1
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Harris LT. The Neuroscience of Human and Artificial Intelligence Presence. Annu Rev Psychol 2024; 75:433-466. [PMID: 37906951 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-psych-013123-123421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
Two decades of social neuroscience and neuroeconomics research illustrate the brain mechanisms that are engaged when people consider human beings, often in comparison to considering artificial intelligence (AI) as a nonhuman control. AI as an experimental control preserves agency and facilitates social interactions but lacks a human presence, providing insight into brain mechanisms that are engaged by human presence and the presence of AI. Here, I review this literature to determine how the brain instantiates human and AI presence across social perception and decision-making paradigms commonly used to realize a social context. People behave toward humans differently than they do toward AI. Moreover, brain regions more engaged by humans compared to AI extend beyond the social cognition brain network to all parts of the brain, and the brain sometimes is engaged more by AI than by humans. Finally, I discuss gaps in the literature, limitations in current neuroscience approaches, and how an understanding of the brain correlates of human and AI presence can inform social science in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lasana T Harris
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom;
- Alan Turing Institute, London, United Kingdom
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2
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Christian P, Kapetaniou GE, Soutschek A. Causal roles of prefrontal and temporo-parietal theta oscillations for inequity aversion. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2023; 18:nsad061. [PMID: 37930808 PMCID: PMC10642380 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsad061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The right temporo-parietal junction (rTPJ) and the right lateral prefrontal cortex (rLPFC) are known to play prominent roles in human social behaviour. However, it remains unknown which brain rhythms in these regions contribute to trading-off fairness norms against selfish interests as well as whether the influence of these oscillations depends on whether fairness violations are advantageous or disadvantageous for a decision maker. To answer these questions, we used non-invasive transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) to determine which brain rhythms in rTPJ and rLPFC are causally involved in moderating aversion to advantageous and disadvantageous inequity. Our results show that theta oscillations in rTPJ strengthen the aversion to unequal splits, which is statistically mediated by the rTPJ's role for perspective taking. In contrast, theta tACS over rLPFC enhanced the preference for outcome-maximizing unequal choices more strongly for disadvantageous compared to advantageous outcome distributions. Taken together, we provide evidence that neural oscillations in rTPJ and rLPFC have distinct causal roles in implementing inequity aversion, which can be explained by their involvement in distinct psychological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Christian
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Munich, Germany
- Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Department of Biology, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Georgia E Kapetaniou
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Munich, Germany
- Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Department of Biology, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Alexander Soutschek
- Department of Psychology, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Munich, Germany
- Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, Department of Biology, Ludwig Maximilians University Munich, Munich, Germany
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3
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Porciello G, Sacheli LM. Editorial: Rising stars in integrative neuroscience 2021. Front Integr Neurosci 2023; 17:1229660. [PMID: 37388505 PMCID: PMC10305852 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2023.1229660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppina Porciello
- Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Santa Lucia Foundation Hospital, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucia Maria Sacheli
- Department of Psychology and Milan Center for Neuroscience, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
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4
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Hsieh TY, Cross ES. People's dispositional cooperative tendencies towards robots are unaffected by robots' negative emotional displays in prisoner's dilemma games. Cogn Emot 2022; 36:995-1019. [PMID: 35389323 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2022.2054781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The study explores the impact of robots' emotional displays on people's tendency to cooperate with a robot opponent in prisoner's dilemma games. Participants played iterated prisoner's dilemma games with a non-expressive robot (as a measure of cooperative baseline), followed by an angry, and a sad robot, in turn. Based on the Emotion as Social Information model, we expected participants with higher cooperative predispositions to cooperate less when a robot displayed anger, and cooperate more when the robot displayed sadness. Contrarily, according to this model, participants with lower cooperative predispositions should cooperate more with an angry robot and less with a sad robot. The results of 60 participants failed to support the predictions. Only the participants' cooperative predispositions significantly predicted their cooperative tendencies during gameplay. Participants who cooperated more in the baseline measure also cooperated more with the robots displaying sadness and anger. In exploratory analyses, we found that participants who accurately recognised the robots' sad and angry displays tended to cooperate less with them overall. The study highlights the impact of personal factors in human-robot cooperation, and how these factors might surpass the influence of bottom-up emotional displays by the robots in the present experimental scenario.
