On 2016 Feb 21, Torsten Skov commented:

The main conclusions of the paper are not founded in the data but rather in the theory which the data was set to test. To show this, I have revisited the five studies which are being reported in the paper and pinpointed a number of methodological issues which limit the conclusions that can be drawn, please see the file

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2053425/Reviewofwhodeserveshelpv6.pdf

In summary, the analysis and interpretation of the WVS data is flawed and strongly biased towards the authors’ preconceived theory. Study 2 does not address the effect of instincts on welfare opinion but this does not prevent the authors from drawing conclusions from it about this relation. Study 1 is invalidated by the findings of Study 2. The limitations of cross-sectional designs are either unknown to the authors or are being ignored. Causal direction is assumed rather than demonstrated. Basic theoretical concepts are used inconsistently. In the end, no empirical evidence relating to the political psychology aspects of the article, the translation of the instinctive reactions to political welfare opinion, holds up.

On 2016 Feb 21, Torsten Skov commented:

The main conclusions of the paper are not founded in the data but rather in the theory which the data was set to test. To show this, I have revisited the five studies which are being reported in the paper and pinpointed a number of methodological issues which limit the conclusions that can be drawn, please see the file

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/2053425/Reviewofwhodeserveshelpv6.pdf

In summary, the analysis and interpretation of the WVS data is flawed and strongly biased towards the authors’ preconceived theory. Study 2 does not address the effect of instincts on welfare opinion but this does not prevent the authors from drawing conclusions from it about this relation. Study 1 is invalidated by the findings of Study 2. The limitations of cross-sectional designs are either unknown to the authors or are being ignored. Causal direction is assumed rather than demonstrated. Basic theoretical concepts are used inconsistently. In the end, no empirical evidence relating to the political psychology aspects of the article, the translation of the instinctive reactions to political welfare opinion, holds up.