Utshintsho lweOxytocin kukhetho lwezopolitiko

Xa bebuzwa, abantu banika izizathu ezivakalayo zokuba bazichaze njengamaDemokhrasi, amaRiphabhlikhi, aBazimeleyo, okanye amalungu elinye iqela lezopolitiko. Nangona kunjalo uphando olwenziwe ngoososayensi bezopolitiko uJohn Alford, uCary Funk, noJohn Hibbing lubonisa ukuba phantse isiqingatha sesinye sokwahluka kukhetho lwezopolitiko kubantu abathile kumiselwe ngokwemfuza.

Kodwa kuthekani ngesiqingatha esinye? Ilebhu yam yaqhuba ulingo lokujonga ukuba ukhetho lwezopolitiko luyatshintsha na. Iziphumo zisimangalisile.

Uphando lwam yayiyeyokuqala echonga indima ye-neurochemical oxytocin kwiindlela zokuziphatha. Ndibiza i-oxytocin ngokuthi "yimolekyuli yokuziphatha" kuba isenza ukuba sibakhathalele abanye-nditsho nabantu esingabaziyo- ngeendlela ezibonakalayo. Kodwa ngaba i-oxytocin ingenza ukuba abantu bakhathalele umgqatswa wezopolitiko ovela kwelinye iqela?

Ngethuba leprayimari ka-2008 yexesha lokuqala, oogxa bam kunye nam sisebenzisa i-oxytocin yokwenziwa okanye indawo ye-placebo kubafundi abangama-88 beekholeji ababezichonge njengeeDemokhrasi, iiRiphabhlikhi, okanye ii-Independent (abasetyhini babekelwa bucala ngenxa yokuba iimpembelelo ze-oxytocin zitshintsha kumjikelo wokuya exesheni). Emva kweyure, i-oxytocin eyaneleyo ingena kwingqondo ukwenza abantu bathembele ngakumbi, babe nesisa kwaye babe novelwano kwabanye. Kodwa ezopolitiko ziyasahlula kwabanye, njengoko uJonathan Haidt ebonisile kwincwadi yakhe ethi The Righteous Mind: Kutheni Abantu Abalungileyo Bahlulwa Lupolitiko Nenkolo, ke ngoko besingaqinisekanga ukuba i-oxytocin ingaba nefuthe.

Uvavanyo belulula: Linganisa ukusuka ku-0 ukuya ku-100 indlela oziva ufudumele ngayo kwezopolitiko ezinje ngomongameli wase-US, ingqungquthela yakho, kunye nabo baqhuba kumabanga aphakamileyo avulelekileyo kumongameli kuwo omabini amaqela.

Sifumanise ukuba iiDemokhrasi kwi-oxytocin zineemvakalelo ezifudumeleyo kubo bonke abagqatswa beRiphabhlikhi kunakwabo bafumana iiDemokhrasi abafumene indawo ye-placebo, kubandakanya ukonyuka kwama-30 kwepesenti yokufudumala kukaJohn McCain, ukonyusa ama-28 epesenti kuRudy Giuliani, kunye nokunyuka okungama-25% kukaMitt Romney.

KwiRiphabhlikhi, akukho nto. I-Oxytocin ayibenzanga baxhasa ngakumbi uHillary Clinton, uBarack Obama, okanye uJohn Edwards. Abazimeleyo baxhalabile, kodwa i-oxytocin ibashukumisele kancinci ukuya kwiDemocratic Party.

Ukumba kulwazi olunzulu, safumanisa ukuba ayingabo bonke abaDemokhrasi kwi-oxytocin abafudumeza besiya kwi-GOP kodwa kuphela abo bangazibandakanyi neqela. Babize ngokuba ngabavoti be-Democratic swing, kodwa inyani kukuba abavoti beRiphabhlikhi abavotayo abanakususwa ngokufanayo.

Iziphumo zethu ziyahambelana nezifundo ezibonisa ukuba iiDemokhrasi zihlala zingazinzanga kwizimvo zabo, ngelixa amaRiphabhlikhi enexhala ngakumbi malunga nokhuseleko kwaye eneempendulo zoxinzelelo ezibaxiweyo emva koxinzelelo olungalindelekanga.

Ngelixa bekungayi kuba kokufanelekileyo ukuba abezopolitiko bafeze i-oxytocin emoyeni kwiindibano zopolitiko, olu phando lubonelela ngokujolisa kubacwangcisi beRiphabhlikhi ukutsala abavoti beDemokhrasi: sebenza uvelwano kunye nemida yokuthembela. URomney kufuneka abonakalise ukuba uyangeneka kwaye unokwethenjelwa ngalo lonke ixesha ebonakala esidlangalaleni.

___________

Ithunyelwe kwasekuqaleni kwiThe Huffington Post 9/24/2012

Olu phando lwenziwe noProfesa Jennifer Merolla, uGqirha Sheila Ahmadi, kunye nabafundi abaphumeleleyo uGuy Burnett noKenny Pyle. UZak ngumbhali weMolecule yokuziphatha kakuhle: Umthombo wothando kunye neNkqubela phambili (Dutton, 2012).