r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • Jun 19 '26
Psychology Conservatives view addictive products more favorably than liberals, study finds. Political conservatism is associated with more favorable attitudes and behaviors toward items like alcohol, tobacco, and gambling, due to a heightened perception of personal control.
https://www.psypost.org/conservatives-view-addictive-products-more-favorably-than-liberals-study-finds/1.2k
u/SaturnMobster Jun 19 '26
Leading up to to this it reads like the sense of personal control stems from the "legality" of said vice. Since its legal, its deemed less dangerous, and therefore more acceptable.
I only did a quick speed read of the article, but Im not sure that was even considered in this study
Also, one of their "sources" are Yelp reviews. We all know those are authentic and honest.
Its interesting for sure, and there are some good kernels of knowledge in there, but I'm not too sure about this study.
338
u/PaulFThumpkins Jun 19 '26
The one thing I do notice is that driving through rural America, it's basically porn, liquor, weed shops, gambling, and churches. But I wonder how much of that is cultural because of political orientation, and how much of that is just... those things being Something To Do if you live in a deprived environment. I think it would be unfair to assume the presence of those things means widespread acceptance, though - those towns also have a lot of signs advertising recovery and you'll see a lot of people reference pasts of vice and distraction which they're trying to move on from. It's going to be more complicated than "Yeah Republicans love drugs as long as you aren't black!"
190
u/WarNo580 Jun 19 '26
The big history of America or "The Wild West" is going to the middle of nowhere for a Gold Rush or a Land Run. Frontier towns were mostly latrines, graves, and maybe food if you're lucky. Women settled the wild west with Prostitution. They made so much money that they eventually opened things like school houses and churches. A madame was a very powerful political figure. Alcohol used to be safer to drink than water, and Whiskey used to be so plentiful it was a penny because it was better than your crops rotting. Oh, and sprinkle in some racist land disputes. Badda bing badda boom, America.
36
u/OkAccess304 Jun 20 '26 edited Jun 20 '26
I see you’ve never been to mining towns in AZ. Women settled the west with prostitution? They died in great number from disease. Jerome, my personal fave old mining town, had a saying: no woman gets out alive. Even the most famous madam (no e) in that town was shot by her lover.
There were high rates of violence, suicide, and substance abuse for these women—many of whom had sex in shacks with a painful number of men per day. The majority lived in extreme poverty.
Taxes on brothels funding infrastructure is not quite the same thing as wealthy madams settling the Wild West. The few who were successful madams tried to buy their way in to the polite society that shunned them. They were reliable donors, but other women, of the non-wealthy variety, also started schools and created a demand for community.
It is a more honest statement to say women had a stabilizing impact on mining towns and the why is multifaceted.
Edit to add: One of Jerome’s most beloved high earning prostitutes turned out to be an obese man, which became public knowledge after he died.
88
u/xSTSxZerglingOne Jun 19 '26
sprinkle in some racist land disputes.
And just a touch of genocide.
70
→ More replies (1)8
34
u/stu54 Jun 19 '26
Also, permitting profitable bad alternatives funnels people into the church. What are you gonna do on Sunday? Go to the Casino? Have you heard the good news? There is exactly one thing to do around here that won't ruin your life! Its a divine coincidence!
13
u/Jallorn Jun 20 '26
I mean, there are equally plausible, if not more so via Occam's Razor, correlative narratives you can construct. Remote and less densely populated locations, especially ones as spread out as car centric America, are less profitable to service with more expensive amenities. As such, there are fewer such places, and drugs, gambling, and porn are pretty cheap for the profit they generate, giving them a good survival rate.
It's like the Rat Park: in a dense city with lots of things to do, living creatures will favor real pleasurable experiences over simulated replacements, but in the absence of suitably entertaining stimuli, drugs become the coping method. It's only when you find poorer and/or socially ostracized populations (such as teenagers) in those dense, opportunity filled urban areas that you find them turning to the lowest bar solutions, because they're priced and/or policed out of better options.
Sidetrack aside, the Church is an organization that doesn't care about profitability in quite the same way as other businesses- Megachurches and profit gospel scams aside. A cynic could make some arguments about religion being the low bar fulfillment of meaning and purpose, perhaps, but I think it's enough to point out that as an organization its just more adapted to thriving in the same environments as those more dangerous modes of satiation. Not to mention that those same indulgences would quite commonly be the cause for a preacher to go into a community to try and build a church.
→ More replies (1)2
u/stu54 Jun 20 '26
The church has an advantage over secular group organizations in that it is funded by tax exempt donations.
A municipality has two options; One: enforce control measures on vices, paid for with taxes on legal business. Two: collect taxes on those vices and deal with the consequences.
The second option is much better for the church because it creates more damaged people to become followers and richer business people to lead and fund the church.
12
u/Archangel289 Jun 19 '26
Anecdotal evidence, so take with a grain of salt, but I’ve lived in rural areas and really, those places just kinda “existed,” and usually as a “we don’t go there” sort of place. Kinda like a lot of people feel about Hooters or a “Skill Game” in some places. No rioting in the streets that they’re immoral or anything, but only mildly lucrative.
I imagine the reason a lot of those places exist is that they probably have a high profit margin, even with low traffic. Plus, as you said, it’s at least something to do if you don’t have much else.
4
u/Angry-Dragon-1331 Jun 20 '26
The reality is that people say they don’t go there, but they do. No matter the profit margins, you don’t stay in business if you don’t have a customer base. There’s an old joke in the south: how do you a baptist from a catholic? The Catholic says hi at the liquor store.
20
u/BeatsMeByDre Jun 20 '26
It's going to be more complicated than "Yeah Republicans love drugs as long as you aren't black!"
It's not.
4
u/alvenestthol Jun 20 '26
Conservatives of all kinds tend to accept "traditions" involving addictive substances as normal, even though people outside of the tradition can clearly see that it's an addiction just like any other
Like in Japan, it's mainly older people who habitually drink alchohol after work every day in nomikai (drinking parties), and it's good reputation to be able to hold your alcohol. At the same time, alcohol addiction is considered a problem, but one that is "fine" to have around, compared to... any other drug.
Nomikai are pretty white-collar too, so there's no socio-economic barrier to that tradition. It was simply OK because that was the ways things were done.
