LOW EFFORT THOUGHT LEADS TO CONSERVATISMAbstract
The authors test the hypothesis that low-effort thought promotes political conservatism. In Study 1, alcohol intoxication was
measured among bar patrons; as blood alcohol level increased, so did political conservatism (controlling for sex, education,
and political identification). In Study 2, participants under cognitive load reported more conservative attitudes than their
no-load counterparts. In Study 3, time pressure increased participants’ endorsement of conservative terms. In Study 4,
participants considering political terms in a cursory manner endorsed conservative terms more than those asked to cogitate;
an indicator of effortful thought (recognition memory) partially mediated the relationship between processing effort and
conservatism. Together these data suggest that political conservatism may be a process consequence of low-effort thought;
when effortful, deliberate thought is disengaged, endorsement of conservative ideology increases.
http://2012election.procon.org/sourcefiles/low-effort-thought-promotes-political-conservatism-2012.pdf