Rigidity of thought is not exclusive to the political right

Evidence

The rigidity-of-the-right hypothesis is hard pressed to explain all of these findings. It can explain why complexity of thought fell as one moved from moderate socialists to moderate conservatives to extreme conservatives (a progression toward increasingly “authoritarian” positions) but not why complexity fell as one moved from moderate to extreme socialists, or why extreme conservatives and extreme socialists interpreted issues in equally integratively simple ways. These latter findings are difficult to explain in terms of a theoretical position that posits a special affinity between support for right-wing causes and rigid, dichotomous thought. — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 2332 (#expands, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Liberal and conservative perspectives are not mirror images of one another; Political moderates think in more complex terms than extremists; Cognitive rigidity falls off only at the far-left extreme (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• Extreme ideology on any side produces simplistic thought, confounding rigidity-of-the-right theory #expands (0.92) — John T. Jost and Jim Sidanius, Political Psychology, 2332