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Strength of brain function connection according to progressive and conservative political orientation. Graphic = Kim Hyun-seo [email protected]
Research results show that there are differences in brain functions, such as self-regulatory capacity and resilience, according to political trends such as moderation, progress, and conservatism. This is because the brain’s neural networks are wired differently.
Seoul National University Hospital and Seoul National University Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Kwon Junsu’s research team (Dae-ik Jang, Sang-Hoon Lee and Taek-Wan Kim) revealed on the 17th They found that the brain’s neural networks are wired differently based on political orientation.
The research team surveyed 106 adults based on their political propensity and then divided them into moderate, progressive and conservative groups to examine the neural networks in their brains. As a result of the study, it was confirmed that the brain’s neural networks, which are related to self-regulation and resilience, are connected about five times more than progress in people with conservative tendencies. For this reason, the research team analyzed that “the brain with a conservative orientation has greater psychological stability than the one with a progressive orientation.” However, it did not confirm the relationship between political leanings and brain networks.
The research team explained that progressive and conservative people display conflicting opinions on political issues. Progress emphasizes “justice” as social equality, while conservatives give more weight to “organizational stability” as economic stability and security.
According to international studies, the difference in thinking between progressive and conservative tendencies stems from the difference in the psychological acceptance of social problems. Progressive individuals have been reported to be more sensitive to new and vague information, while conservatives are more sensitive to dangerous stimuli.
Several studies abroad have also confirmed that there is a difference in the degree of brain activation in people with progressive and conservative tendencies. This is thanks to the advancement of brain science that allows us to see the psychological mechanisms of humans through brain changes through brain imaging technology.
Previously, a research team from the University of Exeter in England and the University of California at San Diego (UCSD) studied Democrats and Republicans in the United States. The tonsils were found to be over-activated and the insular cortical activity, responsible for pain management, decreased. This means that the brain of a conservative person is more sensitive to risky stimuli.
However, the research team explains that this is the first time that the general structure of the brain’s neural network has been studied. Professor Kwon’s team looked at the difference between progression and conservatism in the resting brain. It was confirmed that the functional networks of the brain were also designed differently based on political trends. However, since this study was the result of confirming the difference in brains according to political orientation, it was not possible to affirm the predecessor or causal relationship between the two factors.
Professor Kwon said: “It is not known whether the difference in brain function has arisen depending on the political inclination or if the political inclination is different due to the difference in brain function, but it is true that there are differences in the brain depending on the political position “.
This research was published in the latest issue of SCI’s international journal ‘Scientific Report’.
Brain functional connectivity and resilience relationship. Graphic = Kim Hyun-seo [email protected]
Reporter Han Young-hye [email protected]
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