Friendly foxholes, and why conservatives are happier people
Surprising insights from the social sciences
DOES IT TAKE a village? Is America a shining city upon a hill? The answer might be yes, according to new research. Two psychologists had an actor make an audio recording of two versions of FDR's famous 1933 inaugural address. The first version was essentially the original, but scrubbed of phrases and references likely to reveal the identity of the speech. The second version took the first version and replaced every word or phrase that evoked imagery with less evocative language. College students were then randomly assigned to hear either the high- or low-imagery version. The version with the original imagery was considered more charismatic, in part because it inspired positive emotions. The use of imagery helped the parts of the speech that discussed problems sound less depressing, and the parts that discussed solutions sound more inspiring.
Naidoo, L. and Lord, R., "Speech Imagery and Perceptions of Charisma: The Mediating Role of Positive Affect," Leadership Quarterly (June 2008).
AS GAS PRICES go up, many people are wishing they lived closer to work, school, or the mall. Of course, the fact that we have relied on automobile transportation for so long is surely the problem. Or is it? Using government statistics, an economist estimated the sensitivity of urban sprawl to changes in various socioeconomic factors, including car ownership. He found that, even if the fraction of car-owning households is reduced by 10 percent, sprawl would be cut by only around half a percent. At this rate, the cost of incentives or regulations to limit car ownership is likely to overwhelm any benefit from reducing sprawl.
Wassmer, R., "Causes of Urban Sprawl in the United States: Auto Reliance as Compared to Natural Evolution, Flight from Blight, and Local Revenue Reliance," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management (Summer 2008).
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IT'S SAID THAT there are no atheists in foxholes. Perhaps it should also be said that a foxhole is friendlier for a band of brothers. Two economists examined government records of thousands of Union Army soldiers who were subsequently granted disability and old-age pensions. The records included data on the soldier, his military unit, and the medical evaluation for his pension. The authors found that soldiers whose units faced higher battlefield mortality rates - and thus stress - experienced higher mortality rates in old age. However, this effect was attenuated for soldiers who served in more tight-knit units, particularly units whose soldiers grew up in the same area and were about the same age.
Costa, D. and Kahn, M., "Health, Stress, and Social Networks: Evidence from Union Army Veterans," National Bureau of Economic Research (June 2008).
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RECENT SURVEYS HAVE indicated that conservatives, on average, report being happier than liberals. Two psychologists wanted to know why, so they re-analyzed data from several large national and international surveys. The conservative-happiness relationship was not explained by differences in demographics or thoughtfulness but was largely explained by conservatives' greater rationalization of inequality, including belief in a meritocratic world. According to the authors, such beliefs serve a "palliative function" or act as an "emotional buffer" when confronted with inequality. The same was true overseas, especially in countries with lower standards of living. Moreover, the authors found that the happiness gap between liberals and conservatives in the United States has widened over the last three decades as inequality has increased here.
Napier, J. and Jost, J., "Why Are Conservatives Happier Than Liberals?" Psychological Science (June 2008).
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WHILE DIFFERENCES IN talent explain at least some of the gap between haves and have-nots, two economists at MIT and Harvard think another factor is also at work. They theorize that the ability to dedicate yourself to work - and not worry about problems at home - has an amplified effect on your productivity and, thus, your income. This can happen simply because a higher income allows you to more easily accommodate or outsource many of the hassles of home life, which then sets up a virtuous cycle of more dedication to work, more productivity, more income, easier home life, more dedication to work, etc. Conversely, to the extent that you cannot dedicate yourself completely to work, you may find yourself in a poverty trap. This explains some of the nation's income disparity, the authors say, but it can also explain some of the gap between the developed and developing world.
Banerjee, A. and Mullainathan, S., "Limited Attention and Income Distribution," American Economic Review (May 2008).
Kevin Lewis is a columnist for Ideas. He can be reached at kevin.lewis.ideas@gmail.com.
