Sholeh: Who knew? Liberal, conservative brains different

Growing up in the only state that was, however briefly, an independent republic, you can’t escape notions of political separatism. Texas being on the losing side of the Civil War only reinforced an identity of divergence.

I never bought into it. Cultural identity is fine to a point, but it’s just a reflection of outer life experience. Aren’t we all the same inside, making political divisions then and now little more than illusory perspectives?

Maybe not.

Brain research outlined in a 2020 Scientific American article suggests there may be actual neurobiological differences between today’s two main political camps. 

A well-regarded 2013 book, “Predisposed,” introduced the growing field of political neuroscience. The authors, political scientists at the University of Nebraska and Rice University, argued that the differences between liberals and conservatives are rooted in personality characteristics and biological predispositions.

That makes choosing a side appear less likely than gravitating toward our natural inclinations. A very controversial notion.

On the whole, their research indicated conservatives desire security, predictability and authority more than liberals do, and liberals are more comfortable with change, nuance and issue complexity approached on a case-by-case basis. Nothing new there.

What’s more surprising is research suggesting a causal connection with differences in the brain, especially where it processes social and emotional information. 

The volume of gray matter in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), which helps detect errors and resolve conflicts, tends to be larger in liberals. But the amygdala, which is important for regulating emotions and evaluating threats, is larger in conservatives. Similar to threat detection, it also tends to be larger in people with anxiety.

The ACC is located on the brain’s frontal lobes and figures prominently in fundamental cognitive processes, including motivation, decision-making, learning, cost-benefit calculation, as well as emotional inhibition and control. The ACC can increase volume even late into adulthood.

The amygdala is a complex structure of cells nestled in the middle of the brain and plays a key role in processing emotions and emotional reactions. It’s finished growing by early adulthood. 

The amygdala initiates the fight-or-flight reaction and fear-memory storage to protect against threats. It ties emotional meaning to memories and decisions. It’s also been tied to aggressive behavior (which makes sense for the fight-or-flight response).

Partisanship impacts more than our votes and trust (or lack) in one another. Partisanship literally influences memories. That, in turn, influences our belief systems. All influence reasoning, so reasoning subconsciously becomes narrower. We can literally forget how to think unbiased.

Knowing the biological connections of ideologies can help us understand the way partisanship influences our thinking and might help counter the divisiveness that’s eroding a former sense of national unity. Motivated reasoning, in which people work hard to justify opinions or decisions even in the face of conflicting evidence, is nothing new. 

Yet it has reached such a pervasive level that we are rejecting one another outright over it. In the past, we could disagree on politics without dismissing or condemning each other as human beings.

Of course, it would be dangerous to tie these correlations with generalizations. Conservatives have been known to drive Priuses and meditate, and liberals might own a cache of guns or oppose abortion. We are individuals first, more than our biology and affiliations. 

Still, it bears thinking about. Do brains start out processing the world differently? Do habitual political leanings affect our brain structure and chemistry? Which is the chicken or egg?

Whatever the answer, here’s an interesting thought: If it’s true that liberal-leaning brains are more or less developed in one area, and conservative-leaning brains in another, then both sides need to accept a bigger truth.

We need one another.

Think about that simplified biology again. Each tendency (large amygdala, more security-focused; large ACC, more complex approach to problems) would have a vital role in a stable and well-functioning society. We need to be well equipped with both to cope with the nuances of evolving life on a troubled planet. We can’t solve multilateral problems without flexibility and we can’t solve anything without a stable and secure environment to do it in.

Never will we all be or think the same; that’s the nature of mankind and frankly, it’s a strength we’ve forgotten to see as an asset. A balanced approach with mutual respect for one another’s strengths: that’s how we’ll best survive. The way things are going, it may be the only way.

Next week: A fascinating study of the use and effects of fear in political campaigns.

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Sholeh Patrick, J.D. is a columnist for the Hagadone News Network. Email sholeh@cdapress.com.