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Qiao X, Zhang W, Hao N. Different neural correlates of deception: Crafting high and low creative scams. Neuroscience 2024; 558:37-49. [PMID: 39159840 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2024.08.020] [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: 04/15/2024] [Revised: 08/11/2024] [Accepted: 08/14/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024]
Abstract
Deception is a complex social behavior that manifests in various forms, including scams. To successfully deceive victims, liars have to continually devise novel scams. This ability to create novel scams represents one kind of malevolent creativity, referred to as lying. This study aimed to explore different neural substrates involved in the generation of high and low creative scams. A total of 40 participants were required to design several creative scams, and their cortical activity was recorded by functional near-infrared spectroscopy. The results revealed that the right frontopolar cortex (FPC) was significantly active in scam generation. This region associated with theory of mind may be a key region for creating novel and complex scams. Moreover, creativity-related regions were positively involved in creative scams, while morality-related areas showed negative involvement. This suggests that individuals might attempt to use malevolent creativity while simultaneously minimizing the influence of moral considerations. The right FPC exhibited increased coupling with the right precentral gyrus during the design of high-harmfulness scams, suggesting a diminished control over immoral thoughts in the generation of harmful scams. Additionally, the perception of the victim's emotions (related to right pre-motor cortex) might diminish the quality of highly original scams. Furthermore, an efficient and cohesive neural coupling state appears to be a key factor in generating high-creativity scams. These findings suggest that the right FPC was crucial in scam creation, highlighting a neural basis for balancing malevolent creativity against moral considerations in high-creativity deception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinuo Qiao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Wenyu Zhang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - Ning Hao
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China; Key Laboratory of Philosophy and Social Science of Anhui Province on Adolescent Mental Health and Crisis Intelligence Intervention, Hefei Normal University, Hefei 230601, China.
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McIver TA, Craig W, Bosma RL, Chiarella J, Klassen J, Sandra A, Goegan S, Booij L. Empathy, Defending, and Functional Connectivity While Witnessing Social Exclusion. Soc Neurosci 2022; 17:352-367. [PMID: 35659207 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2022.2086618] [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] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Peers are present for most bullying episodes. Peers who witness bullying can play an important role in either stopping or perpetuating the behaviour. Defending can greatly benefit victimized peers. Empathy is strongly associated with defending. Yet, less is known about defenders' neural response to witnessing social distress, and how this response may relate to the link between empathy and defending. Forty-six first-year undergraduate students (Mage = 17.7; 37 women), with varied history of peer defending, underwent fMRI scanning while witnessing a depiction of social exclusion. Functional connectivity analysis was performed across brain regions that are involved in cognitive empathy, empathetic distress, and compassion. History of defending was positively associated with functional connectivity (Exclusion > Inclusion) between the left orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) - medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), and right OFC - left and right amygdalae. Defending was negatively associated with functional connectivity between the left OFC - anterior cingulate cortