The science of hate: The study reports that the 'hate circuit' includes structures in the cortex and in the sub-cortex and has components that are important in generating aggressive behaviour.
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Both structures have also been found to be activated by romantic love, said Zeki.
"The putamen could… be involved in the preparation of aggressive acts in a romantic context, as in situations when a rival presents a danger," he explained. "The insula may be involved in responses to distressing stimuli, and the viewing of both a loved and a hated face may constitute such a distressing signal."
Varieties of hate
One marked difference in patterns of brain activity, is that in romantic love, parts of the cerebral cortex associated with judgment and reasoning become deactivated, said Zeki, but this didn't happen when the 'hate circuits' of the test subjects were activated.
He said that this is likely because lovers tend to be less critical and judgmental of one another, but in the context of hate it may be beneficial to exercise judgment in calculating moves to harm a rival.
Another difference to the expression of romantic love is that hate can be directed at entire groups of people, as is the case with racial, political, or gender hatred, said the researchers. Uncovering how these varieties of hate manifest themselves in the brain is a topic of future study for the researchers.
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With University College London.
