Neuroethics: The Brain and Political Beliefs

Article first published as Brain Science and Political Belief on Technorati.


Brain science is providing some important insights into the mechanisms involved in a variety of beliefs including political, religious and moral beliefs. Dr. Jordan Grafman, Ph.D. currently with the Kessler Foundation has led some of the key research initiatives in this area of brain research. He recently presented at the May, 2011 Warren Frontiers in Neuroscience lecture series in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I previously posted a summary of work relevant to the brain science and moral beliefs and a separate post on religious beliefs. Here are some of the key points from his presentation related to political beliefs and relevant published research manuscripts.

A important starting point in understanding how the brain processes political beliefs is to discover key elements of these beliefs. The classical description of political beliefs defines individuals long a single criterion domain, conservative to liberal. But statistical modeling of large numbers of individuals demonstrates three key domains for political belief. These domains appear somewhat independent of each other and appear to engage different brain neural circuits. The three domains and localized areas the brain involved include:

• individualism--medial prefrontal cortex and the temperoparietal junction
• conservatism-dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
• radicalism-ventral striatum and posterior cingulate

So how does brain circuitry differ between those who are interested in politics compared to those with little interest in the area? Grafman while at his previous NIH position and colleagues from Italy as well as George Mason University in the U.S. examined this question in a series of 25 subjects using functional magnetic imaging scanning technology.

Subjects in the scanner were asked to agree or disagree with a variety of political opinions. Subjects who were interested in politics showed significantly more activation of the brains regions in the amygdala and ventral striatum. Subjects disinterested in politics showed limited activations in these regions regardless of the content of religious beliefs encountered.

The amygdala has been demonstrated to be an important region for processing both positive and negative emotional stimuli. The ventral striatum appears to be a key region in processing reward and positive affect.

The research suggests those with strong political interests, i.e. "political junkies" engage brain circuits involved in emotional and reward reinforcement. Similar circuits appear to be engaged in other individuals by chemical as well and specific environmental stimuli. For example, similar circuits may be activated by religious stimuli in those with strong religious beliefs.

It is unknown exactly how the brain influences each individuals selection of an area of interest and engagement. We do not know why one individual is drawn to a field of technical interest, i.e. computer science rather than a field of social interest such as politics.

But once an individual establishes strong political interest and a strong political belief system brain circuitry effects develop. These circuits appear to not be specific to politics but specific to circuits controlling emotional engagement and reward reinforcement.

Future brain science research is likely to further discover the mechanisms involved in political belief development and maintenance. An ethical challenge is likely to emerge on how these discoveries are used by political parties to influence voter preferences and voter engagement.

Link to Dr. Grafman's website related to his research on traumatic brain injury at the Kessler Foundation.

Zamboni G, Gozzi M, Krueger F, Duhamel JR, Sirigu A, & Grafman J (2009). Individualism, conservatism, and radicalism as criteria for processing political beliefs: a parametric fMRI study. Social neuroscience, 4 (5), 367-83 PMID: 19562629


Gozzi M, Zamboni G, Krueger F, & Grafman J (2010). Interest in politics modulates neural activity in the amygdala and ventral striatum. Human brain mapping, 31 (11), 1763-71 PMID: 20162603


Photo of African Elephant, the symbol of U.S. Republican Party from author's private family collection by photographer Sarah Yates.