1. The role of the prefrontal cortex in controlling gender-stereotypical associations: a TMS investigation
- Author
-
Giulia Mattavelli, Elisa Platania, Costanza Papagno, Zaira Cattaneo, Cattaneo, Z, Mattavelli, G, Platania, E, and Papagno, C
- Subjects
Adult ,Male ,Gender stereotypes ,medicine.medical_specialty ,Cognitive Neuroscience ,medicine.medical_treatment ,brain stimulation ,Prefrontal Cortex ,Audiology ,Neuropsychological Tests ,M-PSI/02 - PSICOBIOLOGIA E PSICOLOGIA FISIOLOGICA ,behavioral disciplines and activities ,Developmental psychology ,Association ,Young Adult ,Neuroimaging ,medicine ,Gender bias ,Humans ,Prefrontal cortex ,Sex Characteristics ,Stereotyping ,TMS ,IAT ,prefrontal cortex ,inhibition ,Neuropsychology ,Implicit-association test ,Gender Identity ,Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation ,Transcranial magnetic stimulation ,Settore M-PSI/02 - Psicobiologia e Psicologia Fisiologica ,nervous system ,Neurology ,Reading ,Female ,Psychology ,Consumer neuroscience ,psychological phenomena and processes ,Right anterior ,Prejudice - Abstract
Stereotypes associated with gender, race, ethnicity and religion are powerful forces in human social interactions. Previous neuroimaging and neuropsychological studies point to a role of the prefrontal cortex in controlling stereotypical responses. Here we used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in combination with an Implicit Association Test (IAT) to highlight the possible causal role of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and the right anterior dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (aDMPFC) in controlling gender-stereotypical responses. Young male and female participants were tested. Our results showed that applying TMS over the left DLPFC and the right aDMPFC increased the gender-stereotypical bias in male participants compared to when TMS was applied to a control site (vertex). This suggests that both the left DLPFC and the right aDMPFC play a direct role in stereotyping. Females did not show a significant gender bias on the IAT; correspondingly their responses were unaffected by TMS. © 2011 Elsevier Inc.
- Published
- 2010