davidbau.com Kids, Psychology, Politics

Kids, Psychology, Politics

Do your nursery school teachers describe your four year old as "independent", "self-reliant", and "resourceful?" When old enough to vote, your little one will lean left.

Or are your kids coming home with notes about "anxiousness," "readiness to feel guilty," or being "immobilized when under stress?" Kiddie is likely a future conservative.

From Jack and Jeanne Block's venerable 1969 personality study of 128 nursery-school children comes a new analysis of adult political leanings 20 years later. It is an amazing read.

There is no such thing as a perfectly-controlled psychology study. Still, it is surprising that correlation of anything with the childhood personality signals can be so strong after 20 years of life.

Democrats should probably start trying to add budget line items to invest in psychological health for preschool kids. 20 years can pass by quickly when you're not in power.

Posted by David at March 23, 2006 02:27 PM

Yeah, true, the study is just as likely to be telling us something about the development of non-conformists as it is about politics.

But still an interesting study.

Posted by: David at March 26, 2006 08:48 AM

Odd that the authors discount the location of Berkely as not a factor, since Berkley has a large population of liberally minded non-conformists. I would be suprised if the study indicated anything else. I would agree with the previous blogger that a conservative would feel out of place and anxious so no suprises here. Would be more interesting if this study took place in a neutral environment, or if the converse took place in a conservative area like Orange county. I think the study is more about the non-conformists than a conservative or liberal; and this study on politics was more of self-fulfilling prophecy.

Posted by: George at August 6, 2006 11:44 PM

Resurrecting an old thread here, when I read the article, I recalled the Berkley study. Here is the counter study indicating I may be happier soon -- as soon as I get old :) http://www.livescience.com/culture/090515-happiness-age.html

Posted by: Roger at May 18, 2009 11:27 AM