The College Fix

If you often have to scrunch your nose at unpleasant odors, chances are you’re on the right side of the political spectrum … not to mention a proponent of traditional marriage. Cavan Sieczkowski at the Huffington Post explains:

In a new study, titled “Disgust and the Politics of Sex,” published in the journal PLOS One, researchers from the University of Arkansas sought to examine how disgust can be a political causal agent influencing socio-political attitudes and behaviors. Patrick Stewart, Thomas Adams and John Blanchar studied how a disgusting odor can increase political conservatism and decrease support of same-sex marriage. Their work spawned from previous research that showed “heightened disgust sensitivity and reactivity were both negatively related to attitudes towards gay marriage and premarital sex but not significantly related to a range of other political issues (e.g., gun rights, school prayer, immigration).

Interesting. We sometimes hear about things like “environmental racism” where lower income (and often minority) populations have to cope with “smelly” and “noxious” surroundings. This is because their neighborhoods are more likely to be located near pollution-spewing factories and plants. Are these folks typically conservative? Contrariwise, we often hear how the GOP is the “party of the rich.” As such, wouldn’t we expect them to have the means to reside in pleasant-smelling areas?

Something “smells” about this study …

Read the full article here.

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