To reduce the escalation of intergroup conflict, it is important that we understand the processes related to the detection of group-based threat and reconciliation. In the present study, we investigated the neural mechanisms of such processes using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). Functional neuroimaging techniques may shed light on quick, automatic responses to stimuli that happen outside of conscious awareness and are thus increasingly difficult to quantify relying only on participants’ self-reported experiences. They may further provide invaluable insight into physiological processes occurring in situations of sensitive nature, whereby participants–deliberately or not–may withhold their honest responses due to social desirability. Non-Muslim Western Caucasian participants watched short video clips of stereotypical Middle-Eastern Muslim males threatening their ingroup, offering reconciliation to the ingroup, or making a neutral statement. Threatening statements led to increased activation in the amygdala, insula, supramarginal gyrus, and temporal lobe. Reconciliation efforts led to increased activation in the prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate gyrus, and caudate. The results suggest that threat detection is a relatively automatic process while evaluating and responding to reconciliation offers requires more cognitive efforts. The implications of these findings and future research directions are discussed.

为了减少群体间冲突的升级，重要的是我们了解与检测基于群体的威胁和和解相关的过程。在本研究中，我们使用功能磁共振成像 (fMRI) 研究了此类过程的神经机制。功能性神经影像技术可以揭示对意识之外发生的刺激的快速、自动反应，因此仅依靠参与者的自我报告体验越来越难以量化。它们可能进一步提供对发生在敏感情况下的生理过程的宝贵见解，参与者可能有意或无意地因社会需求而保留他们的诚实反应。非穆斯林的西方高加索参与者观看了典型的中东穆斯林男性威胁他们的内部群体、与内部群体和解或发表中立声明的短视频片段。威胁性陈述导致杏仁核、岛叶、缘上回和颞叶的激活增加。和解的努力导致前额叶皮层、前扣带回和尾状核的激活增加。结果表明，威胁检测是一个相对自动的过程，而评估和响应和解提议需要更多的认知努力。讨论了这些发现的意义和未来的研究方向。威胁性陈述导致杏仁核、岛叶、缘上回和颞叶的激活增加。和解的努力导致前额叶皮层、前扣带回和尾状核的激活增加。结果表明，威胁检测是一个相对自动的过程，而评估和响应和解提议需要更多的认知努力。讨论了这些发现的意义和未来的研究方向。威胁性陈述导致杏仁核、岛叶、缘上回和颞叶的激活增加。和解的努力导致前额叶皮层、前扣带回和尾状核的激活增加。结果表明，威胁检测是一个相对自动的过程，而评估和响应和解提议需要更多的认知努力。讨论了这些发现的意义和未来的研究方向。