They say everything is politics. And with the kind of pandemic-infected presidential election year politics does seem to be involved in everything.
But can politics affect or reflect how our brains work?
A new international study that included more than 100 people in San Diego suggests that loyal Republicans and loyal Democrats have different brains than people who are nonpartisan or independent.
According to the findings, nonpartisans process certain information in a different way than people who are registered to vote as either Democrat or Republican.
The study found that while deliberating on a straightforward risk-related decision-making task, the flow of blood to some areas of the brain was different among people who vote Democrat or Republican and those who describe themselves as people who don’t always vote for one particular party.
The researchers say there were notable differences between partisans and nonpartisans in several areas of the brain associated with socialization and engagement with other people, such as understanding other people’s thoughts and connecting with social groups.
While those who work on political campaign messaging may be the ones who are most interested in this study, it also may help the rest of us by knowing that when we get into political disagreements with friends, it’s nothing personal, but biological.
(Photo Getty Images)