Neuroticism linked to liberal ideology in young Americans, but not older generations

New research published in the International Social Science Journal suggests that the relationship between personality and political beliefs in the United States varies significantly by age. The findings indicate that higher levels of neuroticism are associated with liberal ideology among young Americans, but this association is absent in older generations. This generational divide implies that growing up in a highly competitive historical period may play a role in shaping both the mental health and political orientations of American youth.

Social scientists have observed that political polarization in the United States is increasingly defined by a generational gap. Older cohorts have trended toward conservatism in recent decades. Simultaneously, younger cohorts have moved decisively toward liberal positions. While much research has focused on why older adults have shifted right, fewer studies have examined the psychological drivers behind the leftward shift of the youth.

Francesco Rigoli, a social scientist at City St Georges, University of London, sought to address this by examining the role of neuroticism. Neuroticism is a fundamental personality trait associated with a predisposition toward negative emotions, including anxiety, sadness, and irritability. Previous data has shown that rates of anxiety and depression have surged among young people in the United States. Rigoli proposed that this increase in mental distress might be a contributing factor to the adoption of liberal ideologies.

“The study was motivated by the observation that, while in recent years old Americans have moved to the conservative camp, young Americans have become progressively more liberal. Why this has occurred remains poorly understood, and my article aimed at shedding light on this question,” Rigoli told PsyPost.

The rationale for this investigation centers on what the author calls the “Generational Hypothesis.” This theory posits that the social environment in the United States has changed drastically since the 1970s. Older Americans spent their formative years during the post-war period, an era often characterized by greater economic stability, stronger labor unions, and a more collectivistic culture.

In contrast, younger Americans have matured during a “contemporary” period defined by intense competition. This era has seen a decline in social capital, increased return on higher education alongside rising debt, and greater labor market insecurity. The researcher argues that growing up in this environment increases the likelihood of developing neurotic traits. Consequently, young people with higher neuroticism may turn to liberal ideology because it often critiques hyper-competition and advocates for social safety nets that offer protection against risk.

To test this hypothesis, Rigoli conducted a series of three studies. The first study utilized data from the 2022 General Social Survey, a long-running and representative survey of the American population. The final sample for this analysis included 1,644 participants. The study measured political ideology using a seven-point scale where participants identified themselves as anywhere from “extremely liberal” to “extremely conservative.”

Neuroticism in the first study was assessed using two specific questions. These items asked respondents how often they felt nervous or were unable to control their worrying during the previous two weeks. The researcher controlled for various demographic factors, including gender, income, education, and ethnicity, to isolate the relationship between age, personality, and politics.

The results of the first study revealed a significant interaction between age and neuroticism. Among younger adults, higher levels of neuroticism were predictive of a more liberal ideology. Statistical analysis showed this link was significant for individuals around ages 29 and 43. However, for participants aged 57 and older, the connection disappeared entirely. The data indicated that the link between emotional instability and liberalism was present up until approximately age 47.

The second study aimed to replicate these findings using a more robust measure of personality. The researcher recruited 600 participants living in the United States through an online platform called Prolific. The recruitment process ensured a balanced distribution of gender and political views across different age groups.

In this second study, neuroticism was measured using the Big Five Inventory. This is a validated psychological scale that employs eight different statements to gauge personality, offering a more reliable assessment than the two-item measure used in the first study. Participants rated their agreement with statements regarding their tendency to be depressed or handle stress well.

The findings from the second study confirmed the results of the first. Higher neuroticism scores significantly predicted liberal ideology in participants aged 23 and 41. Once again, this relationship was not found in the older cohort, represented by an average age of 59. Detailed statistical analysis determined that the effect of neuroticism on ideology was significant only for individuals younger than 54 years old.

The researcher also checked for potential confounds in both American studies. Additional analyses examined whether gender, ethnicity, income, or education influenced the interaction between age and neuroticism. The results showed that the age-specific link between personality and politics remained consistent regardless of these demographic variables.

The third study sought to determine if this phenomenon was unique to the United States or a universal consequence of aging. If the link between youth, neuroticism, and liberalism were biological, it should appear in other countries. The researcher analyzed data from the World Value Survey, which included 23,368 participants from 20 different countries. These countries spanned various cultural regions, including nations in Europe, Asia, Africa, and South America.

The analysis of the international data produced different results than the American studies. Across the 20 countries examined, there was no consistent evidence of an interaction between age and neuroticism. In the United States, young neurotics tend to be liberal while old neurotics do not show a preference. In the international sample, this generational difference did not exist.

This absence of a global effect supports the idea that the American findings are likely due to specific generational experiences rather than the aging process itself. The data suggests that the unique social and economic pressures of the contemporary United States may be driving the association between mental distress and political views among the youth.

“The article hypothesizes that, compared to older American cohorts, younger ones have grown up during a more competitive historical period that has led many to become more neurotic (i.e. to be more predisposed to low mood, anxiety, and irritability) and, in turn, to become more liberal. This predicts that, in the United States, neuroticism is linked with liberal ideology in young, but not old, people. This prediction is supported in two studies.”

“These studies show that young American liberals are more neurotic than young American conservatives. Meanwhile, among older Americans, liberals and conservatives have the same level of neuroticism. A third study found no such pattern outside the United States, suggesting that the effect observed in the United States is not due to aging but to generational experiences. Overall, these findings highlight a potential role for neuroticism in explaining why young Americans have become more liberal.”

Despite the consistent findings across the two American studies, there are limitations to consider. The research is correlational, meaning it cannot definitively prove that neuroticism causes young people to become liberal. It is possible that holding liberal views in a polarized society leads to higher anxiety, or that a third unmeasured factor causes both. Future research is needed to unpack the specific mechanisms at work.

“The next step is to investigate empirically why neuroticism in linked with ideology among young, but not old Americans. Is it because young Americans have grown up in a more competitive age, as hypothesized in the paper? This remains to be explored empirically.”

“In general, these findings encourage people to reflect on the benefits and costs of living in a competitive society like the American one. It invites readers to reflect on how competition may affect people’s mental wellbeing, and in turn on how this may have implications for politics.”

The study, “Neuroticism Is Linked With Liberal Ideology in Young, but not Old, People in the United States,” was authored by Francesco Rigoli.