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Saulin A, Ting CC, Engelmann JB, Hein G. Connected in Bad Times and in Good Times: Empathy Induces Stable Social Closeness. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e1108232024. [PMID: 38684367 PMCID: PMC11154854 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1108-23.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Humans need social closeness to prosper. There is evidence that empathy can induce social closeness. However, it remains unclear how empathy-related social closeness is formed and how stable it is as time passes. We applied an acquisition-extinction paradigm combined with computational modeling and fMRI, to investigate the formation and stability of empathy-related social closeness. Female participants observed painful stimulation of another person with high probability (acquisition) and low probability (extinction) and rated their closeness to that person. The results of two independent studies showed increased social closeness in the acquisition block that resisted extinction in the extinction block. Providing insights into underlying mechanisms, reinforcement learning modeling revealed that the formation of social closeness is based on a learning signal (prediction error) generated from observing another's pain, whereas maintaining social closeness is based on a learning signal generated from observing another's pain relief. The results of a reciprocity control study indicate that this feedback recalibration is specific to learning of empathy-related social closeness. On the neural level, the recalibration of the feedback signal was associated with neural responses in anterior insula and adjacent inferior frontal gyrus and the bilateral superior temporal sulcus/temporoparietal junction. Together, these findings show that empathy-related social closeness generated in bad times, that is, empathy with the misfortune of another person, transfers to good times and thus may form one important basis for stable social relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Saulin
- Department of Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, Psychosomatic and Psychotherapy, Translational Social Neuroscience Unit, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg 97080, Germany
| | - Chih-Chung Ting
- Department of Psychology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg 20246, Germany
| | - Jan B Engelmann
- Center for Research in Experimental Economics and Political Decision Making, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1001, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam Brain and Cognition, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam 1001, The Netherlands
- Behavioral and Experimental Economics, The Tinbergen Institute, Amsterdam 1082, The Netherlands
| | - Grit Hein
- Department of Psychiatry, Center of Mental Health, Psychosomatic and Psychotherapy, Translational Social Neuroscience Unit, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg 97080, Germany
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Schreuders E, van Buuren M, Walsh RJ, Sijtsma H, Hollarek M, Lee NC, Krabbendam L. Learning whom not to trust across early and middle adolescence: A longitudinal neuroimaging study to trusting behavior involving an uncooperative other. Child Dev 2024; 95:368-390. [PMID: 37583272 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13986] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023]
Abstract
Longitudinal changes in trusting behavior across adolescence and their neural correlates were examined. Neural regions of interest (ROIs) included the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), left anterior insula (AI), bilateral ventral striatum (VS), and right dorsal striatum (DS). Participants (wave 1 age: M = 12.90) played the investor in a Trust Game with an uncooperative trustee three times (1-year interval). Analyses included 77 primarily Dutch participants (33 females). Participants decreased their investments with wave. Furthermore, activity was heightened in mPFC, dACC, and DS during investment and repayment, and in right VS (investment) and AI (repayment). Finally, DS activity during repayment increased with wave. These findings highlight early-middle adolescence as an important period for developing sensitivity to uncooperative behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Schreuders
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - M van Buuren
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - R J Walsh
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - H Sijtsma
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - M Hollarek
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - N C Lee
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Developmental Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - L Krabbendam
- Department of Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Brudner EG, Fareri DS, Shehata SG, Delgado MR. Social feedback promotes positive social sharing, trust, and closeness. Emotion 2023; 23:1536-1548. [PMID: 36355668 PMCID: PMC10169536 DOI: 10.1037/emo0001182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Positive social sharing is an interpersonal emotion regulation strategy that enhances positive affect and social belonging, particularly when met with positive social feedback. Despite the ubiquity of positive social sharing both in person and online, what drives this behavior is not well understood. We hypothesized that positive social feedback serves as a reward that reinforces sharing behavior and strengthens social bonds. Participants made trial-by-trial choices about whether to share social media photos with peers who returned positive ("likes") or negative ("dislikes") feedback. Unbeknownst to participants, peer conditions were manipulated to yield varying amounts of positive and negative feedback. Social bonding was subsequently measured using a trust game and subjective closeness ratings. Participants shared more with peers who provided greater rates of positive feedback. This effect generalized to trust decisions and subjective feelings of closeness and varied individually as a function of interpersonal emotion regulation in daily life. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dominic S. Fareri
- Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY
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De Wit-De Visser B, Rijckmans M, Vermunt JK, van Dam A. Pathways to antisocial behavior: a framework to improve diagnostics and tailor therapeutic interventions. Front Psychol 2023; 14:993090. [PMID: 36844347 PMCID: PMC9947159 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.993090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
The Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD), and antisocial behavior (ASB) in general, is associated with significant impact on individuals themselves, their environment, and society. Although various interventions show promising results, no evidence-based treatments are available for individuals with ASPD. Therefore, making informed choices about which treatment can be applied to an individual patient is complicated. Furthermore, contradictory findings on therapy effectiveness and underlying factors of ASB, such as cognitive impairments and personality traits, fuel the debate whether the conceptualization of ASPD in the DSM-5 is accurate and whether this population can be seen as homogeneous. A conceptual framework, based on the reciprocal altruism theory, is presented in which we propose different pathways to ASB. These pathways suggest underlying dynamics of ASB and provide an explanation for previous contradictory research outcomes. This framework is intended to serve as a clinically relevant model that provides directions for improving diagnostics and matching treatments to underlying dynamics in the antisocial population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda De Wit-De Visser
- GGZ WNB, Research and Innovation, Halsteren, Netherlands,Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tranzo Scientific Center for Care and Welfare, Tilburg University, Tilburg, Netherlands,*Correspondence: Brenda De Wit-De Visser,
| | - Madeleine Rijckmans
- Fivoor, Fivoor Science and Treatment Innovation, Poortugaal, Netherlands,Clinical and Forensic Psychology, Department of Developmental Psychology, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, Netherlands
| | - Jeroen K. Vermunt
- Department of Methodology and Statistics, Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tilburg University, Tilburg, Netherlands
| | - Arno van Dam
- GGZ WNB, Research and Innovation, Halsteren, Netherlands,Tilburg School of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Tranzo Scientific Center for Care and Welfare, Tilburg University, Tilburg, Netherlands
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Social closeness modulates brain dynamics during trust anticipation. Sci Rep 2022; 12:16337. [PMID: 36175533 PMCID: PMC9522769 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20827-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Anticipation of trust from someone with high social closeness is expected. However, if there is uncertainty in the interaction because a person is a stranger or because he has distrusted us on another occasion, we need to keep track of his behavior and intentions. Using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) we wanted to find the brain regions related to trust anticipation from partners who differ in their level of social closeness. We designed an experiment in which 30 participants played an adapted trust game with three trustors: A computer, a stranger, and a real friend. We covertly manipulated their decisions in the game, so they trusted 75% of the trials and distrusted in remaining trials. Using a psychophysiological interaction analysis, we found increases in functional coupling between the anterior insula (AIns) and intra parietal sulcus (IPS) during trust anticipation between a high versus low social closeness partner. Also, the right parietal cortex was coupled with the fusiform gyrus (FG) and the inferior/middle temporal gyrus during trust anticipation of a friend versus a stranger. These results suggest that brain regions involved in encoding the intentions of others are recruited during trust anticipation from a friend compared to a stranger.
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Fareri DS, Stasiak JE, Sokol-Hessner P. Choosing for others changes dissociable computational mechanisms underpinning risky decision-making. Sci Rep 2022; 12:14361. [PMID: 35999449 PMCID: PMC9399086 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18437-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Choices under risk often have consequences for ourselves and others. Yet, it is unclear how the other's identity (stranger, close friend, etc.) influences risky choices made on their behalf. In a mixed within and between subjects design, two participant groups made three series of risky economic decisions: for themselves, another person, or for both themselves and another person (i.e., shared outcomes). One group made choices involving a same-sex stranger (n = 29), the other made choices involving a same-sex close friend (n = 28). Hierarchical Bayesian estimation of computations underlying risky decision-making revealed that relative to choosing for themselves, people were more risk averse, loss averse, and consistent when choices involved another person. Partner identity was additionally crucial: people became risk neutral and more consistent when choosing for friends relative to strangers. These findings establish that the complexity of the social world is mirrored in its nuanced consequences for our choices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic S Fareri
- Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology, Adelphi University, Blodgett Hall, Rm. 212C, 1 South Avenue, Garden City, NY, 11530, USA.
| | - Joanne E Stasiak
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA
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Fareri DS, Hackett K, Tepfer LJ, Kelly V, Henninger N, Reeck C, Giovannetti T, Smith DV. Age-Related Differences in Ventral Striatal and Default Mode Network Function During Reciprocated Trust. Neuroimage 2022; 256:119267. [PMID: 35504565 PMCID: PMC9308012 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Social relationships change across the lifespan as social networks narrow and motivational priorities shift to the present. Interestingly, aging is also associated with changes in executive function, including decision-making abilities, but it remains unclear how age-related changes in both domains interact to impact financial decisions involving other people. To study this problem, we recruited 50 human participants (Nyounger = 26, ages 18–34; Nolder = 24, ages 63–80) to play an economic trust game as the investor with three partners (friend, stranger, and computer) who played the role of investee. Investors underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during the trust game while investees were seated outside of the scanner. Building on our previous work with younger adults showing both enhanced striatal responses and altered default-mode network (DMN) connectivity as a function of social closeness during reciprocated trust, we predicted that these relations would exhibit age-related differences. We found that striatal responses to reciprocated trust from friends relative to strangers and computers were blunted in older adults relative to younger adults, thus supporting our primary pre-registered hypothesis regarding social closeness. We also found that older adults exhibited enhanced DMN connectivity with the temporoparietal junction (TPJ) during reciprocated trust from friends compared to computers while younger adults exhibited the opposite pattern. Taken together, these results advance our understanding of age-related differences in sensitivity to social closeness in the context of trusting others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic S Fareri
- Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY, USA.
| | | | - Lindsey J Tepfer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Victoria Kelly
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Nicole Henninger
- Lew Klein College of Media and Communication, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Crystal Reeck
- Fox School of Business, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - David V Smith
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
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Spirals of Sustainable Academic Motivation, Creativity, and Trust of Higher Education Staff. SUSTAINABILITY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/su13137057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Sustainability has to penetrate more and more into higher education. It should not focus only on traditional elements. It should also enter new, but for future improvement, extremely important areas. Based on this premise, creativity and motivation, when additionally interconnected and supported by trust that is provided and achieved, decide on the progress and sustainability of universities. This connection is gaining importance especially from the point of view of building solid foundations and mechanisms that functionally preserve the potential effects of these elements in the future. For this reason and following the nature, importance, and content of sustainable academic motivation (SAM), the paper introduces two new concepts: sustainable academic creativity (SAC) and sustainable academic trust (SAT). For further original contributions, the paper hypothesizes the existence of mutual—spiral—relations of sustainable academic motivation (SAM), sustainable academic creativity (SAC), and sustainable academic trust (SAT). The empirical section tests the validity of this claim in the universities of two countries: the Slovak Republic and Poland. A survey performed on a sample of n=181 pedagogical, scientific, management, and administrative staff in higher education confirms the existence of these spirals. The results indicate the spiral effect of motivation when connected with creativity and trust and show that it is accented by the crucial principles of sustainability (responsibility, novelty, usefulness, progress, etc.). Therefore, the paper’s conclusion contains the explanations for the potential occurrence of three types of sustainably mutual systems and complexes. These are: (a) individual sustainable systems of SAM, SAC, and SAT; (b) group/sectional sustainable systems of SAM, SAC, and SAT; and (c) the global sustainable complex of SAM, SAC, and SAT in the university.
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Fareri DS, Smith DV, Delgado MR. The influence of relationship closeness on default-mode network connectivity during social interactions. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2020; 15:261-271. [PMID: 32232362 PMCID: PMC7235957 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsaa031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Revised: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Reciprocated trust plays a critical role in forming and maintaining relationships, and has consistently been shown to implicate neural circuits involved in reward-related processing and social cognition. Less is known about neural network connectivity during social interactions involving trust, however, particularly as a function of closeness between an investor and a trustee. We examined network reactivity and connectivity in participants who played an economic trust game with close friends, strangers and a computer. Network reactivity analyses showed enhanced activation of the default-mode network (DMN) to social relative to non-social outcomes. A novel network psychophysiological interaction (nPPI) analysis revealed enhanced connectivity between the DMN and the superior frontal gyrus and superior parietal lobule when experiencing reciprocated vs violated trust from friends relative to strangers. Such connectivity tracked with differences in self-reported social closeness with these partners. Interestingly, reactivity of the executive control network (ECN), involved in decision processes, demonstrated no social vs non-social preference, and ECN-ventral striatum connectivity did not track social closeness. Taken together, these novel findings suggest that DMN interacts with components of attention and control networks to signal the relative importance of positive experiences with close others vs strangers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic S Fareri
- Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY 11530, USA
| | - David V Smith
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA
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