Brain Structures Linked to Embracement of Radical Ideologies
Art & Culture
Stuck in Their Ways: Unraveling the Mystery Behind Ideological Rigidity
By Daphne Chouliaraki Milner
Peeling Back the Layers: A Neuroscientific Exploration
Why do some minds stubbornly cling to their beliefs, even as evidence crumbles beneath their feet? That's the question Leor Zmigrod, neuroscientist and author of The Ideological Brain, seeks to answer in this eye-opening book. Delving deep into the corners of our psyches, Zmigrod shines a light on the brain's inner workings and the factors that keep us locked in our ideological strongholds.
Leveraging a decade of empirical research, The Ideological Brain paints a vivid picture of what makes a mind more prone to extremist ideologies and sheds light on the traits that foster a more resilient, adaptable mindset. Zmigrod's work revolves around studies that measure an individual's capacity to adapt to change, using tests like the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. In this task, participants are asked to match cards based on hidden rules that they must deduce through trial and error. Once they figure it out, the rules are suddenly flipped, and the more flexible thinkers quickly adapt and amend their strategies, while their rigid counterparts persist in applying the old rules, even when faced with negative feedback.
This tenacity, Zmigrod argues, doesn't just rear its head in games; it finds a home in ideological dogmatism—be it political, religious, or social discourse—and can predict a person's receptiveness to conspiracy theories, climate denialism, and even extremist ideologies and violence. Eschewing external influences like propaganda or misinformation, Zmigrod's focus turns inward, highlighting how neurological traits like cognitive rigidity and intolerance for ambiguity shape our beliefs across political lines.
Below, Atmos' Daphne Chouliaraki Milner captures a conversation with Zmigrod, exploring the role neuroscientific insights play in understanding our dogmatic tendencies and cleaving paths towards a more enlightened understanding of the world.
Daphne Chouliaraki Milner
Your book, The Ideological Brain, unfolds the secrets of how our beliefs are molded, not just by the external world but by the levers within our own minds. What initially sparked your interest in the neuroscience of ideology?
Dr Leor Zmigrod
As a trained neuroscientist and psychologist, my laboratory is the perfect place for people to strap on electrodes and let me probe their minds. About a decade ago, as the political landscape shifted into tumultuous territory—marked by the rise of fundamentalist religious ideologies and the emergence of radicalized British youth joining ISIS—I became fascinated by the question of what psychological and biological factors might attract people to authoritarian, rigid belief systems. As I began my research, significant political events like the Brexit referendum and the first Trump presidential election played out across the world stage, fueling my curiosity even further.
Daphne
Before delving into climate change and ideological thinking, I'd like to address the broader question: What makes ideological thinking so captivating, even in our supposedly enlightened, information-rich age?
Leor
The term "ideology" is thrown about carelessly, but defining it from a psychological perspective offers a more nuanced understanding. Essentially, ideological thinking is characterized by a fixed, rigid system of beliefs, an exclusive categorization of "us" and "them," and an intense hostility towards those who hold different worldviews. This rigidity prevents individuals from being open to evidence that contradicts or challenges their beliefs. The appeal of ideologies lies primarily in the coherence and simplicity that they offer in a complex world.
Daphne
Anti-climate radicalization has risen sharply, taking the form of conspiracy theories, attacks on climate scientists, and attacks on activists. From a psychological and neurological perspective, what makes these rigid, anti-science worldviews so compelling at this moment?
Leor
What draws people to evidence-resistant worldviews isn't irrationality—it's a specific kind of logic that appeals to them. Most ideologies wage a struggle for resources, whether it's gender, race, or the environment. Climate deniers cast the struggle as a fight between humanity and the environment, creating a dangerous, skewed logic that drives their beliefs. Rather than labeling them as deluded, we must recognize their logic to understand and counter their worldviews.
Daphne
Biological and emotional traits seem to play a significant role in the malleability of our minds. To what extent are these traits predetermined, and how much is influenced by external factors?
Leor
Cognitive rigidity, intolerance for ambiguity, and other neurological traits can make individuals more susceptible to extremist ideologies. These traits are not fixed from birth; but they are challenging to change once they have formed. External factors, such as social media and online echo chambers, can reinforce these traits and exacerbate their effects.
Daphne
Social media seems to have reshaped the way we process information, with platforms like Facebook and Twitter amplifying like-minded viewpoints while stifling dissenting perspectives. How do you think these online echo chambers are molding our brains?
Leor
Social media environments are designed to deliver personalized content that confirms our existing beliefs, reinforcing our cognitive rigidity. This creates a dangerous cycle that can radicalize even those with a flexible mindset.
Daphne
As individuals, how can we foster flexibility in our thinking and avoid succumbing to rigid, closed-minded worldviews, even when we believe we are on the right side?
Leor
Fostering flexibility involves finding a balanced middle ground, avoiding intellectual overconfidence and uncritical persuadability. Maintaining openness to new evidence and being willing to reconsider our beliefs is essential in our ever-changing world.
Daphne
Fostering empathy is essential in an age where having a nuanced understanding of others seems elusive. How can we cultivate empathy across ideological divides instead of deepening our own tribalistic mindset?
Leor
It's crucial to steer clear of rhetoric that emphasizes scarcity, as it fuels discrimination and exclusion. Reframing narratives in terms of plentitude and abundance is more likely to foster empathy and facilitate cross-ideological understanding.
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References:[1] Cognitive flexibility and openness to change: Key indicators of ideological rigidity.[2] The neuroscience of neurological traits and ideological thinking: A new frontier in understanding extremism.[3] Brain function and worldviews: The role of coherence in ideological dogmatism.[4] Therapeutic approaches to reducing cognitive rigidity: Psychedelic-assisted therapy and beyond.
- The book, The Ideological Brain, investigates the factors that limit adaptability in people's minds, shedding light on neurological traits that contribute to ideological rigidity.
- Zmigrod's research suggests that a rigid mindset can be seen in various aspects of life, including political, religious, social discourse, climate denialism, and even extremist ideologies and violence.
- The neuroscientist discusses the compelling nature of ideologies, highlighting how they offer coherence and simplicity in a complex world.
- Climate deniers often cast the struggle over resources in terms of a battle between humanity and the environment, a skewed logic that reinforces their beliefs.
- A vital trait that encourages extremist ideologies is cognitive rigidity, which is difficult to change once it has formed, but can be reinforced by external factors such as social media and online echo chambers.
- Maintaining openness to new evidence, being willing to reconsider beliefs, and avoiding rhetoric that emphasizes scarcity are key to fostering cognitive flexibility and empathy across ideological divides.
