Researchers from the psychology department at UFMG (Federal University of Minas Gerais) have decided to collect brain activity from supporters of President Lula (PT) and former President Jair Bolsonaro (PL) to measure political polarization.
The idea came from Ph.D. student Diego Cortezzi Pedras, interested in finding a more objective method to monitor the phenomenon.
In one phase of the research, electrodes capture brain activity while participants sit in front of a screen displaying alternating images of an unknown man (a neutral stimulus), Lula, and Bolsonaro.
The waves depicted in the examination peak when the volunteer is presented with images of Lula and Bolsonaro. They manifest more acutely when the voter sees their preferred politician.
The use of this tool is unprecedented in the country. The results have not yet been published and peer-reviewed —which should happen later this year.