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Studler M, Gianotti LRR, Lobmaier J, Maric A, Knoch D. Human Prosocial Preferences Are Related to Slow-Wave Activity in Sleep. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0885232024. [PMID: 38467433 PMCID: PMC11007317 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0885-23.2024] [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: 05/11/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Prosocial behavior is crucial for the smooth functioning of the society. Yet, individuals differ vastly in the propensity to behave prosocially. Here, we try to explain these individual differences under normal sleep conditions without any experimental modulation of sleep. Using a portable high-density EEG, we measured the sleep data in 54 healthy adults (28 females) during a normal night's sleep at the participants' homes. To capture prosocial preferences, participants played an incentivized public goods game in which they faced real monetary consequences. The whole-brain analyses showed that a higher relative slow-wave activity (SWA, an indicator of sleep depth) in a cluster of electrodes over the right temporoparietal junction (TPJ) was associated with increased prosocial preferences. Source localization and current source density analyses further support these findings. Recent sleep deprivation studies imply that sleeping enough makes us more prosocial; the present findings suggest that it is not only sleep duration, but particularly sufficient sleep depth in the TPJ that is positively related to prosociality. Because the TPJ plays a central role in social cognitive functions, we speculate that sleep depth in the TPJ, as reflected by relative SWA, might serve as a dispositional indicator of social cognition ability, which is reflected in prosocial preferences. These findings contribute to the emerging framework explaining the link between sleep and prosocial behavior by shedding light on the underlying mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirjam Studler
- Department of Social Neuroscience and Social Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern 3012, Switzerland
| | - Lorena R R Gianotti
- Department of Social Neuroscience and Social Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern 3012, Switzerland
| | - Janek Lobmaier
- Department of Social Neuroscience and Social Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern 3012, Switzerland
| | - Angelina Maric
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich 8091, Switzerland
| | - Daria Knoch
- Department of Social Neuroscience and Social Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern 3012, Switzerland
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Zhang H, Xiong G, Cai S, Wu S. A Causal Role of Right Temporoparietal Junction in Prosocial Learning: A Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Study. Neuroscience 2024; 538:59-67. [PMID: 38145822 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
Prosocial behavior is a common and important aspect of everyday social life. To behave prosocially, we need to learn the consequences of our actions for other people, known as prosocial learning. Previous studies have identified the right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ) as the critical neurological substrate for prosocial behavior. However, little is known about the causal role of the rTPJ in prosocial learning. To clarify the role of the rTPJ in prosocial learning, we used a reinforcement learning paradigm and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). A total of 75 participants were recruited and randomly assigned to the anodal or sham tDCS group. While receiving tDCS stimulation over the rTPJ, participants were instructed to choose between different stimuli that were probabilistically associated with rewards for themselves in the self-learning condition or for another person in the prosocial-learning condition. Participants were able to learn to obtain rewards for themselves or others, and learning performance in the self-learning condition was better than that in the prosocial-learning condition. However, anodal tDCS over the rTPJ significantly improved learning performance in the prosocial-learning condition. These results indicate that the rTPJ plays a causal role in prosocial learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanqi Zhang
- School of Economics and Management, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; Key Lab for Behavioral Economic Science & Technology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Guanxing Xiong
- School of Economics and Management, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; Key Lab for Behavioral Economic Science & Technology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
| | - Shenggang Cai
- School of Economics and Management, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; Key Lab for Behavioral Economic Science & Technology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China
| | - Shijing Wu
- School of Economics and Management, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China; Key Lab for Behavioral Economic Science & Technology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510006, China.
