Unraveling the Neural Correlates of Intergroup Aggression: A Conversation with Dr. Chester

Aggression is a common behavioral response within rival groups, and while psychological and socio-ecological factors have been studied extensively, the neuroscience behind this phenomenon still has much to uncover. Dr. Chester is at the forefront of this exploration, specifically examining the neural correlates of outgroup versus ingroup aggression. In this episode, we delve into Dr. Chester's study which involved 35 healthy young male participants who were either current or former students of the same university. The study participants underwent functional MRI while participating in an aggression task against both an ingroup and outgroup opponent. This task involved the participants being repeatedly provoked by their opponents, followed by the opportunity to retaliate. Dr. Chester's findings revealed that aggression towards outgroup members was associated with activity in the ventral striatum both before and after social exclusion by outgroup members. Additionally, outgroup aggression was linked to greater activity in the rostral and dorsal medial prefrontal cortex post-exclusion.Join us as we discuss these compelling findings with Dr. Chester and explore the critical role of frontostriatal mechanisms in motivating outgroup aggression. Keywords: Aggression, Intergroup Conflict, Functional MRI, Neuroscience, Dr. Chester, Ventral Striatum, Medial Prefrontal Cortex.Lasko EN, Dagher AC, West SJ, Chester DS. Neural mechanisms of intergroup exclusion and retaliatory aggression. Soc Neurosci. 2022 Jun 14:1-13. doi: 10.1080/17470919.2022.2086617. PMID: 35658812.