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Panico F, Ferrara A, Sagliano L, Trojano L. The involvement of rTPJ in intention attribution during social decision making: A TMS study. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2024; 24:755-765. [PMID: 38689164 PMCID: PMC11233285 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-024-01188-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024]
Abstract
The mini-Ultimatum Game (mini-UG) is a bargaining game used to assess the reactions of a responder to unfair offers made by a proposer under different intentionality conditions. Previous studies employing this task showed the activation of responders' right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ), which could be related to its involvement in judgments of intentionality. To verify this hypothesis, in the present study we applied online transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) over the rTPJ in responders during the mini-UG, in which we manipulated intention attribution implicitly. A cover story was employed to induce participants to believe they were interacting with another agent. We expected that interfering with the rTPJ could affect the ability of responders to assume proposers' perspective, producing higher rates of rejections of unfair offers when offers are perceived as independent from responders' intentionality to inequality. Twenty-six healthy women voluntarily participated in the study. In the mini-UG, an unfair distribution of the proposer (8/2 offer) was pitted against one of three alternative offers: fair-alternative (5/5), no-alternative (8/2), hyperfair-alternative (2/8). During the task, a train of TMS pulses was delivered at proposers' offer presentation in blocks of active (rTPJ) or control (Vertex) stimulation according to an ABAB design. As expected, findings showed that rejection of the no-alternative offers was higher under TMS stimulation of the rTPJ compared with the control TMS. This effect was modulated by the degree of trustworthiness in the cover story. These data contribute defining the mechanisms and brain areas underpinning social decision making as assessed by bargaining tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Panico
- University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli, Viale Ellittico 31, 81100, Caserta, Italy.
| | - Antonella Ferrara
- University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli, Viale Ellittico 31, 81100, Caserta, Italy
| | - Laura Sagliano
- University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli, Viale Ellittico 31, 81100, Caserta, Italy
| | - Luigi Trojano
- University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli, Viale Ellittico 31, 81100, Caserta, Italy
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2
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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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Carlson JM, Foley J, Fang L. Climate change on the brain: Neural correlates of climate anxiety. J Anxiety Disord 2024; 103:102848. [PMID: 38431988 DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2024.102848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Climate change is a global crisis impacting individuals' mental health. Climate anxiety is an emerging area of interest within popular culture and the scientific community. Yet, little is known about the mechanisms underlying climate anxiety. We provide evidence that climate anxiety is related to gray matter volume in the midcingulate cortex as well as its level of functional connectivity with the insula cortex. These neuroanatomical and neurofunctional features of climate anxiety are involved in identifying and anticipating potential threats within the environment and preparing an appropriate action response to such threats. These neural correlates align with those observed in anxiety disorders. Yet, climate anxiety itself as well as the neural correlates of climate anxiety were related to pro-environmental behavior. This may suggest that the midcingulate and insula are part of a network linked to an adaptive aspect of climate anxiety in motivating behavioral engagement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua M Carlson
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, MI, USA.
| | - John Foley
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, MI, USA
| | - Lin Fang
- Department of Psychological Science, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, MI, USA
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Huang F, Fu X, Song J, Ren J, Li F, Zhao Q. Divergent thinking benefits from functional antagonism of the left IFG and right TPJ: a transcranial direct current stimulation study. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhad531. [PMID: 38204300 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad531] [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: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Divergent thinking is assumed to benefit from releasing the constraint of existing knowledge (i.e. top-down control) and enriching free association (i.e. bottom-up processing). However, whether functional antagonism between top-down control-related and bottom-up processing-related brain structures is conducive to generating original ideas is largely unknown. This study was designed to investigate the effect of functional antagonism between the left inferior frontal gyrus and the right temporoparietal junction on divergent thinking performance. A within-subjects design was adopted for three experiments. A total of 114 participants performed divergent thinking tasks after receiving transcranial direct current stimulation over target regions. In particular, cathodal stimulation over the left inferior frontal gyrus and anodal stimulation over the right inferior frontal gyrus (Experiment 1), anodal stimulation over the right temporoparietal junction (Experiment 2), and both cathodal stimulation over the left inferior frontal gyrus and anodal stimulation over the right temporoparietal junction (Experiment 3) were manipulated. Compared with sham stimulation, the combination of hyperpolarization of the left inferior frontal gyrus and depolarization of the right temporoparietal junction comprehensively promoted the fluency, flexibility, and originality of divergent thinking without decreasing the rationality of generated ideas. Functional antagonism between the left inferior frontal gyrus (hyperpolarization) and right temporoparietal junction (depolarization) has a "1 + 1 > 2" superposition effect on divergent thinking.
