http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/04/08/brain-scans-lean-left-right/
The political differences between liberals and conservatives might run as deep as the brain, researchers suggest.
Scientists had previously found that some psychological traits were associated with certain political views. For instance, studies have shown that conservatives tend to be more sensitive to threatening faces, while liberals tend to be more open to new experiences. Political ideology has even been found to leave its footprint in how we set up our bedrooms and offices, with liberals' offices judged as significantly more distinctive, comfortable, stylish and colorful than conservatives' offices.
Cognitive neuroscientist Ryota Kanai of the University College London and his colleagues reasoned that such fundamental differences in personality might be seen in the brain. They scanned the brains of nearly 120 volunteers to investigate the idea.
The researchers found that volunteers who identified themselves as liberal tended to have a larger anterior cingulate cortex, a region of the brain linked with monitoring uncertainty, which could help them cope with conflicting information. On the other hand, those who identified themselves as conservative have a larger amygdala, an area linked with greater sensitivity to fear and disgust.
"Political attitude is often thought to be determined purely based on social context," Kanai told LiveScience. "Our research suggests that a high-level psychological trait such as political orientation might have a biological basis."
The political differences between liberals and conservatives might run as deep as the brain, researchers suggest.
Scientists had previously found that some psychological traits were associated with certain political views. For instance, studies have shown that conservatives tend to be more sensitive to threatening faces, while liberals tend to be more open to new experiences. Political ideology has even been found to leave its footprint in how we set up our bedrooms and offices, with liberals' offices judged as significantly more distinctive, comfortable, stylish and colorful than conservatives' offices.
Cognitive neuroscientist Ryota Kanai of the University College London and his colleagues reasoned that such fundamental differences in personality might be seen in the brain. They scanned the brains of nearly 120 volunteers to investigate the idea.
The researchers found that volunteers who identified themselves as liberal tended to have a larger anterior cingulate cortex, a region of the brain linked with monitoring uncertainty, which could help them cope with conflicting information. On the other hand, those who identified themselves as conservative have a larger amygdala, an area linked with greater sensitivity to fear and disgust.
"Political attitude is often thought to be determined purely based on social context," Kanai told LiveScience. "Our research suggests that a high-level psychological trait such as political orientation might have a biological basis."