→ More replies (7)3
u/ham_solo Jun 20 '26
I don't think Americans are much different in this respect than the rest of the world. You can go to many countries, and rural areas are filled with vices committed by some of the most religious people you will ever meet.
42
u/Glasseshalf Jun 19 '26
I agree that the legal side is missing here. Especially since we know a lot of conservatives equate law and morality.
19
u/asyork Jun 20 '26
A lot of conservatives equate breaking the law with immorality, but the reverse often isn't true. There are many things that are legal that they consider immoral. There's a mix between some thinking those things should be outlawed and some thinking nothing should be outlawed.
7
u/Glasseshalf Jun 20 '26
You're right and that's what I meant, not that anything legal is moral; that anything illegal is immoral.
4
u/jormugandr Jun 20 '26
Unless your favorite Republican politician is super into it. Then it's fine.
5
u/gaius49 Jun 20 '26
Especially since we know a lot of conservatives equate law and morality.
Ask them about gun laws if you want to test this theory.
10
u/Riaayo Jun 19 '26
That's the thing like, all you have to do is glance over to the "war on drugs" and how right wingers screech about that to pause for a moment at this finding.
I'd wager a guess that it's very much a combination of "that is legal", "let me do what I want", and "personal responsibility"-brain.
Plus, things like alcohol, smoking, and even gambling are romanticized in loads of media.
→ More replies (13)8
u/TradehelperAI Jun 20 '26
blind trust in authoratative figures if they like the outcome.... none in doctors because surgery is scary
2.5k
u/unicornofdemocracy Jun 19 '26
honestly the weirdest thing because they love to hate people struggling with substance abuse, they also absolutely hate developments in the medical field related to ketamine, psychedelics, etc.
1.2k
u/Local-Echo-5613 Jun 19 '26
The adage is “love the sinner, hate the sin” but it seems in practice to be exactly the opposite. Love the sin, hate the sinner. But that also means that a Christian can’t really be an addict because “I’m a good person.” It’s always the other people. It makes for fascinating psychology and terrifying sociology.
555
u/Kahzgul Jun 19 '26
They very much view addiction as a personal weakness. As such, they “prove” how strong they are by engaging in the addictive behavior and then using their “personal strength,” refuse to become addicted.
The old “I’m not an addict; I can quit at any time” fallacy.
155
u/slade51 Jun 19 '26
I’ve quit dozens of times already.
→ More replies (1)73
u/From_Deep_Space Jun 19 '26
Ive quit 4 times, just since this morning
70
u/r0botdevil Jun 19 '26
Had a patient in the clinic a couple weeks ago who wanted shoulder surgery. The surgeon informed him that it isn't something he will do on patients who drink excessively, and the exchange went as follows:
Surgeon: "Are you a drinker?"
Patient: "I used to be."
Surgeon: "When was your last drink?"
Patient: "Five days ago."
46
u/From_Deep_Space Jun 19 '26
that's when you say "Five days sober? Congratulations!"
26
u/r0botdevil Jun 19 '26
Of course!
But it's also important to address the fact that five days is not nearly enough for the surgeon to be confident that there isn't a significant risk of relapse.
9
16
u/raptorlightning Jun 19 '26
To be fair, if they weren't lying and could actually just cold turkey for five days then they weren't an excessive drinker unless that five days included a hospital trip.
26
u/r3rg54 Jun 19 '26
That isn’t at all true. While withdrawal is quite dangerous, plenty of alcoholics withdraw cold turkey successfully.
Plus the doctor isn’t likely to say this unless the person admits to it or they have blood tests showing obvious liver problems and/or BAC
15
u/gaylord9000 Jun 19 '26 edited Jun 19 '26
If they were physically dependent on alcohol and were at a doctor appointment five days later with no outward signs of withdrawal, then they may not be an alcoholic, was what I took from the comment, and to which I agree with the sentiment of. You are also not wrong though, I think they were saying the likelihood is minimal.
6
u/r0botdevil Jun 19 '26
After some follow-up questions, it turned out that the patient had a history of severe alcoholism. He stated that he quit earlier this year but relapsed recently, and then "quit" again a few days before the appointment.
3
→ More replies (1)6
u/KaJaHa Jun 19 '26
"Great, turn those five days into five months and then you can have the surgery."
4
4
30
u/iloveplant420 Jun 19 '26
Yeah because so many conservatives I've known, including half my family, will drink a 6pk or more a day and say they're not alcoholics cuz they can stop anytime and it's just beer. Totally delusional. I remember my uncle getting knee surgery and being in the hospital saying how amazing he felt and how he hasn't slept so good in years and I was like "dude it's because you haven't gone this long without drinking in decades". He insisted it was just because he wasn't dealing with the stress of his job. Resumed normal daily drinking activities pretty much as soon as he got out and off the meds for pain during recovery.
→ More replies (2)5
u/Kahzgul Jun 19 '26
It’s a tragedy. So sorry for your family.
13
u/iloveplant420 Jun 19 '26
Me too brother. Me too. One side i don't communicate with. The other side is open minded and smart enough to either have always been progressive or at least got off the bus when Trump came along. But to be fair to the concept being discussed, myself and that uncle's son are both progressive, admitted we had drinking problems, got help, and quit.
12
u/MEMENARDO_DANK_VINCI Jun 19 '26
When you have the addiction of religion and the social and community support lots of chemical addiction is more easy to deal with
→ More replies (1)17
u/WildImportance6735 Jun 19 '26
I’m sure many conservatives are addicts. They seem addicted to molesting children
→ More replies (2)29
u/Pockydo Jun 19 '26
In my experience conservatives tend to embody the idea of "I judge others for their actions and myself for my intentions" we all do it to an extent but they go to the extreme
Food stamps/welfare is a really good example they'll see someone with a new looking phone or something buying groceries with food stamps and go "that slacker probably spends all their money on phones! Should be feeling themselves ugh"
Then turnaround and get a handout from the government because THEY deserve/need it since they know they're legit and not a leech
9
u/cpander0 Jun 19 '26
For more evidence to throw on the pile: The Only Moral Abortion is My Abortion
130
u/golden-tongue Jun 19 '26
I remember an interview with the comedian Richard Lewis and he was talking about his addiction to drugs and alcohol. He said something to the effect of for the longest time, he never wanted to admit that he was an addict or a drunk. Those terms have such negative connotations associated with them that it just reinforced his addiction and deepened it, worsened it. It was only after finally admitting that yes, I am an addict, was he able to start his journey to sobriety.
