Cortisol and politics: Variance in voting behavior is predicted by baseline cortisol levels

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dc.citation.firstpage61en_US
dc.citation.journalTitlePhysiology & Behavioren_US
dc.citation.lastpage67en_US
dc.citation.volumeNumber133en_US
dc.contributor.authorFrench, Jeffrey A.en_US
dc.contributor.authorSmith, Kevin B.en_US
dc.contributor.authorAlford, John R.en_US
dc.contributor.authorGuck, Adamen_US
dc.contributor.authorBirnie, Andrew K.en_US
dc.contributor.authorHibbing, John R.en_US
dc.date.accessioned2015-07-08T19:59:45Zen_US
dc.date.available2015-07-08T19:59:45Zen_US
dc.date.issued2014en_US
dc.description.abstractParticipation in electoral politics is affected by a host of social and demographics variables, but there is growing evidence that biological predispositions may also play a role in behavior related to political involvement. We examined the role of individual variation in hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) stress axis parameters in explaining differences in self-reported and actual participation in political activities. Self-reported political activity, religious participation, and verified voting activity in U.S. national elections were collected from 105 participants, who were subsequently exposed to a standardized (nonpolitical) psychosocial stressor. We demonstrated that lower baseline salivary cortisol in the late afternoon was significantly associated with increased actual voting frequency in six national elections, but not with self-reported non-voting political activity. Baseline cortisol predicted significant variation in voting behavior above and beyond variation accounted for by traditional demographic variables (particularly age of participant in our sample). Participation in religious activity was weakly (and negatively) associated with baseline cortisol. Our results suggest that HPA-mediated characteristics of social, cognitive, and emotional processes may exert an influence on a trait as complex as voting behavior, and that cortisol is a better predictor of actual voting behavior, as opposed to self-reported political activity.en_US
dc.identifier.citationFrench, Jeffrey A., Smith, Kevin B., Alford, John R., et al.. "Cortisol and politics: Variance in voting behavior is predicted by baseline cortisol levels." <i>Physiology & Behavior,</i> 133, (2014) Elsevier: 61-67. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.05.004.en_US
dc.identifier.doihttp://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.05.004en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1911/80845en_US
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.publisherElsevieren_US
dc.rightsThis is an author's peer-reviewed final manuscript, as accepted by the publisher. The published article is copyrighted by Elsevier.en_US
dc.subject.keywordcortisolen_US
dc.subject.keywordstressen_US
dc.subject.keywordpoliticsen_US
dc.subject.keywordvoting behavioren_US
dc.titleCortisol and politics: Variance in voting behavior is predicted by baseline cortisol levelsen_US
dc.typeJournal articleen_US
dc.type.dcmiTexten_US
dc.type.publicationpost-printen_US
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