Study: Conservatives have larger ‘fear center’ in brain

[Dusty Bake Activate]

If you read the actual study I posted, towards the end, there is a fantastic counterargument of sorts. Also, this is a study that has not been verified by others as of yet. I'm not saying the findings are wrong, but you guys are sensationalizing for political reasons, especially considering that it has not been thoroughly vetted through the scientific method.

Uh, is has been vetted through the scientific process. The study was proposed, hypotheses were formed, hard experimental data was performed, results obtained, and a conclusion drawn based on the results, and it was peer-reviewed by other scientists, and published by a reputable scientific journal.

Regarding the "fantastic counterargument" made, I didn't see that. I did see an acknowledgement that while it is confirmed that a higher amount of matter in the amygdala was present in the conservatives in the study, in it order to explore the issue more in depth and get a more comprehensive view of the subject of brain biology as it relates to political persuasion, there should be a larger-scale longitudinal study that includes a larger and more diverse sample size of people of all different ages. And they said that the extent to which particular portions of the brain affect emotions and behavior isn't totally understood yet, which is obvious. That's just good scientific practice to point out these things.

And this is the not the first time the topic has been broached. There have been several studies that inquire into how brain morphology and activity affects or correlates with political attitudes and many of them have come to similar conclusions as the London study. More studies...

Study finds left-wing brain, right-wing brain - latimes.com

Neurocognitive correlates of liberalism and conservatism : Abstract : Nature Neuroscience

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So this is nothing new. So we should be skeptical, but I think your reaction in this thread is more driven by your desire to try and separate yourself from partisan liberals (even though you are one anyway) because you fancy yourself too intellectual for that as opposed to genuine scientific skepticism.

 

[Type Username Here]

Uh, is has been vetted through the scientific process. The study was proposed, hypotheses were formed, hard experimental data was performed, results obtained, and a conclusion drawn based on the results, and it was peer-reviewed by other scientists, and published by a reputable scientific journal.

Regarding the "fantastic counterargument" made, I didn't see that. I did see an acknowledgement that while it is confirmed that a higher amount of matter in the amygdala was present in the conservatives in the study, in it order to explore the issue more in depth and get a more comprehensive view of the subject of brain biology as it relates to political persuasion, there should be a larger-scale longitudinal study that includes a larger and more diverse sample size of people of all different ages. And they said that the extent to which particular portions of the brain affect emotions and behavior isn't totally understood yet, which is obvious. That's just good scientific practice to point out these things.

And this is the not the first time the topic has been broached. There have been several studies that inquire into how brain morphology and activity affects or correlates with political attitudes and many of them have come to similar conclusions as the London study. More studies...

Study finds left-wing brain, right-wing brain - latimes.com

Neurocognitive correlates of liberalism and conservatism : Abstract : Nature Neuroscience

An Error Occurred Setting Your User Cookie

So this is nothing new. So we should be skeptical, but I think your reaction in this thread is more driven by your desire to try and separate yourself from partisan liberals (even though you are one anyway) because you fancy yourself too intellectual for that as opposed to genuine scientific skepticism.

Sorry sir, it's much simpler than that. Here are the facts:

1) People switch between both those opposite belief systems all the time and at all ages. What accounts for that?

2) The counter-argument is at the last tab of the link I provided, where the person basically goes on to say that maybe the belief system causes these differences that show up, not the other way around. This makes sense when you consider the first point I made.

3) Where did you read others conducted this experiment in an alternative setting and population group? I missed that.

 

[acri1]

Sorry sir, it's much simpler than that. Here are the facts:

1) People switch between both those opposite belief systems all the time and at all ages. What accounts for that?

It's a correlation, not a rule that applies in all cases. The finding was that people who identified as conservative tended to have larger right amygdalas, not that it applied to every single case. Nobody said that every person with a large right amygdala was a conservative, nor that people can't change their minds. Things like geographic location, upbringing, peers, etc. are obviously also factors.

2) The counter-argument is at the last tab of the link I provided, where the person basically goes on to say that maybe the belief system causes these differences that show up, not the other way around. This makes sense when you consider the first point I made.

Nobody disputed this either. At this point it's unknown whether the belief system causes the brain differences or vice versa.


Nonetheless, it's hard (at least in my opinion) to deny that many contemporary conservative political stances are almost entirely based on underlying fear of something or other (ie. gays, immigrants, minorities, non-Christians, socialists, etc.). Not to mention that conservatives tend to be more religious (fear of death?) and more worried about carrying guns, so it's interesting that conservatives actually do tend to have a physically bigger section of the brain that deals with fear.