In the first study of its kind, UNSW researchers have insulted people while scanning their brains and discovered that different regions become active depending on which type of aggressive response a person usually has.

Dr Tom Denson, of the School of Psychology, said his team's research might eventually make it possible to determine aggressive tendencies from a simple brain scan. "What is particularly fascinating is that within seconds of being insulted, personality influences which brain regions light up," Dr Denson said.

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