Thread by @JonelleCapri

The Sensation Seeking Scale helps test recklessness in individuals. There are high and low sensation seekers (HSS & LSS). It was believed that recklessness was an immutable personality trait until one group in particular consistently tested as HSS.

Rich western white boys.

https://twitter.com/stephycha/status/1402098859417870336

Because recklessness is so dependent on amygdala size and connectivity to the prefrontal cortex, researchers initially assumed sex and testosterone levels were predicting factors for HSS. Which, yes.

But other types of dude DO NOT SCALE HSS the way rich western white dudes do.

It became obvious that upbringing and socioeconomic factors play heavily in the amygdala game.

Women often test as LSS bc they're raised to chill the fuck out in ways that men were not.

Black and Indigenous ppl test as LSS bc society severely punishes those that are HSS.

But there's measurable neurology here. We already knew that kids in poverty have smaller amygdalas.

We also knew that there are cognitive differences btwn bravery (action with risk awareness) and recklessness (action with risk blindness) that is very dependent on the precortex.

But can money & privilege really thin cortical connections btwn the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex, increasing reckless behavior?

Lol, YES, to the point where it's being actively research and socioeconomic status is increasingly factored into behavioral psychology studies.

All this to say, as I've said a bazillion times on this account, your environment builds your brain, and we have to stop pretending that very literally every part of your environment doesn't impact your neurology in some way.