Brain Scans Reveal National Identity Cues Can Reprogram Neural Responses to Reduce Ethnic Distance in Multicultural Societies

A PNAS study from Trento and NTU Singapore shows that shared national identity cues help the brain perceive different ethnic groups as part of an inclusive "us."

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 31, 2026, 3:46 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Università di Trento

The Neurological Basis of Social Inclusivity

The human brain possesses a remarkable level of flexibility regarding social perception, allowing it to shift between exclusionary and inclusive processing based on environmental cues. A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) has demonstrated that when a shared national identity is made prominent, the brain begins to respond to members of different ethnic groups as part of an internal "us" rather than an external "them." This research, conducted by a team from Italy and Singapore, suggests that neural mechanisms responsible for social categorization are not fixed but can be rapidly reconfigured. According to Gianluca Esposito, the director of the Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science at the University of Trento, this neuroplasticity provides a concrete foundation for fostering peace and reconciliation in divided societies.

Mapping the Frontal Cortex Response to Shared Symbols

To understand how these social boundaries shift, researchers employed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to monitor the brain activity of 92 participants. The study focused on a specific region of the frontal cortex that is essential for relating the identity of others to the self. When participants were exposed to brief national identity cues, such as the sound of a common language or the sight of a national flag, this region showed significantly increased engagement when processing faces from different ethnic backgrounds. The findings indicate that the brain’s representation of "the self" can expand to include those who were previously categorized as outsiders, provided there is a salient unifying context.

Maintaining Diversity While Strengthening Cohesion

One of the most significant findings of the research is that the brain does not need to ignore or erase ethnic identity to embrace a larger national one. The fMRI data revealed that while the brain began to categorize out-group faces as part of the participant's own national group, it continued to track and preserve information about specific ethnic differences. Annabel Chen, co-lead of the project at NTU Singapore, noted that these identities can coexist simultaneously within the neural framework. For multicultural nations, this suggests that social cohesion is most effective when it affirms a shared belonging alongside s...