Research news: Liberal, conservative brains work differently

The News:
Liberal, conservative brains work differently
By the Los Angeles Times
Article Last Updated: 09/09/2007 11:36:48 PM MDT
Exploring the neurobiology of politics, scientists have found that liberals tolerate ambiguity and conflict better than conservatives because of how their brains work.
Scientists at New York University and the University of California at Los Angeles report today in the journal Nature Neuroscience that political orientation is related to differences in how the brain processes information.
Previous psychological studies have found that conservatives tend to be more structured and persistent in their judgments, whereas liberals are more open to new experiences. The latest study found those traits are not confined to political situations but also influence daily decisions.
Participants' politics ranged from "very liberal" to "very conservative." Scientists instructed them to tap a keyboard when an M appeared on a computer monitor and to refrain from tapping when they saw a W. M appeared four times as frequently as W.

The Research:
Read the research behind this story in the journal Nature Neuroscience.