The findings are linked the well-known horseshoe theory, which posits that political extremes share certain similarities despite their opposing ideologies. — Freepik
Politically extreme people, whether on the far right or far left, have surprisingly similar brain responses, according to a study conducted by a team led by Oriel FeldmanHall from Brown University in Rhode Island, United States.
The study, published in the journal Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology, involved 44 participants who were first surveyed about their political views and placed on a scale ranging from 0 (extremely liberal) to 100 (extremely conservative).
The participants then twice watched an 18-minute video featuring a heated debate on migration and police reform between US Democrat Tim Kaine and US Republican Mike Pence during the 2016 vice-presidential debate.
While the subjects watched the video – partly in an MRI scanner – researchers measured brain activity.
The results showed that individuals with more extreme political views exhibited similar neural patterns.
The video content triggered stronger neural responses in brain regions associated with processing emotions, particularly fear and threat.
These responses were especially pronounced during moments of sharp verbal exchanges between the debaters.
Additionally, participants with extreme political views displayed heightened physiological arousal, measured through skin conductivity.
According to the study, these physical reactions appeared to amplify neural processes, suggesting that emotions and arousal play a role in reinforcing individuals’ political beliefs.
“In contrast, moderates showed much more diverse brain responses, suggesting that extremity – above and beyond ideology – drives this shared way of processing political information,” explained psychologist FeldmanHall.
The team also linked their findings to the well-known horseshoe theory, which posits that political extremes share certain similarities despite their opposing ideologies.
“This suggests that it’s not just what you believe, but how strongly you believe it and how emotionally reactive you are that shapes your perception of political reality,” added co-author Daantje de Bruin.
The researchers noted that their findings were based on the political context of the US and may not necessarily apply to other regions. – dpa