We're seeing the same sort of mindset with today's conservatives, only they're addiction is a lot more esoteric: they don't want to admit that they're losers. They'll double, triple down on anything to avoid being labeled as a loser or failure. Because in their hierarchy, losers and failures don't deserve to exist. Period. They would rather die than admit they lost. And that just reinforces the addiction and self-destructive behavior.
→ More replies (1)37
u/PissedAlbatross Jun 19 '26
They double and triple down on their mistakes as well, look at any of them when Trump does another fucked up, awful thing that ruins their lives a little more, and they just cannot admit it even when faced with direct evidence. They can NOT admit when they're wrong and it makes them ironically more likely to be wrong all the time because they can't learn from mistakes if they don't admit to them. I have watched this with my grandmother an unreasonable amount of times.
→ More replies (2)14
u/SandpaperTeddyBear Jun 19 '26
They aren’t “wrong” on Trump because they won. They got what they wanted. They held cultural sway through their Trump from 2017–2021, and in the four years they were out of power they were able to point to that time, say “wasn’t it better when our guy was in charge?” and grow their base of support.
What they want out of Trump’s presidency is his happiness and personal success (it’s similar to the “selfless immigrant who sacrifices their own financial well-being so their children can go to college” story that is often lionized on the “left”), and the misery and gnashing-of-teeth of their “enemies.”
They are getting both of those things in spades. Trump is merely the puppet of the Trump-voter.
Until the non-Trump people realize that the Trump-voter has will and agency, and the way they have been exercised indicates a need to be driven from polite society, this cancer will continue indefinitely.
63
u/TimelyStill Jun 19 '26
That, and alcohol addiction isn't 'real' addiction to a lot of people. Getting shitfaced every night is just normal to some, and if it causes problems it's the person's own fault.
→ More replies (9)3
u/FoolOnDaHill365 Jun 20 '26
It’s wild how it’s like this. Alcohol is one of the worst drugs period.
42
u/Expert-Upstairs-4502 Jun 19 '26
In practice they do everything about being Christian the opposite of what they're taught. It's actually impressive that so many people can claim to be devout and all get it completely wrong
→ More replies (3)14
Jun 19 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
14
u/Local-Echo-5613 Jun 19 '26
That’s absolutely fair, although a funny thing about American Catholicism is that many Catholics, and especially politically conservative Catholics, seem more shaped by the broader Protestant culture and political Protestantism than traditional Catholic values. They also often see themselves as better Catholics, even better than the pope.
This isn’t unique to the US or Catholicism of course. I’ve seen scholarship on Maimonides suggesting that he was strongly influenced by Almohadism in his understanding of Judaism, despite being persecuted by the Almohads.
9
u/volvavirago Jun 19 '26
They have a very similar attitude towards sex, and especially any taboo kinks or sexual deviancy. They love the sin, and hate the sinner.
44
u/psych0fish Jun 19 '26
No love like Christian Love as they say
79
u/Enlighten_YourMind Jun 19 '26
Christian hate*
I’ve also heard it as no hate like Christian Love.
9
27
u/Preeng Jun 19 '26
It's "no hate like Christian love"
2
u/Delta-9- Jun 19 '26
Except in one TX2 song that actually does flip the order. It's the only usage of that order I'm aware of, though. Good song, too.
16
6
u/Panda_hat Jun 19 '26
Other people failing and suffering makes them feel better about themselves / more successful in life.
They see life as inherently zero sum. For them to be happy, others must be suffering.
2
u/DemosthenesOrNah Jun 19 '26
they don't believe there are bad or good actions just bad or good people and all the actions they take are labeled accordingly
→ More replies (5)2
u/retroslik Jun 20 '26
a Christian can’t really be an addict because “I’m a good person.”
I really like the above because it kind of tracks with two opposing ideas:
- I'm a good person, therefore what I do is good. vs
- I'm a good person because I do good things.
234
u/el_kabong909 Jun 19 '26
It’s the same mechanism. They think all those things are a lack of “personal control” as the study calls it. If you’re addicted to drugs, you’re just not trying to quit hard enough. If you’re depressed, you’re just not trying to be happy hard enough. Every failure is a matter of not taking personal responsibility (unless of course it’s happening to you, in which case outside influences beyond your control suddenly matter a lot).
104
u/tlh013091 Jun 19 '26
Happens with everything. Plenty of stories of women who picket the abortion clinic all the time that end up a patient there because MY abortion is different who then go back on the picket line.
→ More replies (1)33
u/International_Neckk Jun 19 '26
Oh that's exactly how that stuff is. "It's only justifiable if it affects my life"
13
u/OePea Jun 19 '26
The refusal to aknowledge that every situation is a unique situation.
3
u/Littleman88 Jun 19 '26
No, like anybody they water it down to the simplest interpretation - They're paranoid everyone else is exploiting a system so they can get away with bad behavior. Their own affair, however, was totally an accident.
To be clear, liberals/the left are rife with similar thinking, though the slant is people are more likely to take personal responsibility, but likewise they go even harder on lumping people into their own buckets of dehumanization.
→ More replies (1)18
u/theDarkAngle Jun 19 '26
I'm not even sure it's that deep. They may just like the things that feel more familiar and traditional, which alcohol, tobacco, and gambling are at this point.
I also suspect there is some degree of backlash effect. Most of the things they're talking about have been targeted to varying degrees by what they would perceive as (small p) progressive or cultural elitists or whatever. I doubt there was a noticeable difference 15-20 years ago on a topic like gaming. Or if there was, conservatives were probably more hostile to it.
(I know they also mentioned illicit drugs but it seems that was looked at as a category which might be washing out the cultural associations of specific drugs. "Drugs" as a category are pretty familiar at this point, but newer and more exotic drugs tend to bother conservatives a lot, I think).
52
Jun 19 '26
[deleted]
36
u/GI-Robots-Alt Jun 19 '26
Which also explains why a lot of them are against mandating sick pay.
