Can You Find Out Whether Politician A Is More A Fanatic Than B? – OpEd

Can you find out whether politician A is more fanatic than B? Scientist A more fanatic than scientist B?  Medical imaging specialists now believe that they can quantify fanaticism of individuals  by reviewing the Magnetic Resonance Images (MRI) of  their brains! It is admittedly a bit complicated.

“Soccer fans exhibit different patterns of brain activation while watching a match that may trigger positive and negative emotions and behaviors,”  On November 21, this year researchers presented their findings at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) at Chicago, USA. They claimed that  the implications of these findings could extend beyond sports to fanaticism in other areas, such as politics! Can the efforts lead to categorizing politicians, scientists etc based on their degree of fanaticism?  Presently MRI Reveals Brain Activity Behind Fanaticism.

“This study aims to shed light on the behaviors and dynamics associated with extreme rivalry, aggression and social affiliation within and between groups of fanatics,” The study’s lead author, Francisco Zamorano Mendieta, Ph.D., researcher in the Department of Imaging at Clínica Alemana de Santiago, and associate professor at Facultad de Ciencias para el Cuidado de la Salud, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile, clarified in a press release from the Society.

The researchers noted that rivalries run deep in the history of sports, and fans can be very protective of their “home” team and favorite players. 

“These same fans run the gamut of emotions watching their team succeed or fail over the course of a game or match, cheering when they score or raging at a bad call. Soccer fans are known for their team loyalty and enthusiasm, particularly in Europe and South America.”

 Mercifully, the researchers did not refer to the violent behaviour of some of the sports fanatics. One may recall  that the original reason for  the Football War between El Salvador and Honduras in 1969 was a football match!

How did medical imaging specialists demonstrate their conclusions? Dr. Zamorano and colleagues recruited 43 healthy male volunteers who support Chilean football teams for a functional MRI (f-MRI) study. The researchers wanted to gain insight into the brain mechanisms behind the behaviors of the fans.

The study teams included football fans from the two most popular Chilean soccer teams, considered archrivals. Researchers divided the participants  into two groups, 22 supporters of one team and 21 supporters of the rival team. Participants completed a survey to determine a soccer fanaticism score and underwent psychological evaluations.

Researchers presented all participants with a compilation of matches containing 63 goals. While the participants viewed the match compilation, the researchers measured  their brain activity  using functional MRI (f-MRI), a noninvasive imaging technique that basically detects changes in the brain’s blood flow.

The fMRI results showed that brain activity changed when the fan’s team succeeded or failed.

“When their team wins, the reward system in the brain is activated,” the RSNA press release quoted Dr. Zamorano.  “When they lose, the mentalization network can be activated, taking the fan to an introspective state. This may mitigate some of the pain of the loss. We also observed inhibition of the brain hub that connects the limbic system with frontal cortices, hampering the mechanism that regulates cognitive control and increasing the probability to fall into disruptive or violent behavior.”

Dr. Zamorano stated that the findings may shed light on social dynamics in all walks of life.

People are social animals. They “inherently crave social connections, be it through membership in a running club, participation in a book discussion group, or engagement in virtual forums,” he said. “While these social bonds often form around shared beliefs, values and interests, there can also be an element of persuasive proselytism, or ‘group think,’ which may give rise to unreasoned beliefs and societal discord.” Zamorano argued.

Dr. Zamorano believes that the zealousness found among some sports fans can serve as a compelling example of intense emotional investment, occasional aggressive behavior and impaired rationality.

“Understanding the psychology of group identification and competition can shed light on decision-making processes and social dynamics, leading to a fuller comprehension of how societies operate,” he said.

Dr. Zamorano cautioned that research in fanaticism and partisanship necessitates robust scientific frameworks but added that arenas like political stances, electoral loyalties, ethnicity, spirituality and identity issues are frequently mired in controversy, complicating efforts to pinpoint the neurological foundations of extreme allegiance.

“Sports fandom, on the other hand, presents a unique opportunity to analyze how intense devotion affects neural activity in a less contentious context, particularly by highlighting the role of negative emotions, the related inhibitory control mechanisms and possible adaptative strategies,” he said.