14 Psychological Reasons for Trump Support

[anaturalwoman]

I've made a partial summary of this article, the first attempt I've seen to list ALL the reasons for avid Trump support. Worth the time, sorry the transferring here created underlines and color I can't get rid of. Blessings, Marcia


https://www.rawstory.com/2018/11/complete-psychological-analysis-reveals-14-key-traits-explain-trump-supporters/

by Bobby Azarian, neuroscientist affiliated with George Mason University and a freelance journalist.

1. Practicality Trumps Morality
   
   
   
   1. The Brain’s Attention System Is More Strongly Engaged by Trump
   2. America’s Obsession with Entertainment and Celebrities
      
      
      
      1. “Some Men Just Want to Watch the World Burn.”
      2. The Fear-Factor: Conservatives Are More Sensitive to Threat

A brain-imaging study published in Current Biology revealed that those who lean right politically tend to have a larger amygdala — a structure that is electrically active during states of fear and anxiety...These brain responses are automatic, and not influenced by logic or reason

6. The Power of Mortality Reminders and Perceived Existential Threat
Terror Management Theory predicts that when people are reminded of their own mortality, which happens with fear mongering, they will more strongly defend those who share their worldviews and national or ethnic identity, and act out more aggressively towards those who do not...Not only do death reminders increase nationalism, they influence actual voting habits in favor of more conservative presidential candidates. And more disturbingly, in a study with American students, scientists found that making mortality salient increased support for extreme military interventions

7.The Dunning-Kruger Effect: Humans Often Overestimate Their Political Expertise
The Dunning-Kruger effect explains that the problem isn’t just that they are misinformed; it’s that they are completely unaware that they are misinformed, which creates a double burden... “The knowledge and intelligence that are required to be good at a task are often the same qualities needed to recognize that one is not good at that task

8.Relative Deprivation — A Misguided Sense of Entitlement
This kind of deprivation is specifically referred to as “relative,” as opposed to “absolute,” because the feeling is often based on a skewed perception of what one is entitled to.

9.Lack of Exposure to Dissimilar Others
2016 study found that “…the racial and ethnic isolation of Whites at the zip-code level is one of the strongest predictors of Trump support.”

1. Trump’s Conspiracy Theories Target the Mentally Vulnerable
   The link between schizotypy and belief in conspiracy theories is well-established...Donald Trump and his media allies target these people directly. All one has to do is visit alt-right websites and discussion boards to see the evidence for such manipulation.
   
   1. Trump Taps into the Nation’s Collective Narcissism
      unrealistic shared belief in the greatness of one’s national group. It often occurs when a group who believes it represents the ‘true identity’ of a nation — the ‘ingroup,’ in this case White Americans — perceives itself as being disadvantaged compared to outgroups who are getting ahead of them ‘unrightfully.’ This psychological phenomenon is related to relative deprivation (#6)...Where individual narcissism causes aggressiveness toward other individuals, collective narcissism involves negative attitudes and aggression toward ‘outsider’ groups (outgroups), who are perceived as threats...

referring to his supporters, an overwhelmingly white group, as being “true patriots” or “real Americans,” he promotes a brand of populism that is the epitome of “identity politics,” a term that is usually associated with the political left. Left-wing identity politics, as misguided as they may sometimes be, are generally aimed at achieving equality, while the right-wing brand is based on a belief that one nationality and race is superior or entitled to success and wealth for no other reason than identity.

1. The Desire to Want to Dominate Others
   Social dominance orientation (SDO) — which is distinct but related to authoritarian personality syndrome (#13) — refers to people who have a preference for the societal hierarchy of groups
   
   1. Authoritarian Personality Syndrome

Authoritarianism refers to the advocacy or enforcement of strict obedience to authority at the expense of personal freedom, and is commonly associated with a lack of concern for the opinions or needs of others. Authoritarian personality syndrome ...

Those with the syndrome often display aggression toward outgroup members, submissiveness to authority, resistance to new experiences, and a rigid hierarchical view of society. The syndrome is often triggered by fear, making it easy for leaders who exaggerate threat or fear monger to gain their allegiance...Although authoritarian personality is found among liberals, it is more common among the right-wing around the world

14.Racism and Bigotry
While the dog whistles of the past were subtler, Trump’s signaling is sometimes shockingly direct