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Affiliation(s)
- Te-Yi Hsieh
- Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland
| | - Emily S Cross
- Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland.,Department of Cognitive Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
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5
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Brethel-Haurwitz KM, Oathes DJ, Kable JW. Causal Role of the Right Temporoparietal Junction in Selfishness Depends on the Social Partner. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 17:541-548. [PMID: 34922402 PMCID: PMC9164207 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ) is a hub of the mentalizing network, but its causal role in social decisions remains an area of active investigation. While prior studies using causal neurostimulation methods have confirmed the role of the rTPJ in mentalizing and strategic social interactions, most of the evidence for its role in resource-sharing decisions comes from correlational neuroimaging studies. Further, it remains unclear if the influence of the rTPJ on decisions about sharing resources depends on whether the other person is salient and identifiable. To clarify the causal role of the rTPJ in social decision making, we examined the effects of putatively inhibitory rTPJ transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) on Dictator Game behavior with one partner that was physically present and one that was only minimally identified. Under control conditions, participants tended to create more advantageous inequity toward the partner that was only minimally identified, selfishly keeping more resources themselves. rTPJ TMS reduced this differential treatment of the two partners. Clarifying prior mixed findings, results suggest that the rTPJ may play a role in differentiating between others when deciding how equitably to divide resources, but may not play a general role in reducing selfishness by promoting aversion to advantageous inequity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin M Brethel-Haurwitz
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,MindCORE, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Desmond J Oathes
- MindCORE, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Center for Neuromodulation in Depression and Stress, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Joseph W Kable
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,MindCORE, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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6
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Feng C, Zhang Y, Zhang Z, Yuan J. Prosocial Gains and Losses: Modulations of Human Social Decision-Making by Loss-Gain Context. Front Psychol 2021; 12:755910. [PMID: 34777158 PMCID: PMC8581196 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.755910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The role of the loss-gain context in human social decision-making remains heavily debated, with mixed evidence showing that losses (vs. gains) boost both selfish and prosocial motivations. Herein, we propose that the loss context, compared to the gain context, exacerbates intuitive reactions in response to the conflict between self-interest and prosocial preferences, regardless of whether those dominant responses are selfish or altruistic. We then synthesize evidence from three lines of research to support the account, which indicates that losses may either enhance or inhibit altruistic behaviors depending on the dominant responses in the employed interactive economic games, prosocial/proself traits, and the explicit engagement of deliberative processes. The current perspective contributes to the ongoing debate on the association between loss-gain context and human prosociality by putting forward a theoretical framework to integrate previous conflicting perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunliang Feng
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yijie Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhixin Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jie Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences (South China Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou, China.,School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
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7
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Wiechert J, Janzen A, Achtziger A, Fehr T. Neural Correlates of Decisions in Quasi-Realistic, Affective Social Interactions in Individuals With Violence-Related Socialization. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:713311. [PMID: 34744650 PMCID: PMC8566670 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.713311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Appropriate social behavior in aggressive-provocative interactions is a prerequisite for a peaceful life. In previous research, the dysfunctions of the control of aggression were suggested to be modulated by enhanced bottom-up (sub-cortically driven) and reduced top-down (iso-cortical frontal) processing capability. In the present study, two groups of individuals with enhanced (EG) and normal (NG) experiences of violent acts during their socialization made binary behavioral decisions in quasi-realistic social interactions. These interactions were presented in short video clips taken from a first-person perspective. The video clips showed social interaction scenarios oriented on realistic everyday life situations. The behavioral data supported the distinct affective qualities of three categories of social interactions. These categories were labeled as aggressive–provocative, social–positive, and neutral–social interactions. Functional neuroimaging data showed extended activation patterns and higher signal intensity for the NG compared to the EG in the lateral inferior frontal brain regions for the aggressive provocative interactions. Furthermore, the peri-aqueductal gray (PAG) produced enhanced activations for the affective interaction scenarios (i.e., aggressive-provocative and social-positive) in both groups and as a trend with the medium effect size for the neutral interactions in the EG. As the individuals in the EG did not show open aggression during the functional MRIA (fMRI) investigation, we concluded that they applied individual self-control strategies to regulate their aggressive impulses immediately. These strategies appeared to be top-down regulated through the dorsal frontal brain areas. The predominant recruitment of the heteromodal cortices during the neural processing of complex social interactions pointed to the important role of the learning history of individuals and their socialization with differing levels of violent experiences as crucial modulators in convicts. Our data suggest that building or strengthening the association between prototypical social contexts (e.g., aggressive-provocative interactions) and appropriate behaviors as a response to it provides a promising approach to successfully re-socialize people with a delinquent history.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Axel Janzen
- Correctional and Rehabilitation Center (Justizvollzugsanstalt, JVA) Bremen, Bremen, Germany
| | - Anja Achtziger
- Department of Political and Social Sciences, Zeppelin University, Friedrichshafen, Germany
| | - Thorsten Fehr
- Center for Advanced Imaging Bremen/Magdeburg, Bremen, Germany.,Department of Neuropsychology, Center for Cognitive Sciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany
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8
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Gossman KR, Dykstra B, García BH, Swopes AP, Kimbrough A, Smith AS. Pair Bond-Induced Affiliation and Aggression in Male Prairie Voles Elicit Distinct Functional Connectivity in the Social Decision-Making Network. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:748431. [PMID: 34720866 PMCID: PMC8553992 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.748431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Complex social behaviors are governed by a neural network theorized to be the social decision-making network (SDMN). However, this theoretical network is not tested on functional grounds. Here, we assess the organization of regions in the SDMN using c-Fos, to generate functional connectivity models during specific social interactions in a socially monogamous rodent, the prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster). Male voles displayed robust selective affiliation toward a female partner, while exhibiting increased threatening, vigilant, and physically aggressive behaviors toward novel males and females. These social interactions increased c-Fos levels in eight of the thirteen brain regions of the SDMN. Each social encounter generated a distinct correlation pattern between individual brain regions. Thus, hierarchical clustering was used to characterize interrelated regions with similar c-Fos activity resulting in discrete network modules. Functional connectivity maps were constructed to emulate the network dynamics resulting from each social encounter. Our partner functional connectivity network presents similarities to the theoretical SDMN model, along with connections in the network that have been implicated in partner-directed affiliation. However, both stranger female and male networks exhibited distinct architecture from one another and the SDMN. Further, the stranger-evoked networks demonstrated connections associated with threat, physical aggression, and other aversive behaviors. Together, this indicates that distinct patterns of functional connectivity in the SDMN can be detected during select social encounters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle R. Gossman
