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LEFT & RIGHT...HEMISPHERES

Being a Republican or Democrat Changes Your Brain Structure

'Engaging in a partisan environment may alter the brain,' claim scientists

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by Dain Fitzgerald

Staff Writer t +

Image: samnabi.com

Pop science has struck again, this time with the news that team blue and team red may have everything to do with team grey matter.

Scientists from England and California have collaborated on research showing that conservatives and liberals use different parts of their brains to make risky decisions - in this case, as shown in an experiment involving poker playing. They claim that this difference in cerebral activity can predict one's party affiliation with an accuracy rate of 82.9%. That rate is even higher than that yielded by political scientists' long-relied upon method of looking at one's parents' party ID, which correctly predicts the subject's chosen tribe only 69.5% of the time.

Indeed, science may be encroaching on territory typically governed by folks who prefer suits and ties to lab coats. "Neuropolitics" researcher Darren Schreiber argues that lab science trumps polling when it comes to understanding partisan politics.

Even more startlingly, the researchers assert that being a Republican or Democrat actually changes your brain structure. "Engaging in a partisan environment may alter the brain," Schreiber claims - so be warned, Politix addicts.

He explains, "although genetics have been shown to contribute to differences in political ideology and strength of party politics, the portion of variation in political affiliation explained by activity in the amygdala and insula is significantly larger, suggesting that affiliating with a political party and engaging in a partisan environment may alter the brain, above and beyond the effect of heredity."

Via Eurekalert!.

Posted 4pm PST.
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Does it sound likely that partisanship can change your brain structure?

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145 Comments (view in Forum)

  • Thegrif
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    Nope Mary, I was down to only 2 brain cells long ago, however ever since I joined Politix they have stopped talking to one another.

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  • Tralee
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    Nah, Libs. just can't help themselves, but one of them who seems to reply to us all the time, shows that they also can't think very well. Note to self: Snappy retort of the insult variety is NOT a substitute for witty conversation, ever.
  • Denizen_Kate
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    @Tralee - what frustrates me the most here on Politix is the relentless us vs them attitudes of several folks on both ends of the extreme. When have you ever entered a comment that didn't trash "those libs" in some manner?
  • Gtiallday
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    Hey now, i'm 21 and work 45 hours a week and consistently had a job at all times since I was 14. I like to think I have a very strong work ethic thank you very much. Not everyone I'm my generation is a bum!

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  • Realthinker
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    @thatgirl This particular 'study' sounds very familiar, especially the institutions involved. I want to say it made the rounds last winter too.
  • DrFunkenstein
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    This is based on their observation of the current state of politics and the extremists involved. Of course people supporting the current republican party and teabaggers are going to be less intelligent or have brain damage. It's part of their environment of ignorance and confidence in their ignorant beliefs. Just as the insane leftists that fight against windmills because a few birds fly into the turbines or the Vapor Trail idiots have the same issues. Stupid will always be different from normal people. This study is meaningless and will never stand up to peer review scrutiny.
  • BelinKS
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    I should have known you would put Republicans as being unintelligent. Also, get a clue, the Republican have nothing to do with the tea party, which is almost on it's death bed bed! Thank God! I cannot stand the tea party movement!
  • DrFunkenstein
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    @BelinKS Try reading again and then reference where I said ALL republicans and then see if I said that some Democrats fall into the category of ignorant. This is not an either/all issue, the overwhelming majority of the current people that watch Fox News and get their news from propaganda sources are calling themselves Republican and those people are ignorant and of low intelligence.
  • PoliticalSpice
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    No doubt republicans have different brain structures: Todd Akin; sarah palin; murdock; ted bundy; michelle buchmann; rush limbough; ann coulter; dan quail; baby bush; i could go on, but i think you get the point...

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  • stepped_in_it
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    "Being a Republican or Democrat Changes Your Brain Structure" HMMM.....are we talking shrinkage here? That would be my best guess as I've always found that someone who doesn't question structured political/party lines generally have no ideas themselves!
  • Denizen_Kate
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    @Neo_NtheMatrix - Now you're just pulling stuff out of your backside, Neo. Read the article again. Where does it say taxpayers funded this? As for your snark about taxpayers being conservatives, you already know that's BS.
  • thatgirl
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    @Denizen_Kate Neo seems to have a severe case of cognitive dissonance when it comes to that. One of the worst I have ever seen.
  • Dan_Tien
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    @Zazziness I don't believe that brain science is advanced enough to make such definite statements, especially in cases when the brain is described as an analogy of electronic circuitry.
  • Tralee
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    Partisanship will not change your brain structure, your brain structure may determine if you end of a conservative or liberal and how conservative or liberal. Liberals are all about "feelings" and "emotions" and tend to be right brain, conservatives are logical and analytical in their thinking. That would account for liberals obsessed with what they call "fairness", it's an emotional reaction to everyone being slightly different in the IQ area, to a lib. it's "unfair" and their "emotional" solution is to equalize the life of those less fortunate in brain power. Thus we have entitlements. To a conservative, being rational, logical and analytical, when confronted by a person lacking IQ to be a brain surgeon, they rationally and logically search for a way to TEACH them to be successful in a field of endeavor that does not require the IQ of a brain surgeon. Conservatives believe that that person would be just as happy being a very good whatever, store clerk, plumbers helper, file clerk, etc. as the person with the IQ capable of being a brain surgeon. Logically, we all can't be the same at the end of the day, but rationally, we can all be taught to use the abilities we have to the greatest power and thus be happy with ourselves, no hand outs needed.
  • CommonSense
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    Just in order to type this I have to move chemicals around in my brain even though I'm not aware of how I'm doing it. Everything changes your brain structure.
  • Zazziness
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    Careful, Tralee. The GOP official line is that we all come onto a level playing field and the only reason there are poor people is because they aren't trying hard enough. You're out of step with the politicians you're trying to support.
  • Tralee
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    No, actually you are incorrect. Conservatives believe we all have EQUAL OPPORTUNITY (your level playing field), what you make of it depends on you, your IQ and willingness to work hard or not (some try very hard and get as far as they can, the lazy among us, and there are always lazy, tend to do just as much as they must to get by.). We do NOT believe in equal outcome. No such thing exists in all forms of life. Only libs. believe in this and thus believe in entitlements given to make up the difference. So, no, again you have misunderstood or been misinformed about what a conservative is all about. No surprise there.
  • Zazziness
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    @Tralee If someone has a lower IQ than the next guy, then he does not have equal opportunity nor is he on a level playing field. I'm sure you can see that since you put forth the hypothesis that conservatives are robotically logical while liberals have hearts.
  • falco_alba
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    The word should probably be neural activity. In the same way that extreme religious conversion changes the neural activity of an individual, people who identify strongly with certain things can be characterized and identified. It does not surprise me, but it also has a secondary component of structuring Democrats and Republicans as separate beings with distinct characteristics to be identified with. This is a dangerous construct, and it needs to be pointed out that it is not foolproof.
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