A new study published in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology found that messages of hope and despair during times of conflict differently affect people depending on their political ideology. While Leftists are more influenced by these messages, Rightists appear more difficult to sway.In times of enduring conflict, it appears that despair circulates more quickly and more easily than hope. This is important, study authors Smadar Cohen-Chen and colleagues say, since despair typically leads to apathy, whereas hope promotes conciliation. The researchers wanted to explore why despair seems to p…