Scientists have discovered that people who tend in the opposite direction, to condemn people as a duty, do not necessarily do so of their own free will. This tendency, known as the "hostility attribution bias," causes people to interpret even harmless behaviors as malicious.
The researchers examined the activity in the prefrontal cortex - the part of the brain involved in decision making, emotional regulation and interpreting social situations. Using audio scenarios of hypothetical negative social interactions, the researchers were able to distinguish between participants with high or low levels of hostility attribution bias.