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States
| | - Benjamin Dykstra
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States
| | - Byron H. García
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States
| | - Arielle P. Swopes
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States
| | - Adam Kimbrough
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Adam S. Smith
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, School of Pharmacy, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States
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9
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Gautier M, Pabst A, Maurage P. Social decision making in severe alcohol use disorder: Scoping review and experimental perspectives. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2021; 45:1548-1559. [PMID: 34342010 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with severe alcohol use disorder (SAUD) demonstrate multifaceted impairments in social cognition abilities, including emotional decoding or Theory of Mind. Such impairments are associated with real-life interpersonal difficulties, which in turn could contribute to the persistence of SAUD. However, little is known regarding how patients with SAUD make decisions in a social context and this literature has not been comprehensively reviewed. OBJECTIVES The main aim of this paper was to conduct the first review specifically focusing on social decision-making abilities in SAUD. Following PRISMA guidelines for scoping reviews, we describe existing knowledge regarding the difficulties experienced by patients with SAUD during social interactions. Our second objective was to propose perspectives for future research, based on the shortcomings identified in the available literature. DESIGN We searched three online databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, and Scopus) and identified 14 papers using behavioral tasks to assess social decision making in patients with SAUD. RESULTS Included studies assessed social decision making through three paradigms: (1) economic games (four papers), (2) moral dilemmas (four papers), and (3) interpersonal problem-solving (six papers). Results indicated that patients with SAUD behave differently from controls in all three paradigms. CONCLUSIONS Previous studies suggested large-scale social decision-making impairments or biases in SAUD. However, in light of the limited number of studies available and of the restricted set of processes measured, we call for the extension of this field through more ecologically relevant and model-based paradigms in order to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of these effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mado Gautier
- Louvain Experimental Psychopathology Research Group (LEP), Psychological Science Research Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Arthur Pabst
- Louvain Experimental Psychopathology Research Group (LEP), Psychological Science Research Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Pierre Maurage
- Louvain Experimental Psychopathology Research Group (LEP), Psychological Science Research Institute, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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10
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Bitsch F, Berger P, Nagels A, Falkenberg I, Straube B. Impaired Right Temporoparietal Junction-Hippocampus Connectivity in Schizophrenia and Its Relevance for Generating Representations of Other Minds. Schizophr Bull 2019; 45:934-945. [PMID: 30239972 PMCID: PMC6581138 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sby132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is associated with impaired and exaggerated Theory of Mind processes, pointing on alterations in generating a representation of another person's mind. Despite recent work on healthy subjects suggesting that a coupling between the right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ) and the hippocampus is relevant for building representations of others' intentions, the neural basis of related dysfunctions in patients with schizophrenia remains unclear. Therefore, we used structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging together with a modified prisoner's dilemma game to test the hypotheses, that patients show dysfunctional social updating on behavioral level accompanied by altered rTPJ-hippocampus coupling on a functional and a structural level. During the task, 31 patients with schizophrenia and 20 healthy controls interacted with 3 playing partners, who behaved according to stable strategies competitively, cooperatively, or randomly. Our data show that patients adapted their social behavior less flexibly to the playing partners than healthy controls, indicating differences in forming mental representations of the counterparts' intentions. Patients showed lower functional connectivity between the rTPJ and temporal lobe regions such as the hippocampus, the fusiform gyrus, and the middle temporal gyrus, indicating that in patients the rTPJ fails to integrate memory-informed processing streams during mental state inferences. Remarkably, the rTPJ-hippocampus coupling accounted for the participants' adaptive social behavior in the task, suggesting that a neural pathway relevant for updating social knowledge and forming forward predictions in social interactions is altered in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Bitsch
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Philipp Berger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Arne Nagels
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Department of English and Linguistics, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | - Irina Falkenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Benjamin Straube
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Marburg, Germany
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11
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Lu X, Li T, Xia Z, Zhu R, Wang L, Luo YJ, Feng C, Krueger F. Connectome-based model predicts individual differences in propensity to trust. Hum Brain Mapp 2019; 40:1942-1954. [PMID: 30633429 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Revised: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 12/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Trust constitutes a fundamental basis of human society and plays a pivotal role in almost every aspect of human relationships. Although enormous interest exists in determining the neuropsychological underpinnings of a person's propensity to trust utilizing task-based fMRI; however, little progress has been made in predicting its variations by task-free fMRI based on whole-brain resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC). Here, we combined a one-shot trust game with a connectome-based predictive modeling approach to predict propensity to trust from whole-brain RSFC. We demonstrated that individual variations in the propensity to trust were primarily predicted by RSFC rooted in the functional integration of distributed key nodes-caudate, amygdala, lateral prefrontal cortex, temporal-parietal junction, and the temporal pole-which are part of domain-general large-scale networks essential for the motivational, affective, and cognitive aspects of trust. We showed, further, that the identified brain-behavior associations were only evident for trust but not altruistic preferences and that propensity to trust (and its underlying neural underpinnings) were modulated according to the extent to which a person emphasizes general social preferences (i.e., horizontal collectivism) rather than general risk preferences (i.e., trait impulsiveness). In conclusion, the employed data-driven approach enables to predict propensity to trust from RSFC and highlights its potential use as an objective neuromarker of trust impairment in mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaping Lu
- Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen Univeristy, Shenzhen, China.,Brain, Mind & Markets Laboratory, Department of Finance, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Ting Li
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment toward Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhichao Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Ruida Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Li Wang