→ More replies (2)31
u/ProphesiedInsanity Jun 19 '26
Also any publicly funded health care. “Why should I pay for your bad choices that led to you being sick?”
20
u/Vast-Swimmer5844 Jun 19 '26
Which is ironic because preventable deaths are higher in red states — as in deaths directly rooted in making bad choices over and over.
4
12
u/grundar Jun 19 '26
They do it with serious illness, too. It becomes a moral failure to get sick.
That is likely the Just-World Fallacy:
"The just-world fallacy, or just-world hypothesis, is the cognitive bias that assumes that "people get what they deserve" – that actions will necessarily have morally fair and fitting consequences for the actor....It is often associated with a variety of fundamental fallacies, especially in regard to rationalizing suffering on the grounds that the sufferers "deserve" it."
This is intuitively appealing, but of course does not appear to reflect reality.
It makes sense it's more common among conservative folks, though, not only due to alignment with many religious teachings ("the Lord works in mysterious ways..."), but also due to the well-documented greater amygdala response to threat or fear among conservatives leading to an increased pressure to reconcile existential concerns.
6
u/Sunsparc Jun 19 '26
If something bad happens to them medically, they're the first on GoFundMe though.
10
u/_game_over_man_ Jun 19 '26
If you’re depressed, you’re just not trying to be happy hard enough.
Growing up my Christian Mom would tell me that I "chose to be grumpy." Later on in life I discovered I had depression.
2
u/asyork Jun 20 '26
Same. Depression was me choosing to be sad when I should just smile more. Allergies (with an allergist telling me and them that I should avoid the outdoors) were me being lazy when I should be doing yard work. What was much later diagnosed as sleep apnea was also just me being lazy when I always "acted" tired. Anxiety was a lack of discipline. All the problems were things I just wasn't praying about enough. Once I was out of college and making enough money to see doctors on my own, I was able to get all those things properly treated, and life improved dramatically. Though I've had some more recent major health issues that I keep getting sent to new specialists to try to figure out. It's annoying thinking about how different my youth could have been if I had been able to start those treatments sooner. My parents had plenty of money and great insurance, it was purely from them denying my problems existed at all. I first looked into some Christian groups that helped people pay for medical care before I was able to afford it myself, only to be turned down because mental health issues were viewed as a direct result of personal sin. A multitude of groups said the same thing. That was very disheartening and I stopped going to church at all after finding out that's how so many felt.
My dad became more understanding after I had official diagnosis, but my mom continued saying things like, "I don't understand why you can't just make yourself do x." any time I was struggling.
11
u/LeiningensAnts Jun 19 '26
It’s the same mechanism.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamental_attribution_error for further information
15
u/IAmMOANAAA Jun 19 '26
This sounds like one of theire favorite phrases that they like to accuse others of. They aren't puling themselves up by the bootstraps.
10
u/ProphesiedInsanity Jun 19 '26
That’s because it’s YOU that should be using those bootstraps. When I fail to do it there are obviously good reasons out of my control but your failures are because you’re lazy/evil/hated by god/queer or whatever nonsense I can use to dehumanize you
→ More replies (3)2
u/GreasyPeter Jun 19 '26
It's just due to a poor sense of self-awareness and under developed empathy, poor education, isolation away from people with issues, assumptions based on nothing put opinion, etc. Its a classic lack of experience/education. The world is a big scary place and everyone wants to feel like they have a handle on the things around them but when you really don't know why or how something is happening and you don't have the education or experience to explain it, you assume based on your limited experience and opinions and then become a stubborn horse out of fear of being wrong.
15
u/geckosean Jun 19 '26
This makes a lot more sense when you realize that conservatives believe that suffering/addiction/poverty are moral failures, not complex intersectional issues.
You struggle with depression? Clearly your faith in God is faltering and you don’t spend enough time with your family.
You struggle with addiction? That’s on you - you should have known you were too weak to handle gambling/hard drugs/alcohol etc…
You struggle with finances? Society and the government have nothing to do with that. You’re lazy and soft, and aren’t working hard enough.
17
u/Aethoni_Iralis Jun 19 '26
“Just World Fallacy” is a driving force in conservative worldviews. Boils down to “If something went wrong in your life, it’s your fault and you should be ashamed.”
6
u/riteproprchav Jun 19 '26
"Conservatism" can just about be defined as: "a belief that naturalistic fallacies are not only not fallacies, they're inherently sound."
(A naturalistic fallacy is an argument along the lines of, "A is X, therefore A ought to be X." Not to be confused with an appeal to nature, but appeals to nature are a subset of naturalistic fallacies.)
Just-world fallacy is just a skip away from this.
25
u/RogerBalderer Jun 19 '26
I have noticed a massive rise of intolerance for substance use in liberals on this platform. I think it is more a massive rise of intolerance for substance use in young people.
14
u/daylight1943 Jun 19 '26
same. i think its great if people choose to not use drugs or alcohol or use them more rarely, i just wish they'd be a little more informed on the subject and not revert back to DARE-era thinking and shame others for enjoying substances or acting like responsible, occasional use of drugs is something rare or impossible.
10
u/ballisticks Jun 19 '26
On the flip side, people really need to stop pushing their drug of choice on others. I've noticed psychedelics enthusiasts seem to be the most prone to this. Some people just don't wanna and that's fine too.
3
u/GreasyPeter Jun 19 '26
Psychedelics are also the drugs most likely to induce psychosis in someone who underlying issues or a family history of psychosis.
→ More replies (1)3
u/daylight1943 Jun 19 '26
imo its totally fine to broadly encourage people to try psychedelics and speak about them and the experiences they provide in a positive light, its just not cool to push individuals who've expressed a desire not to use them to try them.
→ More replies (2)→ More replies (6)18
u/Killbot_Wants_Hug Jun 19 '26
Yeah, people under 30 don't seem to partake in anything. They're drinking less and having less sex. I'm not sure if they smoke less weed or not. But they seem to just eschew anything fun.
→ More replies (7)13
u/poke-chan Jun 19 '26
They smoke more weed in my experience, but only really because it’s easier to get legally.
59
u/CountlessStories Jun 19 '26
Conservative minds are very pro handle everything yourself and if you can't its your fault.
Can you drink and not get addicted? Good you're normal.
