[Interdisciplinary][Mental Studies] Universities in Southern Taiwan Team Up to Explore Human Mind

[Interdisciplinary][Mental Studies] Universities in Southern Taiwan Team Up to Explore Human Mind (Chinese Version)

NCKU News (2012/04/25) Tainan-based National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) announced recently that the universities at southern Taiwan will team up to explore human mind and behavior with the help of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) technology.

With the technology, which allows researchers to decode brain activity, scientists may one day be able to read and interpret the inclination of human behavior.

The study of brain mapping with fMRI will be employed in humanities and social sciences from legal, economic, psychological, and political perspectives to explore the relationship between human mind and behavior, according to College of Social Sciences, NCKU.

Dr. Chih-Chin HO, NCKU Vice President and Dean of College of Social Sciences, said MRI has never been applied to the behavioral science and NCKU College of Social Sciences has attempted to apply the technology to verify human behavior.

Behavior analysis and experiments could be helpful in the formulation of public policy, HO added.

By the application of fMRI, personal data will be collected, analyzed, evaluated and filed according to gender, age, educational level, personal work experience, and even blood type, calligraphy, as well as living habits more efficiently and precisely than ever, according to HO.

The application of fMRI to human behavior analysis may be extended to investigate the differences of brain activities between tax payers and tax evaders and the findings may help policy makers to detect the inclinations of a tax evader, added Ho, former minister of finance and a renowned tax expert.

In addition, the findings may not only assist the government in the design of fiscal policy and tax collection mechanism but also indirectly contribute to increasing national revenue.

On the rise of brain and mind sciences, a research lineup among universities at southern Taiwan, including National Sun Yat-sen University, National Chung Hsing University, National Chung Cheng University, China Medical University, Kaohsiung Medical University and National Changhua University of Education granted by National Science Council, has set up the first Mind Research and Imaging Center (MRI Center) at NCKU to promote neuroscience research for social science researchers in southern Taiwan.

A state-of-the-art 3 Tesla MRI scanner and fMRI devices will be set up by the summer of 2012 to conduct brain and mental science research, according to MRI Center.


Reference:
NCKU News 2012/04/25

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