Do Personality Traits Predict Political Views?

Are you freely deciding which party you vote for, and whether you’re leaning to the left or to the right, or are you just being lead by your genetic temperamental traits?

Psychologists who have performed research in this area believe there is a strong connection between your personality traits and political thinking. So whether someone considers them-self to be left or right wing can be predicted with some accuracy by knowing someone’s personality type.

I say with some accuracy because there are also other factors that determine political views. These other factors are conformity, influences from media sources, basically our information intake, this includes mainstream media, opinions from popular figures and social media in all its forms.

The information that we receive can be pushed in a certain direction, or has a narrative which has a bias, with the intention of manipulating the audience. Religious beliefs, class and education also influence political orientation.

There is an issue at the moment with regards to censorship of conservative views, both in the main stream media and social media. This is done with the intention to manipulate and gain votes. This type of manipulation according to psychological studies on the influence relating to social media, can lead to millions of votes being influenced. This form of manipulation contributes to forms of faulty thinking and cognitive biases.

Despite all this censorship and manipulation, your genetic temperamental/personality traits are still believed to be one of the biggest, if not the biggest determinant of political views and thinking.

Which Traits Predict Political Views?

Conscientiousness – Conscientiousness includes the following traits, dutifulness, orderliness and industriousness. Those high in the conscientiousness trait trend to have more right learning or conservative views. Conscientious people are hard working and they tend to believe the spoils should go to those who deserve them. They support hierarchies and have a desire to climb up that hierarchy (supports capitalism).

The sub trait orderliness is associated with the emotion of disgust. Psychologists who study this, say there is a strong connection with the emotion of disgust and wanting or needing barriers. Those high in the emotion of disgust are often obsessively compulsive when it comes to cleanliness, always washing their hands, this is due to the fear of contamination and spreading disease. These people naturally want borders as a protection from disease infection. Again this is connected to right leaning and conservative views.

Openness – Openness is a trait connected to openness of ideas and liberalism. Being high in openness is connected to liberal views, however classic liberal, which supports free speech and openness to opposing views.

Agreeableness – Agreeableness is connected to sympathy, morality and compassion. Research suggests that people with extreme politically correct or far left leaning views is connected to being high in the trait of agreeableness. Those with strong compassionate views are naturally motivated by the idea of equality, which is in-line with the motivations of the leftists (supports socialism).

Neuroticism – Neuroticism is generally connected to negative emotions, those high in the trait of neuroticism will often jump to negative conclusions. They may assume there is discrimination, oppression and general negativity, even when there is none. They project out their often negative thinking onto others.

Political Views By Temperament

• Left Wing – High in agreeableness and neuroticism, far left or extreme views also comes from being low in openness.

• Right Wing – High in conscientiousness and orderliness, low in openness. Very low in openness for far right wing views.

• Classic Liberal – High in openness, relatively low or moderate in conscientiousness. Moderate in agreeableness.

• Conservative – High in conscientiousness and orderliness, moderate or low in openness.

I’m adding my interpretation on this, so it may not reflex the research 100 percent.

References

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0191886918301466

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100609111312.htm