A Yale psychologist's simple thought experiment temporarily turned conservatives into liberals

http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-turn-conservatives-liberal-john-bargh-psychology-2017-10

Hilary Brueck
Oct. 21, 2017,

• Social scientists say conservative political views can be fueled by fear.
  
• A new study suggests that making people feel safe from harm can change their stance on hot-button social issues.
  
• The new research gives insight into the role of the unconscious mind in the voting booth.

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“The fundamental drive for physical safety is a powerful legacy of our evolutionary past” he writes. “It exerts a pervasive influence on the mind as it navigates and responds to modern life, often in surprising ways — like who you vote for.” 

Bargh’s book suggests that a myriad of unconscious influences impact our everyday decisions. Holding a cup of piping hot coffee can make us friendlier, he suggests, becuase the association between physical warmth and social warmth is something we learned unconsciously as infants when we were held close to a loved one's warm chest.
In another study, Bargh showed how washing hands with soap and water can make people less hostile to individuals who are different than they are. Bargh says that's because to some extent, our modern prejudices are shaped by the way we've evolved to avoid unknown, foreign threats like disease.

In general, Bargh writes, people “don’t fully understand why we do what we do all of the time.”
"We have one mind, and it can operate consciously and unconsciously," he told Business Insider. But Bargh says that's generally not a bad thing. He believes the unconscious forces at play are generally "on our side," since they help us get through the day without needing to reason through every decision we make.