3. A skin conductance study reported that politically liberal individuals had low reactivity to sudden noises and threatening stimuli, while conservative counterparts demonstrated high physiological reactions to noises and stimuli.4
4. Images of a losing candidate elicited greater activation on fMRI in the insula and ventral anterior cingulate compared to no activation by exposure to an image of the winning candidate.5
5. Another fMRI study found that “individualism” was associated with activation of the medial prefrontal cortex and temporo-parietal junction when participants listened to a set of political statements. On the other hand, “conservatism” activated the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, while “radicalism” activated the ventral striatum and posterior cingulate.6
6. An EEG activity study of healthy individuals revealed desynchronization in the alpha band related to the politicians who lost simulated elections and were judged as “less trustworthy” when the participant watched their faces.7
7. A structural MRI study of young adults reported that liberalism was associated with increased gray matter volume in the anterior cingulate, while conservatism was associated with increased volume of the right amygdala. The authors replicated their findings and concluded there is a possible link between brain structure and psychological mechanisms that mediate political attitudes.8
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