ScienCovery December 2013 | Page 6

The study found out that the numerate members despite their political groups, got the answers right. This means for this specific topic, participants were able to deal with numbers and the problems they faced weren’t because of a conflict between the results and their beliefs but because of simple a mathematical ability. They didn’t care about the result because it’s indifferent to them, their political views couldn’t be applied in this case. However, it wasn’t the case for the second group evaluating the efficiency of a law.

When simply the title of the problem in front of them was changed going from skin cream to the effectiveness of the law forbidding hand guns, the results changed. The political patterns were visible in their answers. When the numbers suggested that the ban of handguns will decrease crime rates, almost all Democrats did it right. However, when they were working with other numbers suggesting the opposite, they didn’t do quite well. That’s because the first response would strongly support their beliefs. Same goes for Republicans, they solved the numbers when it suggested that the ban of guns didn’t work and were stuck when it suggest otherwise.

In addition, it was found that the liberals and conservatives were more likely to be blurred out and controlled by their political views. In other words, their reasoning was more vulnerable than those with less mathematic ability.

It was believed that the people with more knowledge are always smarter and know how to reason better but this study shows something else. If you’re more knowledgeable you’ll then be able to discuss issues such as climate change, evolution etc. However, people are blinded by their beliefs and political biases. As Kahan said in an interview: “If the people who have the greatest capacities are the ones most prone to this, that’s reason to believe that the problem isn’t some kind of deficit in comprehension.”

It is now confirmed that political views can narrow your thinking and prevent you from thinking clearly. Maybe after all politics and math don’t mix. Maybe after all, politicians aren’t taking decisions based on calculations and reasoning but because they are flowing with their political beliefs and interests.

Reason is a “slave of the passions.” -David Hume, theScottish Enlightenment professor.

6