is this brainwashing?

[roid]

http://bps-research-digest.blogspot.com ... -more.html
(also reported in Nature journal http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v4 ... 14-02.html)

the article title is:
People sensitive to disgust are more likely to hold right-wing views

The title is pretty self-explanatory, it's about a psych research study showing that the prominence of some specific types of feelings of disgust are linked to right-wing political beliefs.

Anyway that's irrespective of the part that i really want to draw attention to. This little outro at the end of the article:

...Hodson told the Digest his lab are testing desensitisation procedures in the hope of reducing prejudice: “If disgust sensitive people are more prejudiced then efforts to reduce disgust sensitivity through systematic desensitisation and related procedures (i.e. presenting participants with basic disgusting stimuli and intergroup disgust stimuli under controlled settings paired with relaxation) should help to reduce prejudice.”

How does that make you feel?
I imagine most people hold their left/right beliefs as an integral part of their identity, so isn't this like some kindof brainwashing?

I mean the line between mental \"illness\" and personal identity is a very grey area, and understandably a very touchy subject!
I don't think i'd like to be desensitised to a lot of the things I'M rather sensitive to (ie: sound, emotions). Although, for some of the things i'm overly sensitive to it would be nice if i could get help. It's hard to think about though, i mean - good and bad it's all a part of who i am as a person right?

[CDN_Merlin]

How someone reacts to something defines who they are. You change that and you are no longer you.

I would stay away from this crap.

Why not just mass produce us in a factory instead and make us what the Gov't wants us to be?????

[CUDA]

not to comment on the study directly. yes it is brain washing. anytime you try to manipulate the thought patterns of an individual it's brain washing.

Mind control (also known as brainwashing, coercive persuasion, mind abuse, thought control, or thought reform) refers to a process in which a group or individual \"systematically uses unethically manipulative methods to persuade others to conform to the wishes of the manipulator(s), often to the detriment of the person being manipulated

[Avder]

If there were very specific aspects of my personlity I could change by brainwashing I would look into it. I would like to be less introverted and more social, for example, but all attempts I have made in that pursuit have ended in failures, headaches, and withdrawls.

[Spidey]

I said this the last time somebody posted this subject…(tc?)

I find it disgusting when people mix science with politics.

The fact that that people even look for topics like this and then post them here, says a lot about that person…or type of person.

[TechPro]

Well, whadda ya know ... When you're right, you're right.

[Sergeant Thorne]

I find it disgusting when people mix science with politics.

The fact that that people even look for topics like this and then post them here, says a lot about that person…or type of person.

x2

That was my thought starting the topic off, but I do appreciate the fact that you are able to equate that with brainwashing, Roid. You're still out of your mind, as a rule, but I think that realization speaks well of you. You ain't a total loss, I don't care what Bettina says about you.

That's some evil, evil stuff.

By the way they're almost describing what happens in various forms of entertainment, to whatever degree.

[Tunnelcat]

I said this the last time somebody posted this subject…(tc?)

I find it disgusting when people mix science with politics.

The fact that that people even look for topics like this and then post them here, says a lot about that person…or type of person.

Yep, I posted that a long time ago. Science and politics are going to mix, it can't be avoided. Political scapegoating or repression is just the emotional reaction to the science. It's just an observation that people with conservative views are more likely to have disgust reactions that a more liberal person may not have. Disgust reactions, to homosexuality or different races for example, are more likely, but not always, found in conservative thinking people. So?

I'm sure this revelation will never change anyone's minds and the mindsets or reactions of conservatives or liberals is not really some mental illness or another, it's just the way people tick, part of our personality. The fine line is when those reactions or personality traits interfere with someone's personal life or the lives of others. It's the job of science to figure out why people think or react the way they do and to NOT be influenced by politics if at all possible. What's wrong with making the observation in the first place? The fact that conservatives react negatively to even the observation is telling. What are they afraid of? Being disgusted of something is not abnormal, but the overreaction is.

[roid]

I said this the last time somebody posted this subject…(tc?)

I find it disgusting when people mix science with politics.

The fact that that people even look for topics like this and then post them here, says a lot about that person…or type of person.

