Why voters are irrational

In my hubs on Scientific Spirituality I outlined various drivers of irrational behaviour. Here I will look at how they affect political behaviour. If we are aware of these drivers when listening to our politicians, whether the chairman of the school governors or a candidate for the US presidency we should be able to make a more rational assessment of the person and policies. But probably won't because the drivers of tribalism and peer pressure will still be in force

Politicians tend not to say what they will do for you, but focus on the damage their opponents will do to you. This is using your loss aversion against you. A classic example of this was the brilliant if mendacious spin by which the British Labour party turned the Tory opposition's promise of tax cuts (a gain for all) into a threat of job cuts as a result of reduced government spending   (a loss for some).

When politician A talks of the adverse effects of the policies of opponents, listen to their opponents talking the defects of A's proposals. Then use the brain you were born with and analyse the situation for yourself. And do not just listen to what you want to hear. Pay special attention to what you disagree with. Sometimes it is right

The public like politicians who are seen as sticking to their guns, i.e the public values commitment. A politician who publicly said “I used to advocate this, but more careful thought leads me to realise I was wrong” would not gain votes for honesty and integrity, but be pilloried for inconsistency and lack of principles. When you listen to a politician think that some of what he is saying is driven by commitment: His commitment and the public love of commitment.

Would you elect a man or woman who campaigns in a business suit and looks wealthy or one who is always seen in Teeshirt and Levis? Value attribution, judging a book by its cover, is what leads people to discount what a scientist says while listening to his manager who is paid ten times as much but doesn't know what they are talking about and discount the manager's words when faced with a politician.

The old saying “A king can spread a lie much more easily than a beggar can spread the truth” describes much of the role of value attribution in politics. When you find yourself swayed by a smooth talker and dismissing his opponent who talks slowly and haltingly rememebr that the opponent may be thinking more deeply and thoroughly and a stupid person may seem brave because they cannot see the risks and dangers (Certain personality types are prone to this even if intelligent) and decisive because they can see only one option and do not see its disadvantages.

In Basketball a player's order in the NBA draft pick determines their future playing career more than any other factor. Now imagine the talk show where the host first introduces the politician in office then an opponent. You immediately trust the first person introduced and the first one to speak as more truthful ad reliable than the other. You diagnose the reliability of each speaker and from then on you automatically censor what is said to match your diagnosis. You are committed (commitment remember) to being right.

Remember the power of language: emotive words can sway you and a single word can cause you to dismiss a whole argument.

The students who got one of two almost identical biographies of a replacement lecturer, the only difference being that in one set of biographies the words "warm person" were replaced by "cold person" and student ratings were completely different depending on which version of the biography they got show this sway.

Remember the power of peer pressure. When everyone is telling you something that is obviously wrong you will end denying the evidence of your senses unless there is a dissenter around who empowers you to believe yourself not others.

Here I have covered the most important drivers of irrationality in our assessment of politicians but we have to remember that they too are subject to these drivers. Like you they are human. The Chameleon effect whereby people tend to take on hte characteristics attributed to them means we should assume the best of them while practicality means we need to check their behaviour.