The scientific study of ideology is too often more ideological than scientific

Abstract

It has been pointed out that the now generally disowned practice of not publishing “negative results” led to great doubts about whether what was found in psychological research generally was accurately mirrored in the journal literature. It is submitted that ideological bias in psychologist doing research into authoritarianism and conservatism leads to similar problems. Eight recent studies of authoritarianism or conservatism are critically examined to support this contention. It is shown that all greatly distort the implications of their findings in order to render such findings more acceptable to those with Leftist sympathies. It is contended that this unscientific, craven and not in accord with what liberals generally would say they stand for.