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Hao S, Xin Q, Xiaomin Z, Jiali P, Xiaoqin W, Rong Y, Cenlin Z. Group membership modulates the hold-up problem: an event-related potentials and oscillations study. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2023; 18:nsad071. [PMID: 37990077 PMCID: PMC10689188 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsad071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
This paper investigates the neural mechanism that underlies the effect of group identity on hold-up problems. The behavioral results indicated that the investment rate among members of the in-group was significantly higher than that of the out-group. In comparison to the NoChat treatment, the Chat treatment resulted in significantly lower offers for both in-group and out-group members. The event-related potentials (ERP) results demonstrated the presence of a distinct N2 component in the frontal midline of the brain when investment decisions were made for both in-group and out-group members. During the offer decision-making stage, the P3 peak amplitude was significantly larger when interacting with in-group members compared to the out-group members. The event-related potentials oscillations (ERO) results indicated that when investment decisions were made for in-group members in the NoChat treatment, the beta band (18-28 Hz, 250-350 ms) power was more pronounced than when decisions were made for out-group members. In the NoChat treatment, offer decisions for in-group members yielded a more pronounced difference in beta band (15-20 Hz, 200-300 ms) power when compared to out-group members. Evidence from this study suggests that group identity can reduce the hold-up problem and corroborates the neural basis of group identity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su Hao
- School of Economics and Management, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500, China
- Key Laboratory of Energy Security and Low-carbon Development, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500, China
| | - Qing Xin
- School of Economics and Management, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500, China
| | - Zhang Xiaomin
- School of Economics and Management, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500, China
| | - Pan Jiali
- School of Economics and Management, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500, China
| | - Wang Xiaoqin
- School of Economics and Management, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500, China
| | - Yu Rong
- School of Economics and Management, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500, China
| | - Zhang Cenlin
- School of Economics and Management, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500, China
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Hao S, Xin Q, Xiaoqin W. Anodal tDCS over TPJ reduces bidding in Tullock contest: Implications for social decision-making. Neurosci Lett 2023; 812:137361. [PMID: 37414369 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2023.137361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
Contests, as economic, political, and social interactions, can stimulate high levels of effort, but they can also lead to inefficient expenditure of effort (overbidding), resulting in the wastage of social resources. Prior studies have indicated that the temporoparietal junction (TPJ) is associated with overbidding and speculating on the intentions of others during contests. This study aimed to investigate the neural mechanisms of the TPJ in overbidding and to examine changes in bidding behavior after modulating TPJ activity using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). The experiment randomly allocated participants into three groups, each receiving either anodal stimulation of the LTPJ/RTPJ or sham stimulation. Following the stimulation, the participants engaged in the Tullock rent-seeking game. Our results revealed that participants who received anodal stimulation of the LTPJ and RTPJ significantly reduced their bids compared to the sham group, possibly due to enhanced accuracy in guessing others' strategies or enhanced altruistic preferences. Moreover, our findings suggest that while both the LTPJ and RTPJ are associated with overbidding behavior, anodal tDCS targeting the RTPJ is more effective than stimulation of the LTPJ in decreasing overbidding. The aforementioned revelations offer proof of the neural mechanisms of the TPJ in overbidding and provide fresh substantiation for the neural mechanisms of social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su Hao
- School of Economics and Management, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500, China; Key Laboratory of Energy Security and Low-carbon Development, Chengdu 610500, China.
| | - Qing Xin
- School of Economics and Management, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500, China.
| | - Wang Xiaoqin
- School of Economics and Management, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500, China
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Transcranial direct current stimulation of the LTPJ shifts the agent’s behaviors in repeated hold-up game. Neurosci Res 2022; 181:79-86. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2022.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Zhang H, Dong Z, Cai S, Zhao J. Distinguishing the Roles of the Dorsomedial Prefrontal Cortex and Right Temporoparietal Junction in Altruism in Situations of Inequality: A Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Study. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:821360. [PMID: 35399349 PMCID: PMC8985852 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.821360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ) and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), which are involved in social cognition, have been proposed to play key roles in guiding human altruistic behavior. However, no study has provided empirical evidence that the rTPJ and dmPFC play distinct roles in altruism under situations of inequality. A total of 107 healthy young adults were randomly assigned to receive anodal or sham transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to either the dmPFC or rTPJ, and they participated in a modified dictator game. The stimulation of the dmPFC increased the level of altruistic behavior, while the stimulation of the rTPJ did not. Furthermore, we determined that the increase in altruism induced by tDCS of the dmPFC could be modulated by perspective taking. These results demonstrate that the dmPFC and rTPJ play distinct roles in the enhancement of altruism in situations of inequality; this finding is consistent with theories proposing that the dmPFC has evolved mechanisms dedicated to perspective taking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanqi Zhang
- Key Lab for Behavioral Economic Science and Technology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,School of Economics and Management, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhiqiang Dong
- Key Lab for Behavioral Economic Science and Technology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,School of Economics and Management, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shenggang Cai
- Key Lab for Behavioral Economic Science and Technology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,School of Economics and Management, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jun Zhao
- Key Lab for Behavioral Economic Science and Technology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.,School of Economics and Management, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
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