Subscribe
The latest psychology and neuroscience discoveries.
My Account
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Cognitive Science
  • Psychopharmacology
No Result
View All Result
PsyPost
PsyPost
No Result
View All Result
Home Exclusive Social Psychology Political Psychology

Scientist: There is a ‘conservative syndrome’ that exists across countries

by Eric W. Dolan
July 9, 2017
in Political Psychology
Donald Trump speaking with supporters at a campaign rally at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona in 2016. (Photo credit: Gage Skidmore)

Donald Trump speaking with supporters at a campaign rally at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona in 2016. (Photo credit: Gage Skidmore)

[Follow PsyPost on LinkedIn to stay up-to-date on the latest developments in psychology and neuroscience]

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

In a new review article summarizing several cross-cultural studies, an Australian scientist argues that there is a cluster of psychological traits and attitudes that can be defined as a “conservative syndrome.”

“I was not interested in this particular topic when I started the work some ten years ago,” explained Lazar Stankov of the University of Sydney and University of Southern Queensland. “My intention was to study cross-cultural differences. Much of my previous work was in the area of intelligence and I wanted to branch out into the non-cognitive field. Studying differences in personality traits, social attitudes, values, social axioms and social norms was appealing to me.”

“It just happened so that the outcome of my studies could best be interpreted in terms of what is known in political sciences as social conservatism. It is a constellation of diverse psychological traits and dispositions focused on preserving the status quo. I chose the term ‘syndrome’ in order to emphasize that at least some components of this kind of conservatism do not have high correlations among themselves.”

His research was published May 29, 2017 in the Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology.

The syndrome describes people who want to preserve the current social order value, score low on the personality trait of openness, and who value authority, obedience, family, self-discipline, and conventional religious beliefs. Such people also display more hostility toward people from outside groups.

Importantly, the conservative syndrome differs from other definitions of conservatism because it includes psychological dispositions — not just political beliefs.

“Needless to say, there are considerable differences between individuals and countries in terms of conservatism/liberalism,” Stankov told PsyPost. “In our work the most important turned out to be the differences in two broad categories of psychological constructs. People scoring high on this syndrome tend to be more religious and harsher towards those who are not accepted as members of their own group. Religion and morality are seen as a way of maintaining the existing way of life and harshness towards outsiders is a defense against the threat of change.

“It is interesting that the average IQ of conservative individuals and countries tends to be lower than the average of the population at large,” Stankov added. “In other words, conservative people tend to be less knowledgeable about the world they live in and are afraid of the unknown. They also seem to be more ready to fight the intruders into their environment.”

The studies were based on two different datasets, which included a total of 11,208 participants from more than 30 countries. Stankov found that the conservative syndrome existed in virtually every country. In other words, the same conservative traits and dispositions tended to be associated with one another regardless of the country.

But there are several political labels that can be a source of confusion. People who are socially conservative, for instance, value faith and tradition — and are opposed to “progressive” change in society. These people typically fall within the conservative syndrome. But there are also fiscal conservatives who oppose high taxes and government regulations. Their views are often similar to those who describe themselves as classical liberals. This latter group of conservatives may or may not be part of the conservative syndrome, depending on their other traits and attitudes.

“An important issue is the relationship between conservative syndrome and political conservatism. The motivation of those voting for conservative parties varies,” Stankov explained. “In Western countries a sizeable proportion of people may do so for fiscal rather than social reasons. Their main concern is with the preservation of the free market and less so with social and psychological aspects of life. Given the rise of populism in politics it may be interesting to study the interaction between fiscal and social conservatives and the extent to which each is using the other to achieve political gains.”

“Another line of our research has been the study of militant extremist mindset (MEM),” he added. “Our findings are that some ingredients of MEM resemble those of conservative syndrome. If some additional aspects of MEM were to be triggered, a new wave of conservative terrorism may emerge. The targets may be not only members of the out-groups but also professions that are perceived as advocating tolerance towards the dissenting views.”

ShareTweetSendScanShareSharePinSend
Previous Post

Here’s what happened when a psychiatrist tried to treat his depression by smoking DMT every day

Next Post

The openness of a floor plan could affect how much you eat, study suggests

STAY CONNECTED

TRENDING

Scientists raise concerns about the potential link between chronic microdosing of psychedelics and valvular heart disease

Anxiously attached individuals have stronger cortisol reactivity when anticipating a conflict with a partner

Study suggests lack of positive feelings during social interactions could help explain isolation in people with suicidality

New psychology research shows how narcissistic tendencies influence perceptions of intellectual humility

Interesting link between self-alienation and death anxiety uncovered by new psychology research

Genetics and concussion – why a minor knock can be devastating for some people

RECENT

New study shines a light on men’s unconscious attraction to fertility cues in women’s faces

Genetics and concussion – why a minor knock can be devastating for some people

Interesting link between self-alienation and death anxiety uncovered by new psychology research

Lifestyle pages on Facebook are a significant contributor to the spread of fake news, study finds

Shy teens with shy best friends might be more prone to depression, study finds

Single-session exposure therapy: A game-changer for phobia treatment?

Scientists raise concerns about the potential link between chronic microdosing of psychedelics and valvular heart disease

Anxiously attached individuals have stronger cortisol reactivity when anticipating a conflict with a partner

Currently Playing

Study identifies factors that influence the link between men’s body esteem and their ability to enjoy their sexuality

Study identifies factors that influence the link between men’s body esteem and their ability to enjoy their sexuality

Study identifies factors that influence the link between men’s body esteem and their ability to enjoy their sexuality

Body Image and Body Dysmorphia
New psychology research shows how narcissistic tendencies influence perceptions of intellectual humility

New psychology research shows how narcissistic tendencies influence perceptions of intellectual humility

Narcissism
Unintended pregnancies take a toll on the mental health of new fathers

Unintended pregnancies take a toll on the mental health of new fathers

Mental Health
New study provides insight into the psychological core of dark personality traits

Four distinct trajectories of psychopathic traits identified among youth in the legal system

Psychopathy
Social working memory abnormalities may be a neurocognitive mechanism underlying poorer social connection in PTSD

Exposure to wood smoke leads to complex and long-lasting neuroinflammatory and neurometabolomic alterations

Mental Health
People who were better supervised by parents as early adolescents tend to have higher earnings as adults

People who were better supervised by parents as early adolescents tend to have higher earnings as adults

Business
  • Cognitive Science
  • COVID-19
  • Mental Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Drug Research
  • Conspiracy Theories
  • Meditation
  • Psychology of Religion
  • Aviation Psychology and Human Factors
  • Relationships and Sexual Health
  • Evolutionary Psychology
  • Neuroimaging
  • Psychedelic Drugs
  • Dark Triad
  • Political Psychology

About

PsyPost is a psychology and neuroscience news website dedicated to reporting the latest research on human behavior, cognition, and society. (READ MORE...)

  • Contact us
  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy policy
  • Terms and Conditions
Subscribe
  • My Account
  • Cognitive Science Research
  • Mental Health Research
  • Social Psychology Research
  • Drug Research
  • Relationship Research
  • About PsyPost
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist