Methods of neuroscience in studying world politics
Lebedeva M.M.,
MGIMO University, Moscow, Russia, mmlebedeva@gmail.com
elibrary_id: 250953 | ORCID: 0000-0003-4162-0807 | RESEARCHER_ID: C-2309-2013
Zinovieva E.S.,
MGIMO University, Moscow, Russia, elena.zinovjeva@gmail.com
elibrary_id: 625192 |
Article received: 2023.02.15. Accepted: 2023.06.29
DOI: 10.17976/jpps/2023.05.09
EDN: GAFBFW
Lebedeva M.M., Zinovieva E.S. Methods of neuroscience in studying world politics. – Polis. Political Studies. 2023. No. 5. https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2023.05.09. EDN: GAFBFW
The publication was supported by the MGIMO University development programme “Priority 2030”.
Neuroscience is actively developing and penetrating into social areas of scientific research. Compared to other areas of the social sciences, international relations and world politics have been less concerned with neurostudies, since the conduct of experiment, which is the main method of neuroscience, is limited. The research question of the article is the following: how does neuroscience open up new opportunities for the study of world politics and, in particular, international negotiations? Neuroscience is aimed at obtaining objective data. In the history of international research, there were periods of increased interest in objective research methods. The last period is associated with the fourth industrial revolution and the emergence, among other things, of neuroscience. The article highlights four areas of neuroscience in the field of international relations and world politics: 1) The role of cognitive and emotional processes, the problem of leadership, cooperation and conflict in international relations and world politics in decisionmaking and interaction; 2) Differences in the course of neuroprocesses among representatives of different cultures; 3) The possibility of transferring data obtained by neuroscience to international relations and world politics; 4) Limitations and emerging benefits of using neuroscience in international research.
References
Agbanyo, G.K., & Wang, Y. (2022). Understanding cross-cultural differences in conceptualizing international trade patterns: a neuroeconomic perspective. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 16, 1-6. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2022.916084
Alós-Ferrer, C. (2018). A review essay on social neuroscience: can research on the social brain and economics inform each other? Journal of Economic Literature, 56(1), 234-264. https://doi.org/10.1257/jel.20171370
Aquilar, F., & Galluccio, M. (2008). Psychological processes in international negotiations: theoretical and practical perspectives. Springer Science + Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-71380-9
Atzil, S, Gao, W, Fradkin, I, & Barrett, L.F. (2018). Growing a social brain. Nature Human Behaviour, 2(9), 624-636. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-018-0384-6
Axelrod, R., Hamilton, W.D. (1981). The evolution of cooperation. Science, 211(4489), 1390-1396. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.7466396
Boksem, M.A.S., De Cremer, D. (2010). Fairness concerns predict medial frontal negativity amplitude in ultimatum bargaining. Social Neuroscience, 5(1), 118-128. https://doi.org/10.1080/17470910903202666
Capraro, V., & Cococcioni, G. (2015). Social setting, intuition and experience in laboratory experiments interact to shape cooperative decision-making. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 282(1811). http://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2015.0237
De Almeida, A.T., Roselli, L.R.P., Morais, D.C., & Costa, A.P.C.S. (2021). Neuroscience tools for group decision and negotiation. In D.M. Kilgour, & C. Eden (Ed.), Handbook of Group Decision and Negotiation (pp. 315-338). Cham: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-49629-6_53
Dolan, T.M. (2016). Emotion and strategic learning in war. Foreign Policy Analysis, 12(4), 571-590. https://doi.org/10.1111/fpa.12052
Edinger, H. (2021). Theory of irrational politics: classical realist lessons on foreign policy analysis. International Studies Review, 23(4), 1181-1207. https://doi.org/10.1093/isr/viaa095
Fisher, R., Ury, W.L., & Patton, B. (2011). Getting to yes: negotiating agreement without giving in. Boston, MA: Houghton Milfflin.
Franks, D.D. (2010). Neurosociology: the nexus between neuroscience and social psychology. Springer Science & Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-5531-9_7
Franks, D., & Turner, J. (Ed.). (2013). Handbook of neurosociology. New York, London: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4473-8
Gammon, E. (2020). Affective neuroscience, emotional regulation, and international relations. International Theory, 12(2), 189-219. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1752971919000253
Glimcher, P.W., Camerer, C.F., Fehr, E., & Poldrack, R.A. (Ed.). (2009). Neuroeconomics: decision making and the brain. London: Elsevier Academic Press.
