Politically aware people generally understand the policy differences between conservatives and liberals (as they are currently defined, not classical liberals).

For those who don’t follow politics, there’s an accurate—and amusing—guide from Playboy that explains the difference between Republicans and Democrats.

And it includes libertarians and greens as well, which is a nice touch for those of us with unconventional views.

But what actually causes someone to pick an ideology?

In February, I shared a bunch of research that looked at how various personal characteristics are associated with—and may even cause—political differences.

This is interesting research. Though I suspect it irks many of us, regardless of our philosophical orientation, since it implies that our views aren’t necessarily the result of reason.

According to an article in Business Insider, this type of research even shows that differences extend beyond politics.

…what in the brains of conservative and liberal voters actually drive their belief systems? Scientists have been researching the psychological differences between people with different stances, and there are a few key ways that people on opposite ends of the political spectrum see the world. …Liberal and conservative tastes in music and art are different. …liberals enjoyed more cubist and abstract art. …conservative readers tended to say they’d rather visit Times Square than the Metropolitan Museum of Art. …conservative voters were found to be more likely to agree with statements like: “I often have tender, concerned feelings for my family members who are less fortunate than me.” But their responses suggested such feelings did not extend to people from other countries. Liberals, on the other hand, were more likely to feel that same level of compassion for people around the world, and even to non-human and imaginary subjects like animals and aliens. …A longitudinal study of more than 16,000 people in the UK found that… “Children who showed higher levels of conduct problems—that is, aggression, fighting, stealing from peers—were more likely to be economically left-leaning.”

What about libertarians?

In his Bloomberg column, Professor Tyler Cowen reveals that we are the most thoughtful group.

Libertarians measure as being the most analytical political group. That’s according to something called the cognitive reflection test, which is designed to measure whether an individual will override his or her immediate emotional responses and give a question further consideration. So if you aren’t a libertarian, maybe you ought to give that philosophy another look. It’s a relatively exclusive club, replete with people who are politically engaged, able to handle abstract arguments and capable of deeper reflection.

Trump voters and independents, by contrast, are less informed and more impulsive.

What else can we learn from this new study of political and analytical tendencies, conducted by Gordon Pennycook and David G. Rand of Yale University? …one group that measured as especially nonanalytical was Democrats who crossed party lines and voted for Donald Trump. There is a stereotype of a less well-educated voter, perhaps both white and male, who reacts negatively and emotionally to Hillary Clinton… For all the dangers of stereotyping, the study’s data are consistent with that picture. …independents do poorly on the analytic dimension. …that group measures as relatively impulsive and prone to less informed judgments.

And here’s some research on “free-marketeers” from the U.K.-based Times.