Election day has finally arrived. This election has been highly anticipated, with many people believing that this may be the most important election in years. With an event as large as this one I wanted to see if there was any correlation between the election and a voter's physiological response throughout the voting process. Turns out that the election can have significant effects on the voters physiology and there are different variables which can affect the severity of the response.
In 2008 a study found a correlation between the outcome of the election and the testosterone levels in males (Stanton, 2008). This study measured testosterone levels in males throughout the course of election night and found a decrease in testosterone levels for males who voted for John McCain and a consistent or increased testosterone level for people who voted for Barack Obama. In this paper they discussed the linkage between testosterone levels and dominance contests and show that males can have a similar physiology response from voting for the winning party as winning a dominance competition. From class we have discussed how this drop in testosterone may not be detrimental, but still shows a clear example of how the election can affect our human physiology.
Another example of the linkage between the election and human physiology can be seen through measuring different voters' cortisol levels. Another study observing the 2008 election showed that the cortisol levels for people that voted for the losing candidate were significantly higher than voters for the winning candidate (Stanton, 2010). It was also shown that cortisol levels were higher than normal for voters in general until the results of the election were in, despite political parties. This is especially important to understand during this political season due to the possibility of delayed election results. If the results of the election are delayed we could possibly see these heightened cortisol levels leading up to the results being present for an extended period of time.
Furthermore, elections are not to be taken likely, they can change the course of our country as well as our world. However we should understand the effects that they can have on our own physiology and keep that in mind through this political season. Just because something is important doesn’t mean it has to have a negative impact on your health, so try and take care of yourself during this stressful time.
Stanton, S. J., Beehner, J. C., Saini, E. K., Kuhn, C. M., & LaBar, K. S. (2009). Dominance, Politics, and
Physiology: Voters’ Testosterone Changes on the Night of the 2008 United States Presidential
Election. PLoS ONE, 4(10), 1–6. https://doi-org.dml.regis.edu/10.1371/journal.pone.0007543
Stanton, S. J., LaBar, K. S., Saini, E. K., Kuhn, C. M., & Beehner, J. C. (2010). Stressful politics: Voters'
cortisol responses to the outcome of the 2008 united states presidential election.
Psychoneuroendocrinology, 35(5), 768-774. doi:http://dx.doi.org.dml.regis.edu/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2009.10.018
Very interesting, though, I have to say I'm not surprised. I feel that with all of the lead-up to this election in particular, given the divisiveness existing in the country, hormone levels are probably very high in the majority of the population. I would be curious to see how the recoveries of these hormone levels play into both the winning and the losing party voter. I imagine levels return to normal relatively quickly; unless there are drastic changes implemented within a short period of time after the winner is announced. I'd also be curious to see what other metrics change around the time of elections. I would imagine with increased cortisol (stress) there is loss of sleep which, as we learned in the Bowers paper, has effects on our microbiome and fecal metabolome! Additionally, with increased cortisol, tissue is broken down which leads to inflammation. That being said, if someone has an inflammatory injury, it will be exacerbated during these stressful elections time.
ReplyDeleteBefore your post, I had never really thought about the effects an election can have on the physiology of the human body. As someone who has been on edge this entire election, it makes complete sense that this phenomenon is most likely due to elevated levels of different hormones in the body. You mentioned both testosterone and cortisol, but I was also wondering if you stumbled upon any research concerning acetylcholine or epinephrine. One would think that epinephrine would be recorded in high levels, regardless of political party, as I am sure we can all attribute some of our political fears and anxieties to our current political circumstances. In terms of AcH, I have a feeling it would act in a similar manner, but am not entirely sure what conclusions to draw from those results as well. Also mentioned by the above comment, the Bowers Paper we have read for a multitude of classes was concerned with how consistent stress levels impact sleep habitats and I feel that that paper could also offer some differing, yet good insight into stress hormone levels and this election.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really interesting topic, thanks for sharing! Prior to this election I would have doubted that stress from the presidential elections would take a physiologic toll on voters. Now, however, I can totally see it! Come on Nevada, seriously?! I thought that it was interesting how cortisol levels are measurably different in individuals who voted for the losing party. It just shows how much our emotional state plays into our hormone levels. Your post made me also wonder if there are greater incidences of cardiovascular disease during these times. In an article discussing heart disease during the 2016 election, it states that hospitalizations for acute cardiovascular disease events were 1.62 times higher in the 2 days preceding the 2016 election, and a similar increase in the 2 days following the election, when compared to the same time of year in non-election years (Sweeney, 2020). The article then discussed how healthcare providers should take into account the time around major presidential elections as a dangerous time for many at risk people. I wonder if basic interventions like meditation, mindfulness, and/or exercise would somewhat alleviate or reduce these complications.
ReplyDeleteSweeney, Chris. “Uptick in Heart Attacks Following 2016 Presidential Election.” Harvard Gazette, Harvard Gazette, 13 Oct. 2020, news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2020/10/uptick-in-heart-attacks-following-2016-presidential-election/.
There was a paper i read a while back (no idea where to find it now) in which the researchers tried to influence the votes of participants by showing them different video clips. The results were eerily similar to the testosterone experiment you talked about. When the subjects were exposed to video clips that invoked a fear response they tended to vote more republican. Likewise, clips of superman (used to show invulnerability) led to more participants vote for democrats. It makes me wonder if a persons overall vulnerability influences who they vote for.
ReplyDelete