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- A new brain imaging study shows brain structure differences linked to authoritarian attitudes on both political extremes.
- Right-wing authoritarianism was linked to less gray matter in the part of the brain used for moral thinking.
- Left-wing authoritarianism went along with a thinner outer layer in a key area for feeling with others and handling feelings.
- Both left- and right-leaning authoritarians were alike in one way: they acted on impulse when under emotional stress.
- Researchers point out that brain structure might work with societal influences to shape how people think about politics.
Can brain scans show your political beliefs? New research suggests this is possible. Authoritarian attitudes—strict, top-down ways of thinking that favor strong order and harsh rules—are now being tied to specific patterns in brain structure. Using brain imaging, scientists are finding that differences in key brain areas might not just show, but also help explain, the thinking behind authoritarianism. This seems true whether it’s on the political left or right. This important work connects brain science and the study of political thinking. It gives a clearer picture of how our brains might affect the ideas we pick up.
Not Just One Side: Measuring Authoritarianism
Authoritarianism is often seen as something only on the far-right. But it’s not just part of one political view. Recent psychological research increasingly points to different ways of thinking that are authoritarian. This includes types found on the political left. Both types are different in what they focus on. But they share traits like seeing things as simply right or wrong, not wanting people to disagree, and being aggressive toward those they see as a threat.
To tell these differences apart, researchers used newer tools. These included scales for Left-Wing Authoritarianism (LWA) and Right-Wing Authoritarianism (RWA). These scales look at specific attitudes, such as:
Right-wing authoritarianism (RWA):
- Supporting standard rules and obeying people in charge
- Agreeing with being aggressive toward people who question old ways
- Believing there are absolute rights and wrongs
Left-wing authoritarianism (LWA):
- Believing in top-down control to challenge power structures
- Supporting the stopping of views seen as harmful or unfair
- A tendency toward radical or big changes
Along with surveys about political ideas, tests for acting on impulse, handling feelings, and feeling worried helped add more information. These traits often overlap with authoritarian leanings. This helps create a picture of the way the mind works and feels when these ideas take hold.
What’s Going On in the Brain? Using Imaging
A key part of this study was using advanced brain imaging to see structure. The researchers scanned 100 young adults using high-resolution Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). They looked for links between authoritarian beliefs and the way the brain is built.
They paid special attention to:
- Gray Matter Volume (GMV) – This is the amount of brain tissue with many neurons in different parts of the brain. It is linked to how the brain processes information and handles feelings.
- Cortical Thickness – This measures the thickness of the outer layer of the brain, called the cerebral cortex. This layer is involved in complex thinking and making choices.
This study looked at the whole brain in an unbiased way, not just certain spots. This allowed the team to find connections across many brain structures. They weren’t just testing ideas they already had. This makes the findings stronger.
Right-Wing Authoritarianism and Social Thinking
A key finding came from participants who scored high on right-wing authoritarianism. They had much less gray matter in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC). This brain area does important work. It is central to:
- Thinking about others: Understanding what other people are thinking and feeling
- Moral thinking: Deciding right from wrong in complex situations
- Flexible thinking: Being able to think in open ways or about things that are not simple opposites
Less gray matter in this area has been linked before to rigid thinking, finding it hard to see things from another’s point of view, and less feeling for others. All these traits are found in known patterns of authoritarian thinking. This type of thinking often means being certain about beliefs, not trusting outsiders, and not feeling for those who question standard ways.
🧠 Fast Fact: The dmPFC is important when you need to feel with others, guess what others might do socially, or figure out a moral problem. All of these abilities are weaker in authoritarian ways of thinking.
Importantly, this physical difference was not just a random brain shape. It was directly linked to the thinking patterns of right-wing authoritarianism. This adds a biological layer to our understanding of thinking tied to political ideas.