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment toward Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yue-Jia Luo
- Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen Univeristy, Shenzhen, China.,Center for Emotion and Brain, Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China.,Medical School, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China
| | - Chunliang Feng
- Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen Univeristy, Shenzhen, China.,College of Information Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Frank Krueger
- School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia.,Department of Psychology, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
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12
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Frazier I, Lighthall NR, Horta M, Perez E, Ebner NC. CISDA: Changes in Integration for Social Decisions in Aging. Wiley Interdiscip Rev Cogn Sci 2019; 10:e1490. [PMID: 30605250 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Revised: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The aging of our population has been accompanied by increasing concerns about older adults' vulnerability to violations of trust and a growing interest in normative age-related changes to decision making involving social partners. This intersection has spurred research on age-related neurocognitive and affective changes underlying social decision making. Based on our review and synthesis of this literature, we propose a specification that targets social decision making in aging to the recently proposed Affect-Integration-Motivation (AIM) framework. Our framework specification, Changes in Integration for Social Decisions in Aging (CISDA), emphasizes three key components of value integration with particular relevance for social decisions in aging: theory of mind, emotion regulation, and memory for past experience. CISDA builds on converging research from economic decision making, cognitive neuroscience, and lifespan development to outline how age-related changes to neurocognition and behavior impact social decision making. We conclude with recommendations for future research based on CISDA's predictions, including implications for the development of interventions to enhance social decision outcomes in older adults. This article is categorized under: Economics > Individual Decision Making Psychology > Reasoning and Decision Making Psychology > Development and Aging Neuroscience > Cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian Frazier
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | | | - Marilyn Horta
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Eliany Perez
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Natalie C Ebner
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.,Department of Aging and Geriatric Research, Institute on Aging, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.,Center for Cognitive Aging and Memory, Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.,Florida Institute for Cybersecurity Research, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
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13
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Abstract
Disparities in outcomes across social groups pervade human societies and are of central interest to the social sciences. How people treat others is known to depend on a multitude of factors (e.g., others' gender, ethnicity, appearance) even when these should be irrelevant. However, despite substantial progress, much remains unknown regarding (i) the set of mechanisms shaping people's behavior toward members of different social groups and (ii) the extent to which these mechanisms can explain the structure of existing societal disparities. Here, we show in a set of experiments the important interplay between social perception and social valuation processes in explaining how people treat members of different social groups. Building on the idea that stereotypes can be organized onto basic, underlying dimensions, we first found using laboratory economic games that quantitative variation in stereotypes about different groups' warmth and competence translated meaningfully into resource allocation behavior toward those groups. Computational modeling further revealed that these effects operated via the interaction of social perception and social valuation processes, with warmth and competence exerting diverging effects on participants' preferences for equitable distributions of resources. This framework successfully predicted behavior toward members of a diverse set of social groups across samples and successfully generalized to predict societal disparities documented in labor and education settings with substantial precision and accuracy. Together, these results highlight a common set of mechanisms linking social group information to social treatment and show how preexisting, societally shared assumptions about different social groups can produce and reinforce societal disparities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrianna C Jenkins
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Pierre Karashchuk
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
- Neuroscience Program, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195
| | - Lusha Zhu
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences, Peking University, 100871 Beijing, China
- IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, 100871 Beijing, China
| | - Ming Hsu
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720;
- Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
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14
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Harris A, Clithero JA, Hutcherson CA. Accounting for Taste: A Multi-Attribute Neurocomputational Model Explains the Neural Dynamics of Choices for Self and Others. J Neurosci 2018; 38:7952-68. [PMID: 30076214 DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.3327-17.2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2017] [Revised: 07/19/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
How do we make choices for others with different preferences from our own? Although neuroimaging studies implicate similar circuits in representing preferences for oneself and others, some models propose that additional corrective mechanisms come online when choices for others diverge from one's own preferences. Here we used event-related potentials (ERPs) in humans, in combination with computational modeling, to examine how social information is integrated in the time leading up to choices for oneself and others. Hungry male and female participants with unrestricted diets selected foods for themselves, a similar unrestricted eater, and a dissimilar, self-identified healthy eater. Across choices for both oneself and others, ERP value signals emerged within the same time window but differentially reflected taste and health attributes based on the recipient's preferences. Choices for the dissimilar recipient were associated with earlier activity localized to brain regions implicated in social cognition, including temporoparietal junction. Finally, response-locked analysis revealed a late ERP component specific to choices for the similar recipient, localized to the parietal lobe, that appeared to reflect differences in the response threshold based on uncertainty. A multi-attribute computational model supported the link between specific ERP components and distinct model parameters, and was not significantly improved by adding time-dependent dual processes. Model simulations suggested that longer response times previously associated with effortful correction may alternatively arise from higher choice uncertainty. Together, these results provide a parsimonious neurocomputational mechanism for social decision-making, additionally explaining divergent patterns of choice and response time data in decisions for oneself and others.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT How do we choose for others, particularly when they have different preferences? Whereas some studies suggest that similar neural circuits underlie decision-making for oneself and others, others argue for additional, slower perspective-taking mechanisms. Combining event-related potentials with computational modeling, we found that integration of others' preferences occurs over the same timescale as for oneself while differentially tracking recipient-relevant attributes. Although choosing for others took longer and produced differences in late-emerging neural responses, computational modeling attributed these patterns to greater response caution rather than egocentric bias correction. Computational simulations also correctly predicted when and why choosing differently for others takes longer, suggesting that a model incorporating value integration and evidence accumulation can parsimoniously account for complex patterns in social decision-making.
