Brain Response to Contempt and Disgust
Author Information
Author(s): André Aleman, Marte Swart
Primary Institution: BCN Neuroimaging Center, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
Hypothesis
Men would respond stronger to biological signals of interpersonal superiority (e.g., contempt) than women.
Conclusion
The study found that men displayed stronger brain activation than women in response to facial expressions of contempt, while women showed stronger responses to disgust.
Supporting Evidence
- Men showed stronger activation in response to contemptuous faces across various brain regions.
- Women exhibited stronger activation to disgusted faces compared to men.
- Facial expressions of contempt and disgust activated a network of brain regions including the amygdala and prefrontal areas.
Takeaway
The study looked at how men's and women's brains react to faces showing contempt and disgust, finding that men react more to contempt and women more to disgust.
Methodology
Participants viewed facial expressions of contempt and disgust while undergoing fMRI scans, responding to a target face in an oddball task.
Potential Biases
Potential biases may arise from the small sample size and the specific demographic of participants.
Limitations
The study was limited to a small sample size and focused only on facial expressions without considering other social cues.
Participant Demographics
16 healthy subjects (8 men, 8 women) with a mean age of 22.5 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p=0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Want to read the original?
Access the complete publication on the publisher's website