I'm looking for simple and reliable tests of subjects' degree of political bias. I've found two such tests: a recent study by Kahan et al showing that subjects make systematic statistical errors benefitting their political views, and a 2006 Drew Westen study showing that people explain away self-contradictions from their own side, and that when they do so they use areas of the brains used to process emotions to a greater extent than whey they consider non-controversial self-contradictions. They are both interesting, but I'm looking for more. In particular, I'd like to find simple, cheap (brain imaging is ruled out) and reliable tests.
Dan Kahan's other experimental work over the last 8 years or so probably has further useful ideas. Adapting tests from the heuristics & biases literature (e.g. this old review article) may also work, depending on what you wish to accomplish.
There is a potential pitfall in directly testing people's general knowledge on contested issues. People who score poorly on test questions about issue X could simply complain that the test designer is the one who's wrong about issue X, not themselves, and unless you're absolutely sure of the correct answers to the r...
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