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15
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Khalil R, Tindle R, Boraud T, Moustafa AA, Karim AA. Social decision making in autism: On the impact of mirror neurons, motor control, and imitative behaviors. CNS Neurosci Ther 2018; 24:669-676. [PMID: 29963752 PMCID: PMC6055683 DOI: 10.1111/cns.13001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2018] [Revised: 06/02/2018] [Accepted: 06/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The Mirror Neuron System (MNS) plays a crucial role in action perception and imitative behavior, which is suggested to be impaired in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). In this review, we discuss the plausibility and empirical evidence of a neural interaction between the MNS, action perception, empathy, imitative behavior, and their impact on social decision making in ASDs. To date, there is no consensus regarding a particular theory in ASDs and its underlying mechanisms. Some theories have completely focused on social difficulties, others have emphasized sensory aspects. Based on the current studies, we suggest a multilayer neural network model including the MNS on a first layer and transforming this information to a higher layer network responsible for reasoning. Future studies with ASD participants combining behavioral tasks with neuroimaging methods and transcranial brain stimulation as well as computational modeling can help validate and complement this suggested model. Moreover, we propose applying the behavioral paradigms, and the neurophysiological markers mentioned in this review article for evaluating psychiatric treatment approaches in ASDs. The investigation of modulating effects of different treatment approaches on the neurophysiological markers of the MNS can help find specific subgroups of ASDs patients and support tailored psychiatric interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radwa Khalil
- Department of Psychology and MethodsJacobs University BremenBremenGermany
- Department of Prevention and Health PsychologySRH Mobile UniversityRiedlingenGermany
| | - Richard Tindle
- CanTeenResearch Evaluation and Social PolicySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Thomas Boraud
- Institute of Neurodegenerative DiseasesCNRS UMR‐5293University of BordeauxBordeauxFrance
| | - Ahmed A. Moustafa
- Marcs Institute for Brain and BehaviorWestern Sydney UniversitySydneyNSWAustralia
| | - Ahmed A. Karim
- Department of Prevention and Health PsychologySRH Mobile UniversityRiedlingenGermany
- Department of Psychiatry and PsychotherapyUniversity of TübingenTübingenGermany
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16
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Sun D, Shao R, Wang Z, Lee TMC. Perceived Gaze Direction Modulates Neural Processing of Pro social Decision Making. Front Hum Neurosci 2018; 12:52. [PMID: 29487516 PMCID: PMC5816754 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 01/31/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Gaze direction is a common social cue implying potential interpersonal interaction. However, little is known about the neural processing of social decision making influenced by perceived gaze direction. Here, we employed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) method to investigate 27 females when they were engaging in an economic exchange game task during which photos of direct or averted eye gaze were shown. We found that, when averted but not direct gaze was presented, prosocial vs. selfish choices were associated with stronger activations in the right superior temporal gyrus (STG) as well as larger functional couplings between right STG and the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). Moreover, stronger activations in right STG was associated with quicker actions for making prosocial choice accompanied with averted gaze. The findings suggest that, when the cue implying social contact is absent, the processing of understanding others’ intention and the relationship between self and others is more involved for making prosocial than selfish decisions. These findings could advance our understanding of the roles of subtle cues in influencing prosocial decision making, as well as shedding lights on deficient social cue processing and functioning among individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
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Affiliation(s)
- Delin Sun
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.,Laboratory of Cognitive Affective Neuroscience, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.,Duke-UNC Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States.,VA Mid-Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Durham, NC, United States
| | - Robin Shao
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.,Laboratory of Cognitive Affective Neuroscience, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
| | - Zhaoxin Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Ministry of Education, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Tatia M C Lee
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.,Laboratory of Cognitive Affective Neuroscience, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.,The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong.,Institute of Clinical Neuropsychology, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
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17
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Abstract
Honesty plays a key role in social and economic interactions and is crucial for societal functioning. However, breaches of honesty are pervasive and cause significant societal and economic problems that can affect entire nations. Despite its importance, remarkably little is known about the neurobiological mechanisms supporting honest behavior. We demonstrate that honesty can be increased in humans with transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Participants (n = 145) completed a die-rolling task where they could misreport their outcomes to increase their earnings, thereby pitting honest behavior against personal financial gain. Cheating was substantial in a control condition but decreased dramatically when neural excitability was enhanced with tDCS. This increase in honesty could not be explained by changes in material self-interest or moral beliefs and was dissociated from participants' impulsivity, willingness to take risks, and mood. A follow-up experiment (n = 156) showed that tDCS only reduced cheating when dishonest behavior benefited the participants themselves rather than another person, suggesting that the stimulated neural process specifically resolves conflicts between honesty and material self-interest. Our results demonstrate that honesty can be strengthened by noninvasive interventions and concur with theories proposing that the human brain has evolved mechanisms dedicated to control complex social behaviors.
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18
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DeCaro DA, Arnol CAT, Boama EF, Garmestani AS. Understanding and applying principles of social cognition and decision making in adaptive environmental governance. Ecol Soc 2017; 22:1-33. [PMID: 29780425 PMCID: PMC5954421 DOI: 10.5751/es-09154-220133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Environmental governance systems are under greater pressure to adapt and to cope with increased social and ecological uncertainty from stressors like climate change. We review principles of social cognition and decision making that shape and constrain how environmental governance systems adapt. We focus primarily on the interplay between key decision makers in society and legal systems. We argue that adaptive governance must overcome three cooperative dilemmas to facilitate adaptation: (1) encouraging collaborative problem solving, (2) garnering social acceptance and commitment, and (3) cultivating a culture of trust and tolerance for change and uncertainty. However, to do so governance systems must cope with biases in people's decision making that cloud their judgment and create conflict. These systems must also satisfy people's fundamental needs for self-determination, fairness, and security, ensuring that changes to environmental governance are perceived as legitimate, trustworthy, and acceptable. We discuss the implications of these principles for common governance solutions (e.g., public participation, enforcement) and conclude with methodological recommendations. We outline how scholars can investigate the social cognitive principles involved in cases of adaptive governance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A DeCaro
- Department of Urban and Public Affairs, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Louisville
| | - Craig Anthony Tony Arnol
- Brandeis School of Law, Department of Urban and Public Affairs, and Center for Land Use and Environmental Responsibility, University of Louisville
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19
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Losecaat Vermeer AB, Heerema RL, Sanfey AG. Third-Party Cooperation: How Reducing Material Involvement Enhances Contributions to the Public Good. Pers Soc Psychol Bull 2016; 42:337-49. [PMID: 26865289 DOI: 10.1177/0146167216629123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Decisions to cooperate are often delegated to a third party. We examined whether cooperation differs when decisions are made for a third party compared with ourselves and specified which motives are important for third-party cooperation. Participants played multiple rounds of a public goods game (PGG). In Study 1, we varied personal involvement from high to low; participants played for themselves (Self), for themselves and a third party (Shared), and solely for a third party (Third Party). Participants contributed most when personal involvement was lowest (i.e., Third Party) and least when personal involvement was high (i.e., Self). Study 2 explored if social motives underlie third-party cooperation by comparing cooperation with social (human) and non-social (computer) group members. Reducing personal involvement in the PGG (i.e., Third Party) increased cooperation in social contexts compared with non-social contexts, indicating enhanced collective interest. Increased cooperation for a third party may result from taking the other's perspective, thereby increasing social norm preferences.