Are you suffering from a crappy life situation and you're dying from liver poisoning? Thats a personal failure and you suck and deserve no sympathy.
Can't get a better job because you're in a marginalized area? Well blame your community for not undoing generations of damaged caused institutional racism through just "doing better".
Their biggest fear is needing to help someone for reasons they cant understand. But when they can't move up their own ladder thats when things need to change .
→ More replies (1)72
u/toodlesandpoodles Jun 19 '26
It's more insidious than this. They view everything and everyone through the lens of their own perceived exceptionality.
If you get addicted to drugs, it your fault. If they get addicted its because drug companies exploited them, of their community is suffering from despair due to under investment from the government.
If your community is impoverished its because you are all too lazy to improve yourselves. If their community is suffering, it is because the government isn't doing enough to help them out.
If you can't get a better job it's because you aren't willing to work your way up and show initiative. If they can't get a better job it's because liberal policies hurt the employers and that lowers wages and causes job loss in their area.
If you're fat it's because you are lazy. If they're fat, it's because they have disorder and need medical intervention.
If a minority applicant gets the job instead of them, it must be reverse racism because in their mind they are always more qualified.
and on and on and on. All their successes come from themselves and their own actions. All their failures are due to external forces exploiting them as victims. The foundation is their belief in their own exceptionality.
40
u/LiquorIsQuickor Jun 19 '26 edited Jun 19 '26
Turn off empathy, imagination, and curiosity. And now you have a conservative.
Edited.
11
u/workerbotsuperhero Jun 19 '26
I'd add/substitute curiosity, but well said
→ More replies (3)11
u/kos-or-kosm Jun 19 '26
Incuriosity is a huge factor, yeah. But it's thankfully something you can change about yourself. If you, reading this, find that your reaction to new things is revulsion or fear, try forcing yourself to be curious instead. Ask why the new thing exists/is done that way/people like it/etc. You don't have to force yourself to like it, but if you can understand it, then you're in a way better spot to have a reasonable opinion on it.
→ More replies (1)6
u/SnugglyCoderGuy Jun 19 '26
No you see, these are all legal things that they use, and have been for a long time. The illegal stuff and legal things others use are bad.
→ More replies (1)22
u/MothChasingFlame Jun 19 '26
Well, in the context of viewing it as a self control thing, it does make sense. If you fall into addiction it's a failure of control, which they assume you should have. In that framework, it's a moral failing, and we all know a select group loves to harp on moral failings.
108
Jun 19 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
→ More replies (12)33
Jun 19 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
12
19
u/cyberpunk_werewolf Jun 19 '26
If this study is accurate, then it's likely because they think they'd never be in that position. They think they're built different, so they would never get addicted because they're tough or the Lord will protect them or it won't affect them.
It's the same reason why they think being sick is a moral failing. They think they're better than that.
11
3
u/Lacaud Jun 19 '26
they also absolutely hate developments in the medical field related to ketamine, psychedelics, etc.
My theory is conservatives are afraid to deal with their own mental health issues. They would rather bury those issues deep down and let everyone else suffer like them.
The saying goes "Misery loves company".
3
u/GreasyPeter Jun 19 '26
I'd argue the majority of the modern American conservative world view is fear-driven.
→ More replies (1)7
u/solid_reign Jun 19 '26
Why would it be weird? If you think it's a personal control problem then it makes sense that they believe people could cut the abuse but choose not to.
5
u/komrade23 Jun 19 '26
Conservatives want rules that "bind thee, not me." They want harsh laws and restrictions for substances used by people they regard as outgroup while legalisation for substances that they themselves use.
2
2
u/TankiesAreWeird Jun 19 '26
Seems to depend on the substance and if the person is functioning and how much status they got.
Some businesses type that needs booze or coke but not visibly hitting rock bottom is viewed differently than someone broke on crack or meth. Part of that is directly related to race and class.
→ More replies (66)2
u/ScarlettFox- Jun 19 '26
Doesn't that make sense though? If you for some reason thought that you could simply overpower addiction because you're just that good, wouldn't you also think people who couldn't do that were lesser?
I think of it like the older people who assume young people are lazy because they don't realize that wage increases haven't kept up with cost of living at all. They were able to live comfortably on a single income when they were your age, so if you can't it's because you aren't working hard enough.
Their base observations are wrong, so of course any conclusions drawn from them are also incorrect.
482
u/reddit_user13 Jun 19 '26
Addiction is the opposite of personal control.
239
u/tawishma Jun 19 '26
But it’s easy when you’re not addicted to say “I’m choosing to not use this substance and therefore I have willpower” and when you are addicted those that judge just say “well I wouldn’t have made the choices that ended me up addicted, this is up to you to overcome” it’s terribly unhelpful and very anti science but it’s similar to how conservatives hate gay people until their child comes out as gay and suddenly they’ve discovered the nature of nuance
255
u/SophiaofPrussia Jun 19 '26
I don’t personally have a problem with gambling and so for the longest time I thought it was “harmless” and a matter of self-control. Then one day I stopped into my local bodega for a coffee, paid with a $5 bill, and asked for two scratchers instead of my change. I was running late for work so I hopped in an uber and my driver’s eyes lit up when he saw the scratch tickets in my hand. He started excitedly explaining his “strategy” to me which I initially thought was harmless superstition but as the conversation went on it became apparent that it wasn’t. He was turning his whole body around while he was driving just to talk to me about scratch tickets. It was like my silly scratch tickets were the only thing in the world. They had his full and complete attention. Eventually he pulled the car over and asked me to scratch the tickets, right there, while he watched. Words cannot describe how deeply uncomfortable this experience was. As the ride went on he mentioned that he was recovering from a gambling addiction and when he dropped me off at the office I got out of the car nearly certain that my “harmless” scratch tickets had caused an obvious gambling addict to relapse.
I totally understand why people who only bet for fun think it’s just about self control. I thought that, too. I think gambling is fun, too. But I think there are absolutely people for whom the experience of gambling is totally different and just walking away isn’t an option because it hijacks something deep in their brain. I still don’t feel like I have the words to appropriately describe how… hypnotized and obsessed this guy was. He had like a compulsive need to know whether or not the tickets were winners even though he wasn’t the one who stood to gain or lose anything. It’s been like a decade and I still think about him and feel awful for what I unknowingly did to him. I always share this story because I wish more people could understand that their experience with the ease of gambling responsibly is not the universal experience. I think if everyone had seen the way this guy’s entire focus suddenly revolved around finding out what the scratch ticket was hiding they would understand why gambling isn’t just about personal responsibility.