Left-Wing Authoritarianism and Feeling
Right-wing authoritarianism showed clear links to weaker higher-level social brain areas. But left-leaning authoritarian beliefs were linked to a different brain area. Participants who held attitudes like stopping views they disagreed with or aggressively confronting power structures showed a thinner outer layer in the right anterior insula.
The right anterior insula is a main area for feelings and sensing the body’s internal state. It is very important for:
- Feeling with others and caring: Seeing and sharing in the feelings of others
- Being aware of feelings: Noticing one’s own internal feelings
- Stopping oneself: Pausing before acting
Less thickness in this outer layer might make it harder to be aware of one’s own feelings and control them. This could lead to acting on impulse, especially when seeing something unfair or feeling upset. These leanings match what is often seen in more extreme types of leftist authoritarian thinking. This is when a strong focus on fairness turns into fixed ideas or anger.
🧠 Fast Fact: The right anterior insula helps manage feeling with others and controlling impulses. These are two abilities closely tied to fighting for social fairness. When they are not working well, it can cause overreactions or aggressive behavior driven by feelings.
Acting on Impulse Due to Feelings: A Shared Trait
Even though their beliefs might be on opposite ends of political discussions, people with left- and right-wing authoritarian tendencies shared one main psychological trait: a tendency to act on impulse when feeling strong negative emotions.
This tendency reflects acting without thinking when feeling very upset. It’s not like just being spontaneous at any time. This kind of impulsivity happens most when someone feels overwhelmed by feelings. This makes it more likely they will make quick decisions, feel great moral anger, or be aggressive in what they say.
From a brain standpoint, acting on impulse when stressed often comes from things not being balanced between the parts of the brain for feelings and the parts for control. This could be strong activity in feeling areas and weaker control from the front part of the brain. Such tendencies can make people open to ideas that offer order, answers, or social change. This is especially true in confusing or threatening situations.
🔁 Whether it’s anger at changes in culture or strong moral dislike of unfairness, both types of authoritarianism might turn acting on impulse due to feelings into simple, black-and-white political views.
Worry and the Left: Making Things Stronger?
Another thing that set the authoritarian types apart was feeling worried as a personality trait. This was especially true among participants with left-wing authoritarian tendencies. Trait anxiety means a stable tendency to see situations as too threatening or unclear. This ongoing feeling of not being safe can be a strong factor in having rigid ideas.
For left-leaning authoritarians, this might show up as reacting strongly to unfairness, feeling a need for quick change, or being ready to limit perceived threats (like wrong information, or being unfair to a group) by stopping opposing views. The wish to completely change systems is not just about what feels right morally. It’s also about psychology.
From a brain perspective, this might mean more activity in brain circuits involving the amygdala (which finds threats) working with less control from the front part of the brain. This study looked at brain structure. But a future step could use functional brain imaging (fMRI). This could show emotional overactivity more directly as it happens.
Political Beliefs Show Brain Patterns
What makes these findings carry special weight is how they connect back to known political ideas. The brain differences seen were not just random. They lined up clearly with patterns in political ideas:
- Participants with less dmPFC volume (linked to right-wing authoritarianism) also scored higher on social dominance orientation (SDO). SDO means preferring clear social rankings, even if it means accepting unfairness.
- And those with thinner right anterior insulas (linked to left-wing authoritarianism) supported radical change ideas like radical feminism. This is often connected to goals of challenging authority or sharing wealth.
These patterns suggest that brain structure might make people ready not just to have authoritarian mindsets, but also certain political versions of them. It is not about belonging to a party. It is about what kind of social world the brain feels most comfortable being in.
Could Beliefs Shape the Brain—or the Other Way Around?
One important point: this was a study looking at a single time point. This means it was a picture taken at one moment. That makes it impossible to say what caused what.
It is quite possible that long-held beliefs—especially those shaped by events with strong feelings like war, political division, or personal difficult experiences—might slowly change the brain. The brain’s ability to change based on what it experiences is well known. This happens in both negative (like trauma) and positive (like quiet thinking) situations.
