Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 5, 2026
06:42
Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses
Published on: September 28, 2018
14.3K
Probing the neural basis of superstition
Li-Lin Rao1, Yu Zheng, Yuan Zhou
1Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research Center, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 16 Lincui Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, People's Republic of China, raoll@psych.ac.cn.
Brain Topography
|November 30, 2013
Summary
Neuroscience reveals how the brain processes superstition. Functional MRI showed the right middle/superior frontal gyrus deactivates during superstitious choices, linking brain activity to individual belief levels.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Decision Science
Background:
- Superstitious beliefs persist despite lacking empirical support.
- Understanding the neural basis of superstitious decision-making is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the neural correlates of superstitious decision-making.
- To compare brain responses to monetary versus auspicious date valuations.
- To explore individual differences in superstitious behavior.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was employed.
- Participants made choices based on monetary attractiveness and auspicious dates.
- Neural activity was analyzed in relation to choice type and belief levels.
Main Results:
- The right middle/superior frontal gyrus exhibited greater deactivation during auspicious-based choices.
- This deactivation correlated negatively with self-rated superstitious belief.
- Specific brain regions signal superstitious decision-making.
Conclusions:
- The right middle/superior frontal gyrus plays a role in superstitious decision-making.
- Neural activity in this region can account for individual differences in superstition.
- This study provides insights into the brain's handling of superstition.
Related Concept Videos
01:29Magical Thinking
353
Magical thinking encompasses the belief in assumptions that defy logical reasoning yet appear intuitively convincing. It is a common psychological phenomenon that persists across various cultural and individual contexts. While these assumptions contradict empirical evidence and scientific laws, they often serve meaningful psychological roles in promoting emotional resilience and a sense of control, especially under stress or uncertainty.Thought-Action Fusion and the Law of SimilarityA key...
353
01:53Cause and Effect
10.5K
While variables are sometimes correlated because one does cause the other, it could also be that some other factor, a confounding variable, is actually causing the systematic movement in our variables of interest. For instance, as sales in ice cream increase, so does the overall rate of crime. Is it possible that indulging in your favorite flavor of ice cream could send you on a crime spree? Or, after committing crime do you think you might decide to treat yourself to a cone?
10.5K
01:23Extrasensory Perception
1.2K
Extrasensory perception, or ESP, suggests the ability to perceive events beyond the conventional senses of sight, hearing, and touch. Parapsychologists, who research ESP and related psychic phenomena, categorize ESP into three main types: precognition, telepathy, and clairvoyance.
Precognition involves foreseeing future events, such as predicting an accident before it happens. An example of precognition could be someone dreaming about a specific event, like a car crash, which then occurs...
Precognition involves foreseeing future events, such as predicting an accident before it happens. An example of precognition could be someone dreaming about a specific event, like a car crash, which then occurs...
1.2K
01:37Reason and Intuition
5.9K
The human brain processes information for decision-making using one of two routes: an intuitive system and a rational system (Epstein, 1994; popularized by Kahneman, 2011 as System 1 and System 2, respectively). The intuitive system is quick, impulsive, and operates with minimal effort, relying on emotions or habits to provide cues for what to do next, while the rational system is logical, analytical, deliberate, and methodical. Research in neuropsychology suggests that the...
5.9K
02:40The Scientific Method
57.2K
Research is what makes the difference between facts and opinions. Facts are observable realities, and opinions are personal judgments, conclusions, or attitudes that may or may not be accurate. In the scientific community, facts can be established only using evidence collected through empirical research.
57.2K
01:20Evolutionary Psychology
1.4K
Evolutionary psychology explores the origins of human behavior and mental processes by framing them within the context of natural selection, a theory famously propounded by Charles Darwin. This field asserts that many behaviors common across human societies — ranging from instinctive fear reactions to complex social interactions — arose as evolutionary adaptations. These adaptations enhanced the survival and reproductive success of our ancestors, thereby becoming embedded in the...
1.4K