homehome Home chatchat Notifications


This weird physical trait makes liberals vote for Trump and republicans for Biden

New research reveals a surprising connection between pain sensitivity and political views.

Tibi Puiu
January 4, 2024 @ 11:58 pm

share Share

Democrat versus Republic values
Credit: Pew Research.

Researchers at the University of Toronto have uncovered a startling link: heightened pain sensitivity correlates with sympathy for political views typically held by the opposing party. Individuals with increased pain sensitivity were found to be more likely to support and even vote for politicians from the opposing political camp.

For instance, conservatives with this trait were more inclined to vote for Biden over Trump in the 2020 elections. Conversely, liberals with this attribute showed a mirror pattern.

If you’re scratching your head right now, you’re not alone. Even the researchers themselves were dumbfounded by the initial results.

A surprising pattern emerges

“We were honestly not expecting to see this kind of cross-aisle effects of pain sensitivity,” said Professor Spike Lee, an associate professor of marketing at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management.

“When we first found it, we thought it might be a fluke. That’s why we ran a replication study. We found it again. We ran extended replications and follow-up studies. We kept finding it.”

Initially sparked by an experience in his dentist’s chair, Lee’s curiosity led to a series of studies involving over 7,000 participants in the United States. These studies aimed to explore how pain sensitivity influences perceptions of moral and political threats.

The researchers utilized the Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire to gauge each participant’s pain threshold and then examined their political orientations and moral foundations. The results consistently showed a trend where liberals with higher pain sensitivity leaned towards conservative moral values like loyalty and authority, while pain-sensitive conservatives showed greater affinity for traditionally liberal values such as care and fairness.

This pattern extended to endorsement in presidential elections. The research indicated that liberals with heightened pain sensitivity were more inclined to vote for a candidate like Trump. Conversely, pain-sensitive conservatives showed a predisposition towards voting for a candidate like Biden, known for his liberal stance.

Complex perspectives

One may look at these findings and simply conclude that the participants in this trait bracket are simply confused by their political compass. Although they identify as liberal, they might simply be conservative in sentiment — and vice-versa. But that’s not it, says Lee.

“It’s not that their profile of moral sensitivities shifts from ‘only supporting our side’ to ‘only supporting the other side.’ Instead, they tend to be more supportive of both sides’ views,” the researcher said.

In today’s highly polarized American political landscape where voting for the opposing camp is seen as outright heresy, these findings are definitely something to think about. It may be the case that people who more easily experience pain than the general population are more open to ideas, values, and even relationships that are counter to their typical political leanings.

It’s certainly a fresh perspective on the intricate relationship between our physical experiences and political beliefs. This insight could prove useful for political campaigns targeting swing voters — citizens who are on the fence as to which political candidate to vote for.

Most people’s views “are infused with moral feelings, with emotional reactions to what’s right and wrong,” said Prof. Lee. “The better we understand the bases of a person’s moral feelings, the better we can explain and predict their political views.”

The findings appeared in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology: Attitudes and Social Cognition.

share Share

CERN Creates Gold from Lead and There's No Magic, Just Physics

Researchers at CERN have managed to knock enough protons off lead atoms to make gold.

A New AI Tool Can Recreate Your Face Using Nothing But Your DNA

New AI built by Chinese scientists can create 3D faces from DNA with alarming accuracy.

How Some Flowers Evolved the Grossest Stench — and Why Flies Love It

Flowers keep making the same mutation time and time again.

People Living Near Golf Courses Face Double the Risk of Parkinson’s

The strong pesticides sprayed on golf courses leech into the groundwater and scientists suspect this could increase the risk of Parkinson's.

He Let Snakes Bite Him Over 200 Times and Now Scientists Want His Blood for an Universal Antivenom

A universal snakebite treatment may be within reach, thanks to an unlikely human experiment.

These companies want to make hand bags out of T-rex leather. But scientists aren't buying it

A lab-grown leather inspired by dinosaur skin sparks excitement—and scientific skepticism

This car-sized "millipede" was built like a tank — and had the face to go with it

A Carboniferous beast is showing its face.

9 Environmental Stories That Don't Get as Much Coverage as They Should

From whales to soil microbes, our planet’s living systems are fraying in silence.

Scientists Find CBD in a Common Brazilian Shrub That's Not Cannabis

This wild plant grows across South America and contains CBD.

Spruce Trees Are Like Real-Life Ents That Anticipate Solar Eclipse Hours in Advance and Sync Up

Trees sync their bioelectric signals like they're talking to each other.