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Why do some find it hard to disagree? An fMRI study
Duque, Juan Dominguez Taing, Sreyneth A. Molenberghs, Pascal
Duque, Juan Dominguez
Taing, Sreyneth A.
Molenberghs, Pascal
Abstract
People often find it hard to disagree with others, but how this disposition varies across individuals or how it is influenced by social factors like other people's level of expertise remains little understood. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), we found that activity across a network of brain areas (comprising posterior medial frontal cortex, anterior insula, inferior frontal gyrus, lateral orbitofrontal cortex, and angular gyrus) was modulated by individual differences in the frequency with which participants actively disagreed with statements made by others. Specifically, participants who disagreed less frequently exhibited greater brain activation in these areas when they actually disagreed. Given the role of this network in cognitive dissonance, our results suggest that some participants had more trouble disagreeing due to a heightened cognitive dissonance response. Contrary to expectation, the level of expertise (high or low) had no effect on behavior or brain activity.
Keywords
conflict, individual differences, expertise, cognitive dissonance, social neuroscience, posterior medial frontal cortex, anterior insula
Date
2016
Type
Journal article
Journal
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience
Book
Volume
9
Issue
Page Range
1-9
Article Number
ACU Department
Collections
Files
Relation URI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
Open access
License
File Access
Open