Muscular
men prefer an unequal society
Aarhus University
Men with large
upper-bodies have a tendency to favour inequality in society and a limited
redistribution of resources.
This is the conclusion drawn by Professor Michael Bang Petersen and Associate Professor Lasse Laustsen from the Department of Political Science in a study published in the journal, Political Psychology.
This is the conclusion drawn by Professor Michael Bang Petersen and Associate Professor Lasse Laustsen from the Department of Political Science in a study published in the journal, Political Psychology.
"The results
challenge the belief that our political views are formed by logic and reason
alone. Instead, our views seemingly reflect intuitions produced by a Stone Age
mind," says Michael Bang Petersen.
Modern man thinks with
his caveman brain
The new study concerns
humans, but takes a theoretical starting point in one of the most
well-documented findings in the study of animals: Physical strength shapes the
conflict behaviour of animals.
If animals are larger and stronger than their rivals, they are prone to attempt to assert themselves in the struggle for status and resources.
However, if they are weaker than their rivals, they are likely to withdraw from the conflict. According to the latest research results from Aarhus BSS, the same logic applies to modern men when they reason about political conflicts about the redistribution of resources in society.
If animals are larger and stronger than their rivals, they are prone to attempt to assert themselves in the struggle for status and resources.
However, if they are weaker than their rivals, they are likely to withdraw from the conflict. According to the latest research results from Aarhus BSS, the same logic applies to modern men when they reason about political conflicts about the redistribution of resources in society.
"This logic was
adaptive under the conditions of our hunter-gatherer ancestors, as stronger men
here would have been able to secure resources on their own. But it's an
irrational way of dealing with modern day political resource conflicts. Today,
physical strength is highly unlikely to affect how big a share of society's
resources you are able to acquire. However, our data shows that physical
strength nonetheless continues to affect men's political attitudes towards
redistribution," says Lasse Laustsen.
According to the researchers, the new results may help explain the paradox of why some men with limited financial resources still favour financial inequality although they would in fact benefit from a greater redistribution of resources.
"Our analysis
suggests that these men expects to be able to rise in the hierarchy on their
own. And once they reach the top of the hierarchy, an unequal society will
increase their chances of maintaining that position," says Laustsen.
No link between
women's physical strength and attitudes
The study involves
both men and women, but when it comes to women there is no link between
physical strength and political attitudes.
According to the researchers, this complies with the assumption that our approach to modern politics is regulated by ancestral human instincts.
Just like other male animals, men have used their physical strength to achieve status, while throughout evolution, women have developed other strategies that take their lower physical strength into account.
According to the researchers, this complies with the assumption that our approach to modern politics is regulated by ancestral human instincts.
Just like other male animals, men have used their physical strength to achieve status, while throughout evolution, women have developed other strategies that take their lower physical strength into account.
"For that reason,
the fact that the correlation is not found in women is an important result in
itself," says Petersen.
The researchers
believe that their results emphasise the value of involving animal behaviour
and the theory of evolution in the study of political behaviour.
"It's important
knowledge if we wish to understand how our political attitudes are formed. They
are not just based on reason. Our intuitions are adapted to a different
environment than the one we live in today. Our skulls house a Stone Age mind,
and we need to appreciate that we are just one animal species among a host of
others. Also in our approach to modern politics," says Laustsen.
Attitudes and physical
strength -- what affects what?
The researchers cannot
say with absolute certainty that the effect is purely one-way -- from physical
strength to political attitude. The effect can also go the other way.
"We cannot rule
out that men with right-wing attitudes are also more prone to go to the gym.
That being said, however, there are strong indications that attitudes are
actually shaped by physical strength and not the other way round," says
Petersen.
Previous research has
shown that men become more aggressive as their physical strength increases.
Other studies have shown that there is a correlation between men's physical strength and their attitudes towards inequality even when exercise habits are taken into account.
In addition, the new study includes an experiment conducted among a group of men who trained their upper-bodies for two months. During this period, these men became more positive towards inequality.
Other studies have shown that there is a correlation between men's physical strength and their attitudes towards inequality even when exercise habits are taken into account.
In addition, the new study includes an experiment conducted among a group of men who trained their upper-bodies for two months. During this period, these men became more positive towards inequality.
Largest study so far
and most reliable results
The study builds on
data from 6,349 people of different nationalities. 1,875 of the respondents are
Danish, and the rest are Belarussians residing in Lithuania, Americans,
Venezuelans, Ukrainians and Poles.
The data was collected between 2012 and 2017. During this period, when conducting studies on various political attitudes, the researchers also measured and asked respondents about their physical strength.
The data was collected between 2012 and 2017. During this period, when conducting studies on various political attitudes, the researchers also measured and asked respondents about their physical strength.
"Now we have
gathered this data in one overall analysis. This also enabled us to revisit
studies that I have conducted previously," says Petersen.
Previous studies have
explored the correlation between men's physical strength and their attitude
towards the level of equality in society. However, the results pointed in
different directions.
In a former study, Michael Bang Petersen found that physical strength only increased support towards inequality among wealthy men, while it decreased support for inequality among men of limited financial means.
In a former study, Michael Bang Petersen found that physical strength only increased support towards inequality among wealthy men, while it decreased support for inequality among men of limited financial means.
"This study
builds on a much larger data set, and our measurement of physical strength is
more objective than in the previous study. In an international context, this is
the most comprehensive study of its kind, and it shows a consistent positive
correlation between men's physical strength and their attitude towards
inequality," says Petersen, who apart from his position at Aarhus BSS is
also affiliated with the interdisciplinary Aarhus Institute of Advanced
Studies.
The data comes from 12
studies that have applied a variety of methods. Some studies relied on questionnaires
and participants were asked to evaluate their own strength compared to others
of the same sex. Other studies were conducted in the laboratory and researchers
were able to obtain objective measures of, for example, chest strength and
handgrip strength.
"The objective
laboratory studies actually show a stronger correlation between physical
strength and political attitudes than the respondents' own subjective
evaluations. This supports that raw physical strength is indeed the decisive
factor," Laustsen concludes.