I thought that this might interest some of you in this most political of seasons. The short version of the researchers' answer to the question (in the subject line) is that conservatives have constructed justifications that render them relatively immune to the distress caused by the problem of economic inequality.
Chris Green York U. Toronto -------- Original Message -------- Subject: Why Conservatives are Happier Than Liberals Date: Thu, 04 Sep 2008 11:00:56 -0500 From: Wiley-Blackwell <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Christopher Green <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> / / / <http://dmmsclick.wiley.com/click.asp?p=5868843&m=12230&u=171285>/ / *Psychological Science * <http://dmmsclick.wiley.com/click.asp?p=5868843&m=12230&u=171285> / /Edited by: Robert V. Kail / / / / <http://dmmsclick.wiley.com/click.asp?p=5868843&m=12230&u=171287>/ / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / <http://dmmsclick.wiley.com/click.asp?p=5868843&m=12230&u=171285> Why Are Conservatives Happier Than Liberals? By Jaime L. Napier and John T. Jost *Click here <http://dmmsclick.wiley.com/click.asp?p=5868843&m=12230&u=171329> for free access to this article from /Psychological Science/!** * ------------------------------------------------------------------------ In this study, researchers drew on system-justification theory and the notion that conservative ideology serves a palliative function to explain why conservatives are happier than liberals. Specifically, in three studies using nationally representative data from the United States and nine additional countries, researchers found that right-wing (vs. left-wing) orientation is indeed associated with greater subjective well-being and that the relation between political orientation and subjective well-being is mediated by the rationalization of inequality. In a third study, they found that increasing economic inequality (as measured by the Gini index) from 1974 to 2004 has exacerbated the happiness gap between liberals and conservatives, apparently because conservatives (more than liberals) possess an ideological buffer against the negative hedonic effects of economic inequality. *Read the full article now on Wiley Interscience <http://dmmsclick.wiley.com/click.asp?p=5868843&m=12230&u=171288>. * *About /Psychological Science/* With an impact factor of 4.25 and a ranking of 6/102 in Multidisciplinary Psychology by the ISI, */Psychological Science <http://dmmsclick.wiley.com/click.asp?p=5868843&m=12230&u=171289>/* is a leader in its field. The flagship journal of the Association for Psychological Science <http://dmmsclick.wiley.com/click.asp?p=5868843&m=12230&u=171290> (previously the American Psychological Society), the journal publishes authoritative articles of interest across all of psychological science, including brain and behavior, clinical science, cognition, learning and memory, social psychology, and developmental psychology. *Wiley-Blackwell wishes the APS a Happy 20th Anniversary! * <http://dmmsclick.wiley.com/click.asp?p=5868843&m=12230&u=171290> ------------------------------------------------------------------------ This message was sent to [EMAIL PROTECTED] If you would rather not receive future messages from us, unsubscribe at any time by clicking here <http://dmmsclick.wiley.com/click.asp?p=5868843&m=12230&u=171291>. You may also review our Privacy Policy at www.wiley.com/privacy <http://dmmsclick.wiley.com/click.asp?p=5868843&m=12230&u=171292>. Visit our Help <http://dmmsclick.wiley.com/click.asp?p=5868843&m=12230&u=171293> page to find information on ordering, shipping/returns, your account, journal subscriptions, mailing lists and RSS feeds. You may also visit our Contact Us <http://dmmsclick.wiley.com/click.asp?p=5868843&m=12230&u=171294> page to find a contact for additional assistance with a related product or service. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. | The Atrium, Southern Gate, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 8SQ, UK Tel: +44 (0)1243 779777 | Fax: +44 (0)1243 775878 | Registered Number: 641132 England John Wiley & Sons, Inc. | 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ, 07030, USA Tel: 201.748.6000 | Fax: 201.748.6088 Web site: www.wiley.com <http://dmmsclick.wiley.com/click.asp?p=5868843&m=12230&u=171295> Copyright �� All rights reserved. EB525 --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
