Neuropolitics Research Lab

Description

The Neuropolitics Research Lab produces transdisciplinary research, utilizing developments in the cognitive neurosciences, to shed new light on political attitudes, identities and decision-behaviours.

The Lab’s aim is to test the utility of methods more typically associated with neuroscience, informatics and cognitive psychology in helping to understand more about political attitudes and behaviours. Neuropolitics interrogates the relationship between cognitive and neuro-biological processes and political attitudes, identities and behaviours, both from a theoretical point-of-view and in practice.

Members aim to understand and establish what is happening in people's brains, minds and bodies when they are posting comments online, making policy, voting in elections or deciding whether to trust or share 'fake' news. Members use these insights to guide public policy practice and enhance public understanding at a national and international level.

New technologies allow unprecedented access to the human brain. Online activities and the resulting 'big data' allow unprecedented access to citizens' political reactions, interactions and judgments. Cognitive neuroscientists, data scientists, psychologists, social and political scientists will combine to transform the understanding of the psychology and politics driving public opinion and political behaviour, and thus help to shape public policy interventions. The Lab’s neuropolitics research is produced in collaboration with colleagues from the social sciences, psychology, informatics and the brain imaging centres at the University of Edinburgh. Members also work closely with colleagues from other Universities at home and abroad as well as with partners in industry.

The group uses a range of experimental approaches, including fMRI brain scanning, survey experiments, behavioural games, face-emotion coding, eye-tracking and physiological hormone testing as well as big data analysis, to explore the mind–brain–action nexus in political and policy context. The Lab is currently running a series of fMRI brain scanning, face-emotion coding and eye-tracking experiments. The Lab is always looking for healthy volunteers who are willing to collaborate.

Offers funding

No, this infrastructure does not provide funding.

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University affiliation(s)

University of Edinburgh
Old College
South Bridge
Edinburgh
EH8 9YL