"I AM NOT RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT"
Posted on 10/17/2005 12:52:15 PM PDT by afraidfortherepublic
Brain abnormalities linked to pathological lying Reuters
Oct 17, 2005 — NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Pathological liars may have structural abnormalities in their brains, a new study suggests.
Dr. Adrian Raine and Yaling Yang of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, and colleagues found that individuals who habitually lied and cheated had less gray matter and more white matter in their prefrontal cortex than normal people. They report their findings in the British Journal of Psychiatry.
Past studies have found that the prefrontal cortex shows heightened activity when normal people lie, and it is believed to be involved in both learning moral behavior and feeling remorse.
Because gray matter consists of brain cells, while white matter forms the "wiring" or connections between these cells, pathological liars may have more capacity to lie and fewer moral restraints, the authors suggest.
"They've got the equipment to lie, and they don't have the disinhibition that the rest of us have in telling the big whoppers," Raine said in a press release accompanying the study.
The researchers used a series of psychological tests and interviews in a group of volunteers to identify 12 pathological liars, 16 people with antisocial personality disorder but no history of lying, and 21 normal people. They then examined the brains of all study participants using magnetic resonance imaging.
Liars had 26 percent more white matter in their prefrontal cortex than people with antisocial personality disorder, and 22 percent more than normal people. But they had 14 percent less gray matter than normal individuals.
Interestingly, the researchers note, autistic people — who are known to have difficulty lying — show a shift in gray-to-white matter ratio opposite to that seen among liars in the current study.
"Although autism is a complex condition and cannot be taken as a model for lying, these results on autistic children, combined with the prior fMRI findings on lying in normal controls, converge with current findings on adult liars suggesting that the prefrontal cortex is centrally involved in the capacity to lie," the authors write.
"I AM NOT RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT"
And then we have biofeedback. People can influence their physical processes -- blood pressure, brain waves, stomach-acid production, etc--by learning to use biofeedback equipment. I wonder whether those who can change their brain waves at will fall into the pathological liar category. Can they also influence a polygraph?
And then there are actors. Good actors assume another character altogether. I saw Lily Tomlin on stage change into a different person without moving a muscle. A masterful performance, but shrinkocrats would undoubtedly consider it abnormal.
I guess the divide is that materialists see all belief, thought, speech and action as created in the brain (with which they identify) while those who see humans as spiritual beings view the brain as a complex switchboard subject to modification by the operator.
"Because gray matter consists of brain cells, while white matter forms the "wiring" or connections between these cells, pathological liars may have more capacity to lie and fewer moral restraints, the authors suggest."
If you examined Bill Klinton's brain you would find 10% gray matter, and 90% of that would be dedicated to sex.
Good point. But it makes me wonder what parents do to their creative kids when they shout at them for "lying."
I'm not sure JimRob would grant me the bandwidth needed to properly document this - instead I will leave you with this thought: What would classygreeneyedphantom do?
i don't know, but if we slice open the brain, i am betting we see lots and lots of white....
Can we do it without anesthesia?
No ... some of them are brain washed and others are brain dead. All three conditions are epidemic in cultures which have celebrated inbreeding for thousands of years.
What it probably means is, brains of individuals who habitually lied and cheated lost gray matter and developed more white matter in their prefrontal cortex than normal people.
Hmmmm. George Washington couldn't tell a lie....
I have this.It only comes out with my husband.Strange
I knew liberals were different from us somehow!
Don't misunderestimate the power of the gray matter.
Have no fear. I'm sure your questions will be answered when brain scans are standard procedure for all school entrance physicals. Of course, it would only be for the purpose of assuring that they are properly categorized and diagnosed are placed in the proper educational setting for their capabilities.
OMG! I think you've discovered Rosie O'Donnell's real parents.
No wonder Bill Clinton didn't want any release of his medical records.
interesting article~!
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