Political Conflict and the Brain

Will President Obama and the House GOP Ever Agree? Science Suggests No

Yahoo News
April 12, 2011

While politicians may have narrowly averted the government shutdown last week, new studies show that perhaps political differences may be the result of “basic brain science.” Data from MRI scans show that liberals have a larger anterior cingulate cortex and conservatives have a larger amygdala.

The study cautions that more research is needed and “it’s very unlikely that actual political orientation is directly encoded in these brain regions.” Whether the differences are genetic or brain development is based on the environment, the implications are great. Studies like this may ultimately help us better understand how conflict (in this case political conflict) is fueled and perpetuated.

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