A few days ago I happened across this interesting story about how the brain structure of conservatives and liberals differs.
http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2011/04/08/2011-04-08_scans_show_liberals_conservatives_have_different_brain_structures.html
To sum it up, conservatives tend to have a larger amygdala, the part of the brain that processes fear. Liberals on the other hand tend to have a larger anterior cingulate cortex, the area of the brain that deals with conflict and uncertainty.
The researchers theorized:
I haven't read the whole study (I'm not paying for access to some journal hogging website for one article), but I'm pretty sure the authors aren't saying that we are born with a predisposed ideology or political affiliation. From my point of view (a political scientist, btw), I fall along the lines that our ideology and political preferences fall within the nurture category of the nature vs. nurture debate. We acquire or ideas through life from countless sources, i.e. parents, friends, school, media, etc... In turn, I believe the brain changes somewhat (the brain is rather "elastic" to a degree) to account for these beliefs in the proper areas. It's kind of like looking at a top notch baseball players brain before he started playing baseball, but then 15 years down the road, his brain may have changed in areas as a means of assisting in hand-eye coordination and such.
What do you guys think?
http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2011/04/08/2011-04-08_scans_show_liberals_conservatives_have_different_brain_structures.html
To sum it up, conservatives tend to have a larger amygdala, the part of the brain that processes fear. Liberals on the other hand tend to have a larger anterior cingulate cortex, the area of the brain that deals with conflict and uncertainty.
The researchers theorized:
The difference in brain structure could explain some of the traits that distinguish conservatives and liberals, researchers said. People with larger amygdalas tend to respond with more aggression in situations where they feel threatened and are more sensitive to fear and disgust.
People with larger ACCs tend to be better at tolerating uncertainty--a reason why they often accept more liberal views, researchers told LiveScience.
I haven't read the whole study (I'm not paying for access to some journal hogging website for one article), but I'm pretty sure the authors aren't saying that we are born with a predisposed ideology or political affiliation. From my point of view (a political scientist, btw), I fall along the lines that our ideology and political preferences fall within the nurture category of the nature vs. nurture debate. We acquire or ideas through life from countless sources, i.e. parents, friends, school, media, etc... In turn, I believe the brain changes somewhat (the brain is rather "elastic" to a degree) to account for these beliefs in the proper areas. It's kind of like looking at a top notch baseball players brain before he started playing baseball, but then 15 years down the road, his brain may have changed in areas as a means of assisting in hand-eye coordination and such.
What do you guys think?