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20
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Abstract
Adolescence is a period of increased sensitivity to social contexts. To evaluate how social context sensitivity changes over development—and influences reward learning—we investigated how children and adolescents perceive and integrate rewards for oneself and others during a dynamic risky decision-making task. Children and adolescents (N = 75, 8–16 years) performed the Social Gambling Task (SGT, Kwak et al., 2014) and completed a set of questionnaires measuring other-regarding behavior. In the SGT, participants choose amongst four card decks that have different payout structures for oneself and for a charity. We examined patterns of choices, overall decision strategies, and how reward outcomes led to trial-by-trial adjustments in behavior, as estimated using a reinforcement-learning model. Performance of children and adolescents was compared to data from a previously collected sample of adults (N = 102) performing the identical task. We found that that children/adolescents were not only more sensitive to rewards directed to the charity than self but also showed greater prosocial tendencies on independent measures of other-regarding behavior. Children and adolescents also showed less use of a strategy that prioritizes rewards for self at the expense of rewards for others. These results support the conclusion that, compared to adults, children and adolescents show greater sensitivity to outcomes for others when making decisions and learning about potential rewards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youngbin Kwak
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, MA, USA
| | - Scott A Huettel
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke UniversityDurham, NC, USA; Duke Center for Interdisciplinary Decision Sciences, Duke UniversityDurham, NC, USA; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke UniversityDurham, NC, USA
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21
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Farmer H, Apps M, Tsakiris M. Reputation in an economic game modulates premotor cortex activity during action observation. Eur J Neurosci 2016; 44:2191-201. [PMID: 27364606 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2015] [Revised: 06/24/2016] [Accepted: 06/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Our interactions with other people - and our processing of their actions - are shaped by their reputation. Research has identified an Action Observation Network (AON) which is engaged when observing other people's actions. Yet, little is known about how the processing of others' actions is influenced by another's reputation. Is the response of the AON modulated by the reputation of the actor? We developed a variant of the ultimatum game in which participants watched either the visible or occluded actions of two 'proposers'. These actions were tied to decisions of how to split a pot of money although the proposers' decisions on each trial were not known to participants when observing the actions. One proposer made fair offers on the majority of trials, establishing a positive reputation, whereas the other made predominantly, unfair offers resulting in a negative reputation. We found significant activations in two regions of the left dorsal premotor cortex (dPMC). The first of these showed a main effect of reputation with greater activation for the negative reputation proposer than the positive reputation proposer. Furthermore individual differences in trust ratings of the two proposers covaried with activation in the right primary motor cortex (M1). The second showed an interaction between visibility and reputation driven by a greater effect of reputation when participants were observing an occluded action. Our findings show that the processing of others' actions in the AON is modulated by an actor's reputation, and suggest a predictive role for the PMC during action observation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harry Farmer
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK
| | - Matthew Apps
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK.,Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Manos Tsakiris
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK
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22
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FeldmanHall O, Raio CM, Kubota JT, Seiler MG, Phelps EA. The Effects of Social Context and Acute Stress on Decision Making Under Uncertainty. Psychol Sci 2015; 26:1918-26. [PMID: 26546080 DOI: 10.1177/0956797615605807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2015] [Accepted: 08/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Uncertainty preferences are typically studied in neutral, nonsocial contexts. This approach, however, fails to capture the dynamic factors that influence choices under uncertainty in the real world. Our goal was twofold: to test whether uncertainty valuation is similar across social and nonsocial contexts, and to investigate the effects of acute stress on uncertainty preferences. Subjects completed matched gambling and trust games following either a control or a stress manipulation. Those who were not under stress exhibited no differences between the amount of money gambled and the amount of money entrusted to partners. In comparison, stressed subjects gambled more money but entrusted less money to partners. We further found that irrespective of stress, subjects were highly attuned to irrelevant feedback in the nonsocial, gambling context, believing that every loss led to a greater chance of winning (the gamblers' fallacy). However, when deciding to trust a stranger, control subjects behaved rationally, treating each new interaction as independent. Stress compromised this adaptive behavior, increasing sensitivity to irrelevant social feedback.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Candace M Raio
- Department of Psychology, New York University Center for Neural Science, New York University
| | - Jennifer T Kubota
- Department of Psychology, University of Chicago The Center for the Study of Race, Politics, and Culture, University of Chicago
| | | | - Elizabeth A Phelps
- Department of Psychology, New York University Center for Neural Science, New York University Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, New York
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23
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Cartmell SCD, Chun MM, Vickery TJ. Neural antecedents of social decision-making in a partner choice task. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2014; 9:1722-9. [PMID: 24194578 PMCID: PMC4221213 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nst168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2012] [Revised: 10/22/2013] [Accepted: 10/31/2013] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Experiments in financial decision-making point to two complementary processes that encode prospective gain and loss preceding the choice to purchase consumer goods. These processes involve the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) and the right anterior insula, respectively. The current experiment used functional MRI to investigate whether these regions served a similar function during an analogous social decision-making task without the influence of monetary outcomes. In this task, subjects chose partners based on face stimuli of varying attractiveness (operationalizing value) and ratings of compatibility with the participant (operationalizing likelihood of rejection). The NAcc responded to anticipated gain; the right anterior insula responded to compatibility, but not in a manner that suggests an analogy to anticipated cost. Logistic regression modeling demonstrated that both regions predicted subsequent choice above and beyond the influence of group attractiveness ratings or compatibility alone. Although the function of the insula may differ between tasks, these results suggest that financial and social decision-making recruit a similar network of brain regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel C D Cartmell
