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Updated: Jun 25, 2026

Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses
Published on: September 28, 2018
Ideological meanings and uses of the instinct concept
Abstract:
During the latter half of the 20th century it tended to be taken for granted within Psychology that "nativist" or "hereditarian" theoretical positions were intrinsically right-wing in their ideological connotations, while those of "environmentalist" positions were left-wing. In this paper, written from the perspective of a critical historian of Psychology, it is suggested that this is too simplistic. As popularly understood, the term "instinct" has at least three meanings, which differ considerably in their ethical register. It is argued that in none of these senses can unambiguous ideological implications can be drawn.
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