On the other hand, differences present from birth—in how strongly someone reacts to feelings, how flexible their thinking is, or how sensitive they are to risk—might make someone more likely to adopt certain beliefs. The way biology and ideas work together is likely a back-and-forth process. This is especially true during important growing stages like being a teenager and young adult.
To figure out this question of what comes first, researchers are saying we need studies that follow people over time. These studies would follow participants for years. They would measure how beliefs change and how that affects the brain. Or they would measure the other way around.
Why This Is Important for Society
Connecting brain science and social belief systems offers important uses.
- Finding things early – Mapping authoritarian leanings early—especially when they come with trouble handling feelings or acting on impulse—could help find people who might be open to radical or harmful ideas.
- Help – Programs aimed at getting better at handling feelings, seeing others’ points of view, or feeling for others could make people less likely to think in authoritarian ways. These could include practicing quiet thinking, learning about moral thinking, or group discussions.
- Understanding others – Seeing that people’s brains actually process threat, fairness, and ranking differently creates room for more complex, less judgmental talks about politics.
In a world where extreme views and political division are growing, these findings remind us that belief is not just taught. It is also connected to our brain’s wiring. And understanding that wiring can lead to better, more humane ways of helping people.
Cultural Factors and Study Limits
A fair point about this study is its scope. The information came from young university students in Spain between 18 and 30 years old. This brings up important limits:
- Age matters – The brains of teenagers and young adults are still developing. This is especially true in areas related to handling feelings and making choices.
- Cultural setting – Spain is a southern European country with its own history and politics. Authoritarianism there might not be the same as in the U.S., China, or countries that used to be part of the Soviet Union.
- Applying findings to others – Findings based on groups that are very similar (like university students) might not be true for people with different education levels, backgrounds, or who live in cities or the countryside.
Studies that repeat this research in different cultures will be needed to build a general understanding of the brain science of authoritarianism around the world.
Mapping the Brain’s Profile of Authoritarianism
The research team, led by brain scientist Dr. Jesús Adrián-Ventura, sees a future where ideas can be studied like any other behavior. This would be done carefully, with feeling for others, and using scientific tools.
Next steps in research might include:
- Functional MRI (fMRI) – Measuring how authoritarian brains react in real time to political fights, threats, or violations of moral rules.
- Programs to build feeling for others – Testing if practicing seeing things from another’s point of view repeatedly can visibly increase the size of the dmPFC or the thickness of the anterior insula.
- Follow-ups over time – Looking at how ideas and brain structure change together as people get older.
By drawing clearer lines between feelings, thinking, and belief, brain science may help us understand not just what people believe—but why.
Handling Ethical Issues
Of course, we must handle such powerful findings with care. There are risks in suggesting people are somehow meant to be authoritarian because of their brain. Just like there are dangers in treating political differences as if they are a sickness.
Instead, the field must:
- Point out that brain structure offers likely, not certain, information
- Treat beliefs as things that can change, especially through learning, therapy, and life experiences
- Be careful to protect private information and keep governments or groups from misusing findings
Ethics should guide science—not the other way around.
How the Brain Shapes Belief—And What That Tells Us About Ourselves
This important study shows a surprising possibility: our brains do more than just think about politics—they might shape who we are politically. From the size of the areas that help us feel with others to the thickness of our parts for controlling feelings, the structure of belief is becoming clearer. But biology is not everything. A brain built in a way that links to authoritarian attitudes can still grow, change, and think again. And that might be the most hopeful fact of all.
Want to know how your way of thinking might show up in your brain? Read the full study or sign up for our newsletter to find out more about the interesting connection between mind, brain, and belief.
Citation
- Adrián-Ventura, J., Avendaño, D., Miró-Padilla, A., Cherednichenko, A., Ávila, C., & Fasce, A. (2025). Authoritarianism and the brain: Structural MR correlates associated with polarized left- and right-wing ideology traits. Neuroscience. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2025.04.027
