Neuroscientific approaches to the study of system justification

Recent advances in the study of political attitudes and behavior have incorporated neurobiological methods to elucidate the basic affective and cognitive processes that support political decisions. This review integrates perspectives in political neuroscience research and focuses on the neurobiological bases of system justification — the motivation to regard the existing social system as legitimate and desirable. Neuroscientific evidence indicates that system justification and propensity to engage in political protest are associated with interindividual differences in amygdala structure. This suggests the possibility that our inclinations to protect versus protest the status quo are linked to our biological responses. Much of the promise of using neuroscience approaches in this interdisciplinary work lies in future investigations to help clarify outstanding questions about the palliative function of system justification and the neurocognitive bases of political participation.