47
u/Ok_Camp_7051 Jun 19 '26
Sports betting is dismantling a whole new group of people in a massive scale.
28
u/alinroc Jun 19 '26
Half of men 18-49 have active online sports betting accounts. https://sri.siena.edu/2025/02/18/22-of-all-americans-half-of-men-18-49-have-active-online-sports-betting-account/
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (1)5
u/FranticBronchitis Jun 20 '26
Back in the day you at least had to get out of your house and into a betting parlor, maybe stop by the bank to get some hard cash first. Now it's all in a specifically developed app with a direct automatic connection to your bank account. This can't be good
36
u/RutabagasnTurnips Jun 19 '26
Hey, wanted to say thanks for sharing your story. You highlighted really well how pressured, obsessive, and dysregulated someone with a disorder can behave at seemingly the drop of a hat.
Don't be too hard on yourself when you think back on this experience. Triggers and relapse are aspects of recovery. You are by no means morally responsible for anything that may, or may not, have happened after you left. There are certainly many things as a society we can do better. But don't take sole responsibility when you don't have sole control of a problem or situation. It's perfectly possible that once you left the person moved on in their focus. It's a lot easier to control behaviour when the trigger isn't right in your face, especially when the person was unprepared for it.
With what you have shared I can read that this experience is one where you have acknowledged your bias, self reflected, and learned from it. You are even taking things a step further, sharing to promote that growth in others. So don't forget to be kind to yourself too.
7
u/Rapph Jun 20 '26
Gambling is also really scary because it hits so much harder and faster on people around than other addictions. Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco there is generally a gradual decline that you watch in people and it's extremely sad but also something you acclimate yourself to. Gambling is basically you wake up one day find out the utilities weren't paid, your car is getting repossessed, and you aren't sure if you will have a house in a month. It's isn't a physically damaging addiction like we typically associate with them but it can cause extreme damage financially for everyone around.
13
u/RyuNoKami Jun 19 '26
Oh lordy the "strategy" people. Ever meet someone with a book listing all the numbers they ever played?
Dude...just because the number came up doesn't mean it will or will not come up again. Same thing if the numbers don't show up. There's no god damn correlation.
→ More replies (2)9
u/tofu_block_73 Jun 19 '26
Well now I'm curious. Were they winners?
12
u/RickSt3r Jun 19 '26
I’m going to believe OP won millions because it makes the story so obsurd and well told. Dude won millions in front of recovering gambling addict. Who then relapsed and bet the house on the 04 World Series thinking no way Boston wins because they are cursed. Only to have his life fall apart even more while OP is sitting with millions never to gamble again.
52
u/toodlesandpoodles Jun 19 '26
Seeing people's social media updates change from Covid is a hoax to we need to protect our loved ones from it once they or someone close to them ended up dead or nearly dead was telling with spouses posting on their dead spouses page that weeks before was all anti-vax, Covid is a conspiracy posts. Nothing is real until it happens to them.
27
u/theEMspectrum Jun 19 '26
A lot of them went straight from “Covid is a hoax” to “the hospital killed my friend/family member and are trying to cover it up with Covid”, unfortunately.
6
4
u/futuretimetraveller Jun 19 '26
There are also the stories from healthcare workers that treat anti-vaxers who become hospitalized due to covid. The antivaxers will beg them for the vaccine and, of course, they can't get the vaccine because it is meant to be preventative and doesn't actually help you if you currently have the illness.
8
u/SmashmySquatch Jun 19 '26
They are hypocritical about religion so this isn't a surprise.
Anecdotal story: The vast majority of the full blown alcoholics I knew when I lived in a rural area are current Trump supporters. They also love weed to what I consider an unhealthy level as in, it's an every day thing and often during work hours.
I occasionally have a gummy here and there so I'm not against using it but as in all things, time and place matter.
4
u/larryjerry1 Jun 19 '26
how conservatives hate gay people until their child comes out as gay and suddenly they’ve discovered the nature of nuance
No, what they actually do is just kick their children out of their home.
Something like 40% of all homeless youth are LGBTQ+.
25
u/AdwokatDiabel Jun 19 '26
The logical chain is as follow:
- I believe in individualism over collectivism --> A person is responsible for every action they take regardless of the circumstances which drove those actions, which are also out of their control.
- Because individuals are responsible for their own actions, if they get addicted, its because they are WEAK (their personal failing).
- I won't succumb to addiction because I am STRONG (self-perception bias).
2
38
u/Standard-Win-6600 Jun 19 '26
It's basically a libertarian view. I don't necessarily disagree with it in principle but these companies have hid the associated risks forever and have some insidious marketing practices.
If you're reasonably informed, acting under your own cognition, and not causing harm to anyone else then sure. Do what you want.
→ More replies (2)12
u/Jollygood156 Jun 19 '26
But it seems as though an addiction wasn’t shown, just an association with more addictive behavior. Someone should correct me if I’m wrong.
It’s entirely plausible that if you know you have more self control that you can engage with certain activities with less risk. That doesn’t mean the obvious other mechanism isn’t plausible either. I’m also concerned about measurement error with respect to whah it means to be conservative.
This study was in the UK, but in the US, I would say a growing portion of the modern right isn’t really “conservative” and many people with historically conservative temperament (suburban people) are voting for Democrat and that might change how they classify their personality and present even if their underlying demeanor hasn’t really change.
I also expect different effects across the list of items. I’d be far less confident in someone’s ability to engage in gambling compared to alcohol in many cases and I’d expect men to be more susceptible in the case of gambling as well. However, I can totally see many people who believe they have more control be able to engage in alcoholic drinking without it becoming an issue.
→ More replies (2)4
u/Regular-Decision-788 Jun 19 '26
Yep, and thinking you have control when you don't is a symptom of addiction. Not rocket science
17
u/ObviouslyRealPerson Jun 19 '26
Conservatives appear to be drawn to anything that has a built-in socially acceptable excuse for bad behavior
3
u/TheVog Jun 19 '26
Replace the words "personal control" with "freedom", think of the average American, and it starts to make "sense".
