BBC Radio 4 LW

SLICE: Politics and Personality

Documentaries

Factual

Jolyon Jenkins investigates personality and how it can be measured.

SLICE: Politics and Personality: I is for Inclinations

I is for Inclinations

BBC Radio 4 - SLICE: Politics and Personality, I is for Inclinations

Does your personality predict your likely political opinions?

Does your personality predict your likely political opinions? Why did those areas of Britain where people score low on 'openness' vote for Brexit?

Assuming that you can work out someone's personality from their social media footprint, does that personality tell you anything about how they are likely to vote? People assessed as "Open to new experiences" tend to have more liberal political opinions, but isn't that exactly what you would expect? During the Brexit campaign, areas of the country where the population scored low on "openness" were significantly more likely to vote "leave". But why are those areas more "closed" in the first place? Could there be a genetic factor, or is it the environment? Could it even be that areas that have been hit by infectious disease in past centuries have a more "closed" population because avoiding strangers was the best way to avoid infection? 

Presenter/Producer: Jolyon Jenkins.

BBC Radio 4

BBC Radio 4 is a radio channel that started transmitting on the 30th September 1967. It replaced BBC Home Service.

Radio 4

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

SLICE: Politics and Personality

I is for Inclinations

Genres

Brand

BBC Radio 4 LW

About BBC Radio 4