Something we have all speculated about and known anecdotally...and now its been confirmed.

I like science.

So, as the honorary psychologist of the forum, let me unpack the study lol:

1. First of all, the study is not about religious fundamentalists having brain damage. Instead, it explores the effects that brain damage has on religious fundamentalism. Always remember that brain damage is the patron saint of psychology and neuroscience. By looking at what goes wrong when the brain is damaged, we can guess what that region does when it works normally. So, think of this study more like an exploration into what the vmPFC and dlPFC does in a normal brain, as viewed through the lens of fundamentalism..

2. The second important thing to understand are all the key players and their definitions. In psychology, whenever you’re talking about something such as fundamentalism, you need a way to define and measure it. In this study, they defined fundamentalism using a 10-question survey, such as, “Is it more important to be a good person than to believe in God and the right religion.” The other two players in the study were “Openness” and “Cognitive Flexibility.” Openness was measured with a personality test, and cognitive flexibility with a sorting task.

Never assume to know what terms like these mean until you looked how the study defines them. Scientific language isn't the same as political language. They’re basically viewing fundamentalism, not as right or wrong, but as the tendency to want to stay the same; a trait that could apply to many things from religion to sports.

3. The affected locations: One is in the bottom (vmPFC) the other on the top (dlPFC) of the frontal lobe. If you’ve heard of Phineas Gage, the rod that pierced him destroyed most of his vmPFC. Some of the changes he’s famous for having, were becoming irresponsible, inconsiderate, and indecisive. Why? Because one of the trademarks of vmPFC damage is lack of impulse control. So, a person with this damage is still reasonable, can solve problems, and can think theoretically, but for some reason cannot apply it to practical life situation, they may go gamble their life away. It ruins a person’s emotional control, but not their cognitive functions. Our emotions are very important for many things, particularly for moral judgments. Have you heard of the famous trolley experiment, where you push a fat guy unto the rails? People without damage are reluctant to push the guy, and have their vmPFC light up. But people with damage are not affected by the negative emotions associated with pushing the person, so have no problems doing it to save lives.

That's why your study mention that people with vmPFC damage, aremore likely to judge extreme behaviors as more acceptable, so they're more prone to see fundamentalist views as less radical..

4. The study is looking at how damage to vmPFC and dlPFC affects openness and cognitive flexibility, with the assumption that these traits play a role in fundamentalist beliefs. But rest assured that damage to these areas affects many more things, the lack of openness will display across the board.

5. Concluding thoughts: Never view brain damage as a guide for right or wrong, because you seem to be stigmatizing fundamentalist beliefs, on account that a person becomes prone to it when damaged in a specific area. Brain damage can produce a thousand different behavioral changes. A tumor in just the right spot can make someone want to go to Hollywood to become a star, but that does not imply that only a brain damaged person would ever go to Hollywood to become a star. I've even come across studies correlating autism and atheism. So always think like a psychologist when you read these studies.

If a belief is wrong, does pathologizing it tell you anything new?