Fig. 4

Across four fMRI scans, participants completed four trials per scan, each consisting of two politically themed and two non-political stimulus sets. In each trial, participants were first presented with a statement representing a belief they had previously endorsed. This was followed by five counterarguments challenging that belief. At the end of each trial, the original statement reappeared, and participants rated the strength of their belief on a scale from 1 (strongly disbelieve) to 7 (strongly believe).