Another finding from the psychology of thought and emotion

Source: "Random Samples," Science, Volume 326, Number 5956, Issue of 20 November 2009

I quote:

Pollsters know that how they phrase a question can powerfully affect the answers they get. Now researchers have shown that a metaphor people read can influence their opinions in a completely different context.
In a study led by psychologist Mark Landau of the University of Kansas, Lawrence, and colleagues, 69 undergraduates read one of two articles about airborne bacteria. One version stressed bacteria's threats to health.

Then students read an essay about post–Civil War economic growth in the United States. One version was written in neutral language; the other used body-related metaphors, such as "the United States experienced an unprecedented growth spurt and is scurrying to create new laws that will give it a chance to digest" millions of innovations.

Finally, participants were asked whether they agreed with statements about immigration policy. Students who had read the "nation as organism" text were more likely to agree with statements such as "an open immigration policy would have a negative impact on the nation." A control question about the minimum wage showed no difference between the two groups.

The researchers report in the November issue of Psychological Science that the body metaphor affected only students who had first read about harmful bacteria. The students' ethnicity did not affect the results. Psychologist Brian Meier of Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania says it's a "pretty tight" study and adds to evidence that "metaphors are more than just communication devices but reflect the way we think."

Comment: Still another example of the fact that we think with our brains and not just with our "minds". We are not as rational as we might think. JAD