they eye to eye a couple of seconds and he get back away,
that was in the WESTERN ROCKY MOUNTAINS,
OUF SCARY she was probably a quick thinking CONSERVATIVE
When two people are being chased by a cougar… you don’t have to run faster than a cougar… just faster than your companion…. On another note… when I was younger… I was always being chased by Cougars…. Ashton Kutcher had a similar problem but he just wasn’t fast enough.
Donald Bly
I love this one, and the ranger ask the woman if it was not a coyotee instead, no she said he was about 7 feets long, good there was snow to prove her right,
bye
Bees…. wink wink… you and I both know it was really a Dingo… and all he wanted was a tasty stick!
Donald Bly
yes but a boomerang would be perfect to bring in the wood,
if I send it to the animal it come back with the animal, good hunting tool,
you said a stick, is that all is left from your boomerang,
the dingo ate the rest,
bye
Yup…. just a stick is all that’s left…
Ontario has been going down hill for a long time. Just more drivel from an university. They can do us a favor by continuing to send us their qualified engineers.
My Bly. your statement is enlightening. Run slowly when chased by cougars.
oil guy from ALBERTA
hi,
I would try to walk slow but my legs would stay at the same place but my mind would believe they are running,
bye
the judge order the guy who beat up his wife, to take her to RED LOBSTER,
BUY FLOWERS , HE DID NOT ASK THE WIFE IF SHE WOULD LIKE LOBSTER,
Newsflash: Wife allergic to seafood!
Donald Bly,
oops, her life is in danger, no matter what now
The Judge should have ordered her to get a concealed carry permit… just in case the reconciliation turned bad…
Newsflash: Armed woman thwarts domestic violence attack!