...I find it disgusting...

lol, i literally found it when i was perusing the POLITICS tag on that psychology research blog http://bps-research-digest.blogspot.com ... /Political
It's interesting stuff. You might like the article about economists particularly, coz it challenges MY personal opinions on that subject http://bps-research-digest.blogspot.com ... -with.html

Anyway i don't share your disgust on this matter.
How better to learn about ourselves (and eachother) than via the discipline of acquiring accurate knowledge: Science?

I find it disgusting when people mix science with politics.

The fact that that people even look for topics like this and then post them here, says a lot about that person…or type of person.

Fixed. You're quoting SPIDEY, not me. Please fix this in your post, i'd really hate for someone to mix Spidey and me up.

not to comment on the study directly. yes it is brain washing. anytime you try to manipulate the thought patterns of an individual it's brain washing.

Mind control (also known as brainwashing, coercive persuasion, mind abuse, thought control, or thought reform) refers to a process in which a group or individual "systematically uses unethically manipulative methods to persuade others to conform to the wishes of the manipulator(s), often to the detriment of the person being manipulated

But are we sure this is unethical? It could be just like curing phobias, like a fear of spiders. Infact in the case of curing disgust that's prettymuch EXACTLY what it's like, exposure therapy with gradually and comfortably increasing intensity.
(OCD patients fixated on cleanliness and contamination are routinely helped with this type of therapy)
i suppose it would be unethical to force anything on someone who is refusing treatment. But we do kindof force treatments on some mental health patients already, the nature of it has changed, but it's still done. (ie: afaik psychotic people ARE forcably dosed with antipsychotics, and are institutionalised manic people still forcably dosed with mood stabiliisers? (i can't recall))

Personally i kinda prefer the concepts of neurodiversity (freedom to be mentally different, ie: it's ok to be crazy if you want to) and Cognitive liberty (freedom to control and alter your own consciousness if you want to, ie: drugs).
It would change many aspects of society, as a society we would have to build more legal & technological safeguards into dangerous things/activities like cars/guns. But i think it's worth it for the social and psychological freedoms it would offer all of us. I would basically prefer society to embrace rather than lock away it's miscreants, surely there's a place for all of us humans. (woa this is all kinda a topic for a thread on it's own isn't it)

I know that there is a fringe movement within the deaf community to NOT CURE deafness. They say no to cochlear implants, and it's a particularly thorny issue when deaf children are involved.
Purposefully denying children a life with hearing, just so that they can be a part of their parent's exclusive deaf culture.

There's also the issues brought up in Gattaca dealing with liberal eugenics (ie: eugenics by choice). It's a thorny issue to draw a line between natural diversity and superiority for all who want it. Those who don't want it will inevitably be naturally marginalised to the outskirts of society by the predictablity and measurablity of their inferiority.

In the Transmetropolitan comic amongst the many sealed "Reservations" they had to preserve outdated (or sometimes dangerously experimental) cultures/societies for historic/sociological/entertainment interest, there was a Republican Party Reservation where people could voluntarily drop outof normal society to go to live in. The goings on inside the The Republican Party Reservation were filmed and broadcast outside, and became one of the most popular reality-TV channels around.
http://www.google.com/search?q=transmet ... eservation

Lots of stuff to think and talk about

[Burlyman]

What is it with you people and \"wings\" :P

[CUDA]

What is it with you people and "wings"

Too much Red Bull

[Mjolnir]

Well it goes along with the finding in the U.K. that in conservative brains the area that \"controls\" fear is larger/more active. Explains a lot of the fear based politics they use as well.

[Spidey]

Are you blind, most all modern politics are fear based.

The Republicans are going to nuke the world…

The Republicans are going to starve your grandmother.

The Republicans are going to return the country to slavery…

Real issues….get real.

[Avder]

Dont forget that Liberals want to install Communism in the country.

[Mjolnir]

Are you blind, most all modern politics are fear based.

The Republicans are going to nuke the world…

The Republicans are going to starve your grandmother.

The Republicans are going to return the country to slavery…

Real issues….get real.

That's a bit of an exaggeration don't you think? Just watch the difference in speaking in the Democratic convention and the Republican one in 2004, one is based on where to lead the country... the other is "THE ★■◆●ing TERRORISTS ARE COMING TO BLOW YOU ALL UP, VOTE FOR US"

There's a difference between using some fear in politics, and just simply being completely fear based.

[Spidey]

Talk about exaggeration.

[Mjolnir]

I was paraphrasing is all .