Researchers then scanned the students’ brains and found that their brain structure reflected their SRE score. Specifically, the scans revealed that participants with low SRE scores had dense gray matter (high cell activity) in the posterior cingulate cortex, a part of the brain associated with processing emotions like fear and anger. From there, they drew a correlation between espousing sexist beliefs and being prone to anger.

Low SRE scores also correlated with less dense gray matter in the right amygdala, indicating that sexist people may be more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety.

The study’s findings suggest that both men and women who espouse sexist beliefs have other psychological issues.