Conservatives and Liberals have Similar Physiological Responses to Threats: Evidence from Three Replications

Abstract

In a path-breaking study, Oxley and colleagues (2008, Science) report that conservatives have stronger physiological responses to threatening stimuli than liberals. This study launched a new paradigm aimed at uncovering the biological roots of ideology. Despite wide-ranging scientific and popular impact, independent laboratories have not replicated the study. We conducted a preregistered direct replication (N=202) and conceptual replications in the United States (N=352) and the Netherlands (N=81). Our analyses do not support the conclusions of the original study, nor do we find evidence for broader claims regarding the effect of disgust and the existence of a physiological trait. Rather than studying unconscious responses as the "real" predispositions, alignment between conscious and unconscious responses promise deeper insights in the emotional roots of ideology.