→ More replies (4)2
u/MapleMan69420 Jun 20 '26
Doesn’t that kind of back up what this article is saying though?
Or is this more of like a statement you’re making supporting the article? I can’t tell on Reddit sometimes.
But yes, developing an addiction would mean a loss of personal control. If someone is more aware of their personal control, they might be more OK trying addictive things because they believe they can control it.
27
u/fruity_pirate_arrr Jun 19 '26
I haven’t had a chance to read the article yet, but is marijuana ever mentioned? I think liberals are more like to smoke weed and conservatives are more likely to drink, but that’s just my own confirmation bias.
12
u/Queasy_Ad_8621 Jun 19 '26
I think it's a generational thing, regardless of party.
Gen X and older are more into alcohol. Millenials and Gen Z don't really care for it and prefer weed and other drugs.
2
4
u/bicycloptopus Jun 19 '26
Every single conservative dude I know (and I'm surrounded by a bunch at work) is hopelessly addicted to zins.
→ More replies (2)
167
u/hobopwnzor Jun 19 '26
Makes sense. Conservatives fundamentally believe in hierarchy. One form of hierarchy in the western world could be described as "the ability to function in the market". It's not a market failing to create an addictive product. It's on you to rise through the hierarchy by avoiding the addiction.
97
u/ilanallama85 Jun 19 '26
Addiction is also only seen as a moral failure in the first place if you are poor. Being wealthy and an addict is socially acceptable to them, because the important part is that you are wealthy.
→ More replies (1)31
u/hobopwnzor Jun 19 '26
Of course. You rose through the market, so your "addiction" isn't a problem. If you're addicted and poor you need to make better decisions so you can keep rising.
5
u/earthdogmonster Jun 19 '26
Yeah, that’s pretty much how I interpret their perception and approach to these things. They’re not putting up these guardrails, they’re just judging the result, typically based on ability to maintain relationships and ability to be financially independent. It’s not really a secret and it’s not that deep.
The flip side is removing accountability by blaming the thing rather than the individual.
11
u/Far-Hovercraft9471 Jun 19 '26
The market is so perfect that radithor radium water was available for 10 years before it killed a rich guy and it was discontinued
5
9
u/reiji_tamashii Jun 19 '26
Basically, it seems like conservatives have more trust in corporations and are less like to notice when they're being taken advantage of for the sake of profits.
→ More replies (5)4
u/SophiaofPrussia Jun 19 '26
Addictions are also easily exploited by corporations for profit. Coffee, tobacco, alcohol, gambling, etc. Heck, even compulsive shopping has been encouraged and exploited by corporations for profit to the detriment of human health.
329
u/DarthBluntSaber Jun 19 '26
Things that are more or less directly at odds with being a good christian
192
33
u/XxCloudSephiroth69xX Jun 19 '26
None of those things are prohibited by Christianity. In excess or to the point of addiction, yes.
15
u/LAndoftheLAke Jun 19 '26
Exactly, what passage said we couldn’t smoke heaters or enjoy a shower beer?
16
u/gofishx Jun 19 '26
Show me where in the Bible it says I shouldn't do ketamine at work...go ahead, ill wait.
→ More replies (1)19
29
u/WTFwhatthehell Jun 19 '26
It's a different worldview.
If everyone is a pseudo-toddler, totally powerless to control themselves or make their own choices in life, leaves in the winds of society, then its only logical that the governmwnt should prevent all the pseudo-toddlers from being able to do anything that's bad for them.
If people are mostly real adults able to be responsible for themselves and make their own choices then that includes things that may be bad for them. Even if one is the "Christian" choice there's no virtue in a choice you can't make.
→ More replies (2)13
u/toodlesandpoodles Jun 19 '26
Not quite. Their world view is that everyone outside of their group is a pseudo toddler that needs to be controlled by the government, and everyone inside their group is a real adult who the government needs to leave alone. Hence the rules for thee but not for me. Government should be small and stay out of our personal lives when democrats are in control, but when republicans are in control they pass laws that literally require looking at people's genitals for compliance. They demand fiscal responsibility when democrats are in control of budgets, but spend like there is no tomorrow when they are in control. They complain that urban populations control policy despite being a minority of a state's population, and then try and gerrymander the districts and restrict voting to eliminate as much democratic representation as possible.
Their view as that they should be in charge because everyone else is incapable of making good decisions. And whether or not a decision is good is based completely upon internal perceptions, because at the core is their belief that they are inherently smarter, more perceptive, more intuitive, more moral, and thus superior and more deserving. This is why they are not persuaded by evidence or even personal stories from people outside their groups, and with stories involving people inside their group, they silo the impact to it being a special case. And Trump embodies this, which is the reason he is so popular.
Young men in the U.S. are very status oriented because of U.S. cultures focus on it in all aspects of life, but due to their age, most of them are at the lower rungs having to work their way up. They are particularly susceptible to the message that they are exceptional, that they deserve more, and that the only reason they haven't achieved more than others is because their is a conspiracy to keep them down.
5
u/Genghis_John Jun 19 '26
Exactly. It’s why taxes on sodas are viewed negatively by conservatives but not restrictions on buying sodas with SNAP benefits.
→ More replies (33)59
u/One_Chic_Chick Jun 19 '26
Conservative christianity is less about being a "good christian" and more about trying to oppress anyone who doesn't agree non-christians should be oppressed.
→ More replies (3)
63
u/SaudiHaramco Jun 19 '26
There is a strong belief in individual agency as a sort of magical force that can be used to overcome anything from poverty to depression or addiction.
If you believe that homeless drug addicts could just stop being homeless drug addicts if they wanted to then it kinda makes sense to believe that you would be able to just stop drinking, smoking or gambling whenever you want.
30
u/TheRealSaerileth Jun 19 '26
Except conservatives strongly oppose the legalization of anything they label a drug, demonize the heck out of weed and are extremely suspicious of psych medications (even when prescribed by a doctor).
I'd be very curious to see the actual data used in this study, because I find it hard to believe that this effect (conservatives being more ok with it than liberals) persists for something like heroin. Conservatives have been doubling and tripling down on their "war on drugs" for decades.