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, PO Box 208205, 2 Hillhouse Ave, New Haven, CT 06520-8205, Stanford School of Medicine, 291 Campus Dr, Stanford, CA 94305, and Department of Psychology, University of Delaware, 108 Wolf Hall, Newark, DE 19716 Department of Psychology, Yale University, PO Box 208205, 2 Hillhouse Ave, New Haven, CT 06520-8205, Stanford School of Medicine, 291 Campus Dr, Stanford, CA 94305, and Department of Psychology, University of Delaware, 108 Wolf Hall, Newark, DE 19716
| | - Marvin M Chun
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, PO Box 208205, 2 Hillhouse Ave, New Haven, CT 06520-8205, Stanford School of Medicine, 291 Campus Dr, Stanford, CA 94305, and Department of Psychology, University of Delaware, 108 Wolf Hall, Newark, DE 19716
| | - Timothy J Vickery
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, PO Box 208205, 2 Hillhouse Ave, New Haven, CT 06520-8205, Stanford School of Medicine, 291 Campus Dr, Stanford, CA 94305, and Department of Psychology, University of Delaware, 108 Wolf Hall, Newark, DE 19716 Department of Psychology, Yale University, PO Box 208205, 2 Hillhouse Ave, New Haven, CT 06520-8205, Stanford School of Medicine, 291 Campus Dr, Stanford, CA 94305, and Department of Psychology, University of Delaware, 108 Wolf Hall, Newark, DE 19716
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24
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Verdejo-García A, Verdejo-Román J, Rio-Valle JS, Lacomba JA, Lagos FM, Soriano-Mas C. Dysfunctional involvement of emotion and reward brain regions on social decision making in excess weight adolescents. Hum Brain Mapp 2014; 36:226-37. [PMID: 25168709 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.22625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2014] [Revised: 07/27/2014] [Accepted: 08/21/2014] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Obese adolescents suffer negative social experiences, but no studies have examined whether obesity is associated with dysfunction of the social brain or whether social brain abnormalities relate to disadvantageous traits and social decisions. We aimed at mapping functional activation differences in the brain circuitry of social decision making in adolescents with excess versus normal weight, and at examining whether these separate patterns correlate with reward/punishment sensitivity, disordered eating features, and behavioral decisions. In this fMRI study, 80 adolescents aged 12 to 18 years old were classified in two groups based on age adjusted body mass index (BMI) percentiles: normal weight (n = 44, BMI percentiles 5th-84th) and excess weight (n = 36, BMI percentile ≥ 85th). Participants were scanned while performing a social decision-making task (ultimatum game) in which they chose to "accept" or "reject" offers to split monetary stakes made by another peer. Offers varied in fairness (Fair vs. Unfair) but in all cases "accepting" meant both players win the money, whereas "rejecting" meant both lose it. We showed that adolescents with excess weight compared to controls display significantly decreased activation of anterior insula, anterior cingulate, and midbrain during decisions about Unfair versus Fair offers. Moreover, excess weight subjects show lower sensitivity to reward and more maturity fears, which correlate with insula activation. Indeed, blunted insula activation accounted for the relationship between maturity fears and acceptance of unfair offers. Excess weight adolescents have diminished activation of brain regions essential for affective tracking of social decision making, which accounts for the association between maturity fears and social decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonio Verdejo-García
- School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, 3800 Wellington Rd, Melbourne (Australia); Department of Clinical Psychology & Institute of Neuroscience F. Oloriz, Universidad de Granada, Universidad de Granada. Campus de Cartuja S/N, 18071 Granada, Spain
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25
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustin Ibanez
- Laboratory of Experimental Psychology and Neuroscience, Institute of Cognitive Neurology (INECO), Favaloro University Buenos Aires, Argentina ; National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET) Buenos Aires, Argentina ; UDP-INECO Foundation Core on Neuroscience, Diego Portales University Santiago, Chile ; Universidad Autónoma del Caribe Barranquilla, Colombia ; Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Australian Research Council (ACR) Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Sonja A Kotz
- Cognitive Neuroscience and Experimental Psychology Section, School of Psychological Sciences, University of Manchester Manchester, UK ; Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute of Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences Leipzig, Germany
| | - Louise Barrett
- Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge Lethbridge, AB, Canada
| | - Jorge Moll
- Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Unit, D'Or Institute for Research and Education Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Maria Ruz
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Brain, Mind and Behavior Research Center, University of Granada Granada, Spain
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26
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Abstract
A coordinate transformation framework for understanding how neurons compute sensorimotor behaviors has generated significant advances toward our understanding of basic brain function. This influential scaffold focuses on neuronal encoding of spatial information represented in different coordinate systems (e.g., eye-centered, hand-centered) and how multiple brain regions partake in transforming these signals in order to ultimately generate a motor output. A powerful analogy can be drawn from the coordinate transformation framework to better elucidate how the nervous system computes cognitive variables for social behavior. Of particular relevance is how the brain represents information with respect to oneself and other individuals, such as in reward outcome assignment during social exchanges, in order to influence social decisions. In this article, I outline how the coordinate transformation framework can help guide our understanding of neural computations resulting in social interactions. Implications for numerous psychiatric disorders with impaired representations of self and others are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve W C Chang
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke University Durham, NC, USA ; Department of Psychology, Yale University New Haven, CT, USA
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27
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Abstract
