Journal article
Authoritarianism, Religious Fundamentalism, and the Human Prefrontal Cortex
Neuropsychology, Vol.26(4), pp.414-421
07/2012
DOI: 10.1037/a0028526
PMCID: PMC3389201
PMID: 22612576
Abstract
Objective: The psychological processes of doubting and skepticism have recently become topics of neuroscientific investigation. In this context, we developed the False Tagging Theory, a neurobiological model of the belief and doubt process, which proposes that the prefrontal cortex is critical for normative doubt regarding properly comprehended cognitive representations. Here, we put our theory to an empirical test, hypothesizing that patients with prefrontal cortex damage would have a doubt deficit that would manifest as higher authoritarianism and religious fundamentalism. Method: Ten patients with bilateral damage to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), 10 patients with damage to areas outside the vmPFC, and 16 medical comparison patients, who experienced life-threatening (but non-neurological) medical events, completed a series of scales measuring authoritarianism, religious fundamentalism, and specific religious beliefs. Results: vmPFC patients reported significantly higher authoritarianism and religious fundamentalism than the other groups. The degrees of authoritarianism and religious fundamentalism in the vmPFC group were significantly higher than normative values, as well; by contrast, the comparison groups did not differ from normative values. Moreover, vmPFC patients reported increased specific religious beliefs after brain injury. Conclusions: The findings support the False Tagging Theory and suggest that the vmPFC is critical for psychological doubt and resistance to authoritarian persuasion.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Authoritarianism, Religious Fundamentalism, and the Human Prefrontal Cortex
- Creators
- Erik Asp - Department of Neurology, Division of Behavioral Neurology and Cognitive Neuroscience, and Neuroscience Program, University of Iowa College of MedicineKanchna Ramchandran - Department of Neurology, Division of Behavioral Neurology and Cognitive Neuroscience, and Neuroscience Program, University of Iowa College of MedicineDaniel Tranel - Department of Neurology, Division of Behavioral Neurology and Cognitive Neuroscience, Neuroscience Program, and Department of Psychology, University of Iowa College of Medicine
- Contributors
- Stephen M Rao (Editor)
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Neuropsychology, Vol.26(4), pp.414-421
- DOI
- 10.1037/a0028526
- PMID
- 22612576
- PMCID
- PMC3389201
- NLM abbreviation
- Neuropsychology
- ISSN
- 0894-4105
- eISSN
- 1931-1559
- Publisher
- American Psychological Association
- Grant note
- DOI: 10.13039/100000002, name: National Institutes of Health, award: P50 NS19632, R01 DA 022549
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 07/2012
- Academic Unit
- Neurology; Psychological and Brain Sciences; Iowa Neuroscience Institute; Internal Medicine
- Record Identifier
- 9984002312602771
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