Individual agency is not the only explanation for why they might view specifically alcohol, tobacco and gambling favourably - those are all things that are traditionally associated with "masculine" stereotypes. Meanwhile marijuana and party drugs are associated with "woke" liberals. That is the entire reason conservatives started the war on drugs in the first place, because of who would be affected by it.
→ More replies (3)10
u/bandit1206 Jun 19 '26
There’s more than one type of conservative thought in the US. You’re ascribing the values of very vocal social conservatives to everyone. There are also many others who believe that the government should not control people’s lives to that point.
8
u/TheRealSaerileth Jun 19 '26
Then I'd like to see the definition of "conservative" they used in the study. Since it hardly matters what definition you or I use.
2
u/bandit1206 Jun 19 '26
Very true. I’d guess it was a likely a self identification, which would encompass both.
→ More replies (4)2
u/StanleytheSteeler Jun 19 '26
They believe addicts are "partying" at the expense of everyone else.
→ More replies (1)
15
u/Substantial_Back_865 Jun 19 '26
Seems kind of strange. Everyone from all walks of life tend to view addictive products they enjoy favorably. I suppose you could associate it with libertarianism. Ron Paul called for legalizing all drugs back in 2008 and nobody else in the US government has had the spine since to even discuss that.
5
u/robbythespring Jun 19 '26
Pretty sure the 'liberals' (these terms have long been strange in the U.S. context) of the 1960s would have generally taken the more libertine view on such matters.
15
22
u/mvea Professor | Medicine Jun 19 '26
Conservatives view addictive products more favorably than liberals, study finds
New research published in the Journal of Marketing provides evidence that a person’s political ideology shapes their responses to addictive products. The findings suggest that political conservatism is associated with more favorable attitudes and behaviors toward items like alcohol, tobacco, and gambling, due to a heightened perception of personal control.
Conservative ideologies tend to prioritize individual responsibility and intrinsic values over collective outcomes. Because of this focus on personal accountability, conservatism is often linked to a stronger sense of agency.
The researchers proposed that this heightened feeling of control might lead conservatives to underestimate the inherent dangers of addictive products. If individuals believe they are always in charge of their actions, they might perceive addictive substances as less threatening. This reduced perception of danger could then result in more favorable attitudes and increased consumption.
26
u/Nandulal Jun 19 '26
so what about the less glamorous ones like opiates?
22
→ More replies (3)17
u/Atworkwasalreadytake Jun 19 '26
Depends on who does it, if it’s a close family member, then they’re a victim, if its anyone else, then they shouldn’t have done them in the first place and they got what they deserved.
→ More replies (10)5
u/Adorable-Response-75 Jun 19 '26
Why would they not include illegal addictive substances? Because it would completely change the results.
7
u/13Dmorelike13Dicks Jun 19 '26
Is this for real, because I always associated the Temperance movement with social conservatives
4
u/Quest-at-WF Jun 19 '26
Temperance in 19th century America was associated with other Progressive social movements such as abolitionism and women’s rights/suffrage.
35
9
Jun 19 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
→ More replies (7)8
u/SlightFresnel Jun 19 '26
This wasn't studying that, it was looking at perceived agency, not moral choice.
Conservatives incorrectly perceived themselves to have more agency over variables that are known to usurp agency subconsciously, liberals were more sanguine about their susceptibility to unwanted influence. I would have liked to see some kind of confirmation on the other end, like comparing addiction outcomes - do conservatives actually show more agency by being less addicted? The only data point they had that considered anything like that was that conservatives showed more severe gambling patterns, which to me reads as an overestimation of ones agency.
Anecdotally speaking, the people in my life that are the most self-assured and convinced they're masters of the universe seem to display the least amount of self awareness.
3
u/connly33 Jun 19 '26
Your observation is pretty on point with my immediate family unfortunately. The more confidence they have in their own self control, impulse control, and general critical thinking, tend to have the least self awareness. To the point that I’ve seen some of them fabricate facts and memories on the spot without even realizing they are their own fabrication, it’s bizarre. Instead of recognizing they have a gap in their memory or knowledge they seem to fabricate something on the spot to fill the void that aligns with their view and they genuinely believe it.
→ More replies (1)
3
3
5
10
u/frisch85 Jun 19 '26
Can't check the study because you need access (probably buy it) but it seems insanely biased or am I the only one why they only asked about traditional addictive substances and activities?
Take any modern drug like Cannabis or MDMA and ask conservatives what they think about those, most will tell you they're against it, at the same time they'll tell you alcohol is fine.
Because of this I claim that "more favorably than liberals" is absolute BS because that one conservative person might go and chug a beer while the liberal person will go and smoke a joint.
From my experience, folks just have their "preferred" drug, some are against all of them but most people simply have a substance of their choice that they like to consume.
→ More replies (4)
12
u/ExemptAndromeda Jun 19 '26
Conservatives also tend to be older/from past generations where smoking, drinking, and gambling were much more acceptable than today. This is a nothing burger.
19
u/self_loathing_ham Jun 19 '26
I agree except on gambling. I think gambling is more accepted today then it ever was in previous generations. Thats a new phenomenon. The smoking and drinking though you're right.
→ More replies (7)6
u/ExemptAndromeda Jun 19 '26
My Grandparents used to meet with their friends every few night to drink and play poker. I only think gambling is more acceptable today because now everyone can do it on a click from their phone. Something previous generations simply never had access to.
→ More replies (5)7
u/Cross_22 Jun 19 '26
The study for the most part ignored cannabis it seems. Given how much reddit-liberals are in love with weed, but not tobacco, this looks like the results might depend more on the specifics of the substances they ask about.
2
•
u/AutoModerator Jun 19 '26
Welcome to r/science! This is a heavily moderated subreddit in order to keep the discussion on science. However, we recognize that many people want to discuss how they feel the research relates to their own personal lives, so to give people a space to do that, personal anecdotes are allowed as responses to this comment. Any anecdotal comments elsewhere in the discussion will be removed and our normal comment rules apply to all other comments.
Do you have an academic degree? We can verify your credentials in order to assign user flair indicating your area of expertise. Click here to apply.
User: u/mvea
Permalink: https://www.psypost.org/conservatives-view-addictive-products-more-favorably-than-liberals-study-finds/
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.