The complex relation between receptivity to pseudo-profound bullshit and political ideology
(2019) In Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 45(10). p.1440-1454- Abstract
- This research systematically mapped the relationship between political ideology and receptivity to pseudo-profound bullshit—that is, obscure sentences constructed to impress others rather than convey truth. Among Swedish adults (N = 985), bullshit receptivity was (a) robustly positively associated with socially conservative (vs. liberal) self-placement, resistance to change, and particularly binding moral intuitions (loyalty, authority, purity), (b) associated with centrism on preference for equality and even leftism (when controlling for other aspects of ideology) on economic ideology self-placement, and (c) lowest among right-of-center social liberal voters and highest among left-wing green voters. Most of the results held up when we... (More)
- This research systematically mapped the relationship between political ideology and receptivity to pseudo-profound bullshit—that is, obscure sentences constructed to impress others rather than convey truth. Among Swedish adults (N = 985), bullshit receptivity was (a) robustly positively associated with socially conservative (vs. liberal) self-placement, resistance to change, and particularly binding moral intuitions (loyalty, authority, purity), (b) associated with centrism on preference for equality and even leftism (when controlling for other aspects of ideology) on economic ideology self-placement, and (c) lowest among right-of-center social liberal voters and highest among left-wing green voters. Most of the results held up when we controlled for perceived profundity of genuine aphorisms, cognitive reflection, numeracy, information processing bias, gender, age, education, religiosity, and spirituality. The results are supportive of theoretical accounts that posit ideological asymmetries in cognitive orientation, while also pointing to the existence of bullshit receptivity among both right- and left-wingers. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/7d3b0b76-5bdf-4339-9235-673e9aafb3e0
- author
- Nilsson, Artur LU ; ERLANDSSON, ARVID LU and Västfjäll, Daniel
- organization
- publishing date
- 2019-03-18
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- bullshit receptivity, political ideology, cognitive style, ideological asymmetry, moral foundations
- in
- Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
- volume
- 45
- issue
- 10
- pages
- 1440 - 1454
- publisher
- SAGE Publications
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:85063138463
- pmid:30879398
- ISSN
- 0146-1672
- DOI
- 10.1177/0146167219830415
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 7d3b0b76-5bdf-4339-9235-673e9aafb3e0
- date added to LUP
- 2018-12-22 02:13:12
- date last changed
- 2025-04-04 15:14:01
@article{7d3b0b76-5bdf-4339-9235-673e9aafb3e0,
abstract = {{This research systematically mapped the relationship between political ideology and receptivity to pseudo-profound bullshit—that is, obscure sentences constructed to impress others rather than convey truth. Among Swedish adults (N = 985), bullshit receptivity was (a) robustly positively associated with socially conservative (vs. liberal) self-placement, resistance to change, and particularly binding moral intuitions (loyalty, authority, purity), (b) associated with centrism on preference for equality and even leftism (when controlling for other aspects of ideology) on economic ideology self-placement, and (c) lowest among right-of-center social liberal voters and highest among left-wing green voters. Most of the results held up when we controlled for perceived profundity of genuine aphorisms, cognitive reflection, numeracy, information processing bias, gender, age, education, religiosity, and spirituality. The results are supportive of theoretical accounts that posit ideological asymmetries in cognitive orientation, while also pointing to the existence of bullshit receptivity among both right- and left-wingers.}},
author = {{Nilsson, Artur and ERLANDSSON, ARVID and Västfjäll, Daniel}},
issn = {{0146-1672}},
keywords = {{bullshit receptivity; political ideology; cognitive style; ideological asymmetry; moral foundations}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{03}},
number = {{10}},
pages = {{1440--1454}},
publisher = {{SAGE Publications}},
series = {{Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin}},
title = {{The complex relation between receptivity to pseudo-profound bullshit and political ideology}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0146167219830415}},
doi = {{10.1177/0146167219830415}},
volume = {{45}},
year = {{2019}},
}