Bleeding Hearts and the Heartless: Popular Perceptions of Liberal and Conservative Ideologies

Abstract

Two studies explored liberals’ and conservatives’ perceptions of themselves and other liberals and conservatives. Participants reported how much assistance they would recommend for needy persons who were nonresponsible and responsible for their plights (i.e., were more and less deserving) and predicted how much liberal and conservative others would recommend. Relative to liberal participants, conservatives reported being less generous toward responsible persons but did not differ in their self-reported generosity toward nonresponsible persons. Both groups viewed conservatives as somewhat heartless, giving less than liberals whether the needy were responsible or nonresponsible. A shared stereotype of a bleeding heart liberal also was revealed—overall, persons overestimated liberals’ generosity toward the responsible, but this was strongest among conservatives, which the authors termed the “Limbaugh Effect.” Results also suggested self-enhancement; liberals and conservatives reported being generous and judicious. Results are discussed in terms of their relevance to lay conceptions of ideology and political rhetoric.

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