Thanks to the Creative Class blog for posting about fascinating research being done at Cambridge on geography and personality traits. The study, led by Jason Rentfrow (Cambridge University), finds that personality traits are cluster by region, sort of a twist on the idea of the Big Sort.
The maps reinforce predictable stereotypes of Americans geographic regions. Northeasterners are more neurotic on average, Californians are more open to new experiences and midwesterners and southerners are more conscientious.
Given the incessant discussions of the presidential campaign, I can’t help but wonder how these data track with supoort for the candidates. The Real Clear Politics electoral map suggest that conscientious, extroverted agreeable states are going for McCain over Obama while neurotic, open to experience states are going for Obama. Looking at the electorate this way might help shed light on why the Democratic party struggles against Republicans. Republicans resonate with agreeable, conscientious people to the extent that the Republicans offer an optimistic, uncritical, assessment of the country. To the extent that the Democrats frame the election as based on “fixing problems” they run up against the predispositions among people in vast swaths of the country that are more comfortable with optimistic political messaging.
I don’t know that I buy these categories as exhaustive of the range of personality traits, but they do give pause as we reflect on the massive choice facing us in 55 days.
Comments 3
Greg Wallis — September 19, 2008
Blog Response
If Senator Obama is elected as President of the United States, not only will it not help inter racial relations I believe that it has a possibility to weaken these relations. With the media making this election all about race I think we as a people are going to start to notice race more and associate all of Senator Obama’s ideas and policies with African American morals. Every time Senator Obama backs a policy that helps a certain group of people it will be spun by the media that this is all because of race. I don’t believe race has anything to do with either of Obama’s or McCain’s decisions however with the media making it such a big deal I think the general public will view a lot of Obama’s decisions as racial beliefs and have the potential to harbor ill feelings between races.
terri — September 23, 2008
McCain is a liar and a traitor to the pow's he is also weakminded and flip flops.
hankabilly — January 1, 2009
While the map may hold true in general in a universe standing still, all the characteristics measure belong to each of us and to each of us have varying value. I rather think of these characteristics as my personal toolbox to help me better control my own destiny whether falling into one category or not. Sometimes individuals vote outside the box politically or in general choices made. After eight years of warring and trying to define what the warring is for and the final economic pummeling to the middle class and below, maybe a lot of right leaning voters took a closer look at what might best promote their survival and the future of their childred.