Holmes, M. (2014). International politics at the brain's edge: social neuroscience and a new “Via Media”. International Studies Perspectives, 15(2), 209-228. https://doi.org/10.1111/insp.12012
Holmes, M. (2018). Face-to-face diplomacy. Social neuroscience and international relations. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108264761
Jost, J.T., Nam, H.H., Amodio, D.M., & Van Bavel, J.J. (2014). Political neuroscience: the beginning of a beautiful friendship. Political Psychology, 35, 3-42. https://doi.org/10.1111/pops.12162
Kelman, H.C. (2005). Building trust among enemies: the central challenge for international conflict resolution. International Journal of Intercultural Relations, 29(6), 639-650. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijintrel.2005.07.011
Knopf, J.W. (2003). The Importance of International Learning. Review of International Studies, 29, 185-207. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0260210503001852
Lee, N., Broderick, A.J., & Chamberlain, L. (2007). What is ‘neuromarketing’? A discussion and agenda for future research. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 63(2), 199-204. https://doi.org/doi:10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2006.03.007
McDermott, R. (2011). New directions for experimental work in international relations. International Studies Quarterly, 55(2), 503-520. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-2478.2011.00656.x
Morris, M.W., & Mason, M.F. (2009). Intentionality in intuitive versus analytic processing: insights from social cognitive neuroscience. Psychological Inquiry, 20(1), 58-65. https://doi.org/10.1080/10478400902794548
Nye, J.S. (1987). Nuclear learning and US–Soviet security regimes. International Organization, 41(3), 371-402. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020818300027521
Price, R., & Sikkink, K. (2021). International norms, moral psychology, and neuroscience (elements in international relations). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108966610
Rizzolatti, G., Fadiga, L., Gallese, V., & Fogassi, L. (1996). Premotor cortex and the recognition of motor actions. Brain Res. Cognitive Brain Research, 3(2), 131-141. https://doi.org/10.1016/0926-6410(95)00038-0
Sanfey, A.G. (2007). Social decision-making: insights from game theory and neuroscience. Science, 318(5850), 598-602. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1142996
Sanfey, A.G., Rilling, J.K., Aronson, J.A., Nystrom, L.E., & Cohen, J.D. (2003). The neural basis of economic decision-making in the Ultimatum Game. Science, 300(5626), 1755-1758. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1082976
Schutt, R.K., Seidman, L.J., & Keshavan, M.S. (Ed.). (2015). Social neuroscience: brain, mind, and society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. https://doi.org/10.4159/9780674286719
Soutschek, A, Sauter, M, & Schubert, T. (2015). The importance of the lateral prefrontal cortex for strategic decision making in the prisoner's dilemma. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience, 15, 854-860. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13415-015-0372-5
TenHouten, W., Schussel, L., Gritsch, M.F., & Kaplan, C.D. (2023). Hyperscanning and the future of neurosociology. Sociological Methodology, 53(1), 139-157. https://doi.org/10.1177/00811750221128790
Wendt, A. (1992). Anarchy is what states make of it: the social construction of power politics. International Organization, 46(2), 391-425. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0020818300027764
Wright, N.D. (2015). The biology of cooperative decision-making: neurobiology to international relations. In M. Galluccio (Ed.), Handbook of International Negotiation (pp. 47-58). Cham: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-10687-8_5
Anokhin, K.V. (2021). Cognitome: in search of fundamental neuroscience theory of consciousness. Zhurnal vysshei nervnoi deyatelnosti imeni i.P. Pavlova, 71(1), 39-71. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.31857/S0044467721010032
Bondarenko, D.M, Gavrilov, V.V., Dremlyuga, R.I., Klyucharev, V.A., Kononchuk, D.V., Kuznetsov, A.M., Lukin, A.L., Rozov, N.S., Chugrov, S.V., & Yurchenko, E.S. (2022). Modern neuro/cognitive sciences and humanities: what can they give each other? Oriental Institute Journal, 2, 140-167. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.24866/2542-1611/2022-2/140-167
Dezhina, I.G., & Nafikova, T.N. (2020). Global landscape of neuroscience and place of Russia. World Eсonomy and International Relations, 64(9), 37-47. (In Russ). https://doi.org/10.20542/0131-2227-2020-64-9-37-47
Glozman, J.M., & Krukow, P. (2013). The social brain: new understanding. Moscow University Psychology Bulletin, 2, 121-133. (In Russ.)
Lebedeva, M.M., & Zinovieva, E.S. (2023). International negotiations in the digital age. Vestnik RUDN. International Relations, 23(1), 144-156. (In Russ). https://doi.org/10.22363/2313-0660-2023-23-1-144-156
Naumenko, T.V., & Larina, Yu.M. (2020). Neuroethics and international security. Bulletin of Moscow University. Series 27. Global Studies and Geopolitics, 1, 29-40. (In Russ.)
See also:
Chugrov S.V.,
Moscow University Bulletin. Series 25. International relations and world politics: 5 years on track. – Polis. Political Studies. 2014. No5
Lebedeva M.M., Melville A.Yu.,
Comparative Political Science, World Politics, International Relations: Development of the Subject Spheres. – Polis. Political Studies. 1999. No4
Information,
Introducing the «Moscow University Bulletin. Series 25. International relations and world politics». – Polis. Political Studies. 2010. No1
Gallarotti G.M.,
How to Measure Soft Power in International Relations. – Polis. Political Studies. 2020. No1
Manoylo A.V.,
Modern Political Conflicts: The Right for Interference. – Polis. Political Studies. 2017. No6