Chapter 19 – Political Neuroscience

This chapter examines the emerging interdisciplinary field of political neuroscience. Existing research using structural and functional neuroimaging to understand political affect, cognition, and behavior is reviewed, considering both similarities and differences across individuals. Focusing on how affective and cognitive processes give rise to political behavior, additional work from neuroscience, psychology, and political science is discussed and integrated. I argue that significant advances in political neuroscience likely require an integration of neuroscience with political science in a way that incorporates social psychological theory. Psychology can help bridge the gap between these seemingly disparate levels of analysis—from brain function to mass political behavior—and may help guide hypothesis generation and experimental design. I consider how the political neuroscience approach may help shed light on important questions in social and political psychology, such as the interplay between cognition and emotion. Limitations of existing work and suggestions for future research are discussed.