Preconjugal ciliates learn classical repetition error-correction codes to safeguard mating messages and replies from corruption by “rivals” and local ambient noise. Because individual cells behave as memory channels with Szilárd engine attributes, these coding schemes also might be used to limit, diagnose, and correct mating-signal errors due to noisy intracellular information processing. The present study, therefore, assessed whether heterotrich ciliates effect fault-tolerant signal planning and execution by modifying engine performance, and consequently entropy content of codes, during mock cell–cell communication. Socially meaningful serial vibrations emitted from an ambiguous artificial source initiated ciliate behavioral signaling performances known to advertise mating fitness with varying courtship strategies. Microbes, employing calcium-dependent Hebbian-like decision making, learned to diagnose then correct error syndromes by recursively matching Boltzmann entropies between signal planning and execution stages via “power” or “refrigeration” cycles. All eight serial contraction and reversal strategies incurred errors in entropy magnitude by the execution stage of processing. Absolute errors, however, subtended expected threshold values for single bit-flip errors in three-bit replies, indicating coding schemes protected information content throughout signal production. Ciliate preparedness for vibrations selectively and significantly affected the magnitude and valence of Szilárd engine performance during modal and non-modal strategy corrective cycles. But entropy fidelity for all replies mainly improved across learning trials as refinements in engine efficiency. Fidelity neared maximum levels for only modal signals coded in resilient three-bit repetition error-correction sequences. Together, these findings demonstrate microbes can elevate survival/reproductive success by learning to implement classical fault-tolerant information processing in social contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin B Clark
- Research and Development Service, Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System Los Angeles, CA, USA
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28
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Overgaauw S, Güroğlu B, Crone EA. Fairness considerations when I know more than you do: developmental comparisons. Front Psychol 2012; 3:424. [PMID: 23162494 PMCID: PMC3498900 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2012] [Accepted: 10/01/2012] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The Ultimatum Game (UG) is a valuable paradigm to study fairness considerations. Here, we tested developmental differences between altruistic and strategic motivations in fairness considerations using a version of the UG with hidden conditions. Participants were proposers and could divide coins between themselves and an anonymous other. Hidden information conditions involved division of coins where some coins were only visible to the participant (e.g., 8/2 condition where, from the total of 10 coins, 8 coins were visible to both players and 2 coins only visible to the proposer). In total, 22 young adults and 79 children between ages 8 and 13 played multiple one-shot versions of the UG with hidden conditions with anonymous others. Overall analyses confirmed validity of the task and showed that participants of all age groups had strategic intentions. Specific task analyses revealed that adults divided the coins equally in the standard UG conditions, but gave less to the second player in the hidden information conditions. The developmental comparisons revealed an age × condition interaction, such that adults and 10- to 12-year-old children differentiated between standard and hidden conditions more than 8- to 9-year-old children. These findings indicate that young children have a basic understanding of different strategic motives, but that behavior of adults and older children is driven more by strategic intentions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandy Overgaauw
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University Leiden, Netherlands ; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition Leiden, Netherlands
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29
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Blasi G, Hariri AR, Alce G, Taurisano P, Sambataro F, Das S, Bertolino A, Weinberger DR, Mattay VS. Preferential amygdala reactivity to the negative assessment of neutral faces. Biol Psychiatry 2009; 66:847-53. [PMID: 19709644 PMCID: PMC3013358 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2009.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2008] [Revised: 06/19/2009] [Accepted: 06/19/2009] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prior studies suggest that the amygdala shapes complex behavioral responses to socially ambiguous cues. We explored human amygdala function during explicit behavioral decision making about discrete emotional facial expressions that can represent socially unambiguous and ambiguous cues. METHODS During functional magnetic resonance imaging, 43 healthy adults were required to make complex social decisions (i.e., approach or avoid) about either relatively unambiguous (i.e., angry, fearful, happy) or ambiguous (i.e., neutral) facial expressions. Amygdala activation during this task was compared with that elicited by simple, perceptual decisions (sex discrimination) about the identical facial stimuli. RESULTS Angry and fearful expressions were more frequently judged as avoidable and happy expressions most often as approachable. Neutral expressions were equally judged as avoidable and approachable. Reaction times to neutral expressions were longer than those to angry, fearful, and happy expressions during social judgment only. Imaging data on stimuli judged to be avoided revealed a significant task by emotion interaction in the amygdala. Here, only neutral facial expressions elicited greater activity during social judgment than during sex discrimination. Furthermore, during social judgment only, neutral faces judged to be avoided were associated with greater amygdala activity relative to neutral faces that were judged as approachable. Moreover, functional coupling between the amygdala and both dorsolateral prefrontal (social judgment > sex discrimination) and cingulate (sex discrimination > social judgment) cortices was differentially modulated by task during processing of neutral faces. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that increased amygdala reactivity and differential functional coupling with prefrontal circuitries may shape complex decisions and behavioral responses to socially ambiguous cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Blasi
- Psychiatric Neuroscience Group, Department of Neurological and Psychiatric Sciences, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
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30
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Abstract
There is growing appreciation that social decision making in humans is strongly influenced by hedonic and emotional processing. The field of social neuroeconomics has shown that neural systems important for reward are associated with social choice and social preferences in humans. Here, we show that the neurobiology of social preferences in a monogamous rodent species, the prairie vole, is also regulated by neural systems involved in reward and emotional processing. Specifically, we describe how mesolimbic dopamine transmission differentially mediates the formation and maintenance of monogamous pair bonds in this species. Thus, reward processing exerts tremendous regulation over social choice behaviors that serve as the foundation of a rather complex social organization. We conclude that prairie voles are an excellent model system for the neuroscience of social choice and that complex social decision-making can be robustly explained by reward and hedonic processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon J Aragona
- Department of Psychology and Program in Neuroscience, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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