I am becoming very interested in neuropolitics and how Republicans think. It is 100% different from Democratic voters. Republicans have a more active right amygdala than Democrats. The right amygdala is more strongly associated with negative emotions such as fear and sadness. The left amygdala has been associated with both positive and negative emotional responses. Democratic voters are comfortable with nuance and change. Republican voters strongly respond to fear and want stability and clarity.
Conservatism and the neural circuitry of threat
Conservative and Liberal Brains Might Have Some Real Differences
Republicans more strongly activate their right amygdala
There are a ton of articles on neuropolitics going back more than a decade. The findings are extremely consistent. If you want to speak to Republicans, you need to be clear, specific without nuance, and evoke fear of instability. These neuropolitics findings are replicated in behavioral psychology studies.
The psychology of political messaging
Red, blue and purple states of mind: Segmenting the political marketplace
Something I learned that was extremely interesting to me is that Republicans respond better to nouns. This is consistent with neuropolitics because nouns are specific without nuance. Democratic voters and candidates are better saying things like, “Republican policies disrupt your family and transform your freedoms,” becomes more powerful than, “protecting reproductive rights.” In the first sentence, there is a specific reference, the language is about disrupting lives, and there are nouns.
This research leads me to believe Democratic candidates can win through persuasion if they understand, and act with the knowledge, that Republican brains process information differently.