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Affiliation(s)
- Furong Huang
- School of Psychology, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China
| | - Xiaqing Fu
- School of Psychology, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China
| | - Jiajun Song
- School of Psychology, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China
| | - Jingyuan Ren
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen 6525EN, The Netherlands
| | - Fuhong Li
- School of Psychology, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang 330022, China
| | - Qingbai Zhao
- School of Psychology, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, China
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Baumgartner T, Guizar Rosales E, Knoch D. Neural mechanisms underlying interindividual differences in intergenerational sustainable behavior. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17357. [PMID: 37833384 PMCID: PMC10575884 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-44250-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Intergenerational sustainability is a pressing challenge, which is exacerbated by the fact that the current generation must make sacrifices today to ensure the well-being of future generations. There are large interindividual differences in intergenerational sustainable behavior. However, the neural mechanisms underlying these interindividual differences have remained unexplored. Here, we combined fMRI with a consequential intergenerational sustainability paradigm in a sample of 72 healthy students. Specifically, we analyzed task-dependent functional activity and connectivity during intergenerational sustainable decision-making, focusing on the state-like neurophysiological processes giving rise to behavioral heterogeneity in sustainability. We found that differences in neural communication within and between the mentalizing (TPJ/DMPFC) and cognitive control (ACC/DLPFC) network are related to interindividual differences in intergenerational sustainable behavior. Specifically, the stronger the functional connectivity within and between these networks during decision-making, the more individuals behaved intergenerationally sustainably. Corroborated by mediation analyses, these findings suggest that differences in the engagement of perspective-taking and self-control processes underly interindividual differences in intergenerational sustainable behavior. By answering recent calls for leveraging behavioral and neuroscience for sustainability research, we hope to contribute to interdisciplinary efforts to advance the understanding of interindividual differences in intergenerational sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Baumgartner
- Department of Social Neuroscience and Social Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Fabrikstrasse 8, CH-3012, Bern, Switzerland.
- Translational Imaging Center (TIC), Swiss Institute for Translational and Entrepreneurial Medicine, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Emmanuel Guizar Rosales
- Department of Social Neuroscience and Social Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Fabrikstrasse 8, CH-3012, Bern, Switzerland
- Translational Imaging Center (TIC), Swiss Institute for Translational and Entrepreneurial Medicine, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Daria Knoch
- Department of Social Neuroscience and Social Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Fabrikstrasse 8, CH-3012, Bern, Switzerland
- Translational Imaging Center (TIC), Swiss Institute for Translational and Entrepreneurial Medicine, Bern, Switzerland
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Langenbach BP, Koelkebeck K, Knoch D. Mentalising and depression: a mini-review on behavior, neural substrates, and treatment options. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1116306. [PMID: 37398589 PMCID: PMC10308027 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1116306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Major depression is one of the most common mental disorders, affecting millions of people around the globe. In recent years, researchers increasingly investigated social cognition in depression and discovered pronounced alterations. A special focus has been put on mentalising or Theory of Mind, the ability to recognize and understand another person's thoughts and feelings. While there is behavioral evidence for deficits in this ability in patients with depression as well as specialized therapeutic interventions, the neuroscientific substrates are only beginning to be understood. In this mini-review, we take a social neuroscience perspective to analyse the importance of altered mentalising in depression and whether it can help to understand the origins and perpetuation of the disorder. We will put a special focus on treatment options and corresponding neural changes to identify relevant paths for future (neuroscientific) research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedikt P. Langenbach
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, LVR University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
- Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Katja Koelkebeck
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine, LVR University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
- Center for Translational Neuro- and Behavioral Sciences, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Daria Knoch
- Department of Social Neuroscience and Social Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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Ogishima H, Ito A, Kajimura S, Himichi T. Validity and reliability of the Japanese version of the sustainability consciousness questionnaire. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1130550. [PMID: 37008853 PMCID: PMC10050387 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1130550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The sustainable development goals (SDGs) are required to be achieved by 2030, and measurement indicators are needed to properly visualize individual efforts toward SDGs. Here, we developed a Japanese version of the Sustainability Consciousness Questionnaire (SCQ), the most well-known individual measure of SDGs, and examined its reliability and validity. Three online surveys were conducted with 1,268 Japanese adults. The results of confirmatory factor analysis showed that the Japanese version of the SCQ consists of two single-level factors: sustainability knowingness/attitude and sustainability behavior. These two factors demonstrated sufficient internal consistency by Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega coefficient, which ensured measurement reliability. Additionally, cocorrelations with other scales indicated that the higher the level of sustainability knowledge and attitude, the less positive attitude toward climate change and the higher the level of sustainability behavior, indicating the construct validity of these factors. These results indicate that the Japanese version of the SCQ is reliable and valid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroyoshi Ogishima
- Research Institute for Future Design, Kochi University of Technology, Kochi, Japan
| | - Ayahito Ito
- Research Institute for Future Design, Kochi University of Technology, Kochi, Japan
- Department of Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
| | - Shogo Kajimura
- Faculty of Information and Human Sciences, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Toshiyuki Himichi
- Research Institute for Future Design, Kochi University of Technology, Kochi, Japan
- School of Economics and Management, Kochi University of Technology, Kochi, Japan
- *Correspondence: Toshiyuki Himichi
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Guizar Rosales E, Baumgartner T, Knoch D. Interindividual differences in intergenerational sustainable behavior are associated with cortical thickness of the dorsomedial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Neuroimage 2022; 264:119664. [PMID: 36202158 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Intergenerational sustainability requires people of the present generation to make sacrifices today to benefit others of future generations (e.g. mitigating climate change, reducing public debt). Individuals vary greatly in their intergenerational sustainability, and the cognitive and neural sources of these interindividual differences are not yet well understood. We here combined neuroscientific and behavioral methods by assessing interindividual differences in cortical thickness and by using a common-pool resource paradigm with intergenerational contingencies. This enabled us to look for objective, stable, and trait-like neural markers of interindividual differences in consequential intergenerational behavior. We found that individuals behaving sustainably (vs. unsustainably) were marked by greater cortical thickness of the dorsomedial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Given that these brain areas are involved in perspective-taking and self-control and supported by mediation analyses, we speculate that greater cortical thickness of these brain areas better enable individuals to take the perspective of future generations and to resist temptations to maximize personal benefits that incur costs for future generations. By meeting recent calls for the contribution of neuroscience to sustainability research, it is our hope that the present study advances the transdisciplinary understanding of interindividual differences in intergenerational sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Guizar Rosales
- Department of Social Neuroscience and Social Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Switzerland; Translational Imaging Center (TIC), Swiss Institute for Translational and Entrepreneurial Medicine, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Baumgartner
- Department of Social Neuroscience and Social Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Switzerland; Translational Imaging Center (TIC), Swiss Institute for Translational and Entrepreneurial Medicine, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Daria Knoch
- Department of Social Neuroscience and Social Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Switzerland; Translational Imaging Center (TIC), Swiss Institute for Translational and Entrepreneurial Medicine, Bern, Switzerland.
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