Foul Smells and Conservative Idealogies

 How rational are our political convictions? 

Interesting studies around disgust (disgustology) have shown that our political ideologies may be linked more closely to our gut reactions - to our biology. 

In some experiments (and there have been different iterations of the same), a group of left-wing people were asked to fill in a questionnaire on various topics such as gay rights, immigration and so on. The same group were then exposed to a room that had fake vomit and foul smells, and filled in a similar questionnaire on similar topics, but worded differently so as not to arouse suspicion). This time, their answers were significantly more conservative and aligning more to right-wing ideologies. 

Threat, or disgust, causes us to act in more conservative ways. (Consider this next time you observe right-wing rhetoric). Furthermore,  it seems some people are more biologically sensitive to disgust. 

So perhaps we are not as rational about our convictions as we thought?

Check out this discussion between Russell Brand and Derren Brown on the topic too.