Qué Son la Izquierda y la Derecha en Argentina? Esquemas Cognitivos de Ciudadanos Cordobeses

Abstract

Currently, there has been a recent revival of interest in research on political ideology. The case of Argentina is paradigmatic due to the particular meaning of left and right, considering the cultural and socio-historical context of this country. The present paper therefore aims to contribute to the understanding of "right" and "left" cognitive categories from the Political Psychology perspective. A non-random sample by quotas of 395 citizens (M age = 37,6 years) was selected. Cognitive categories associated with the phrases "left in Argentina" and "right in Argentina" were explored using a free association technique. Data analysis implied an analysis of semantic networks. Among the most significant results, we identified heterogeneous and rich semantic networks of these ideological labels, which are contrastive in their level of cognitive sophistication and presence of idiosyncratic features. Finally, Chi-square Test showed statistically significant relationships between the socio-demographic variables and the notions of left and right.