Public Opinion and Evolved Heuristics
The Role of Category-Based Inference
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12822939 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Michael Bang Petersen (0000-0002-6782-5635, Aarhus University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2009 |
| Volume | 9 |
| Issue | 3-4 |
| Pages | 367-389 |
| Publication date | 2009-01-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Cognition and Culture (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1567-7095 • E-ISSN: 1568-5373 |
| Publisher | Brill (PUBLISHER • NL) |
| DOI | 10.1163/156770909x12518536414376 |
| OpenAlex | W2007801447 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 26 |
| References cited | 15 |
Extant research argues that public opinion on modern political issues is a by-product of evolved moral intuitions. However, the structure of modern political debates seems to clash with the input conditions of our moral inference systems. Especially, while we evolved to pass moral judgments on specific and well-known individuals, modern politics is about formulating general laws, applying to whole categories of anonymous strangers. Hence, it is argued that in order to produce opinion on political issues, moral heuristics are required to recruit cognitive systems designed for category-based inference. It is predicted and empirically demonstrated, first, that this interplay is conditioned by the extent to which an individual's stored category-level information (i.e., stereotypes) fit the input conditions of evolved heuristics. Second, that the category-oriented inferences are regulated by a scope syntax, which deactivates their role in public opinion formation to the extent the individual is faced with specific and ecologically valid information. Implications for understanding public opinion on modern political issues are discussed
Epistemology · Extant taxon · Heuristics · Inference · Philosophy of mind · Philosophy of science · Political science · Politics · Public opinion · Sociology · Computer Science · Cultural Differences and Values · Law · Philosophy · Psychology · Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment · Social and Intergroup Psychology · Social Psychology
Evolutionary Theory and Political Behavior
Cognitive systems for revenge and forgiveness
Differences in negativity bias underlie variations in political ideology
Migrants’ Attitudes and the Welfare State
Blurred boundaries
Proximity to the Border and Border Fortifications’ Impact on Immigration Attitudes
Collaboration and socio-economic inequality
Ideology and social cognition
Social cues and ideology
Deservingness versus values in public opinion on welfare
The evolution of war
Libertarian personal responsibility
States in Mind
The evolutionary psychology of small‐scale versus large‐scale politics
Distinct Emotions, Distinct Domains
Crowding Out Culture
Linking Genetics and Political Attitudes
Evolutionary Political Psychology
Who Deserves Help? Evolutionary Psychology, Social Emotions, and Public Opinion about Welfare
Ten Misconceptions Concerning Neurobiology and Politics
A Robin Hood for all
Social Welfare as Small‐Scale Help
Perceptions of Deservingness and the Politicization of Social Insurance
Belief Network Analysis
Explaining large-N cooperation
Stereotypes and welfare attitudes
What Americans know about politics and why it matters
Cooperation and Punishment in Public Goods Experiments
Reconsidering the Rational Public
Explaining culture
Is Anyone Responsible?
Cognitive Adaptations for Social Exchange
Forming impressions from stereotypes, traits, and behaviors
Crime in Biological, Social, and Moral Contexts
Stereotypes as energy-saving devices
Framing Persuasive Appeals
A Simple Theory of the Survey Response
The Origin of Politics
Social cognition
| Unique citing works | 26 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1.63 |
| Citation span | 2010 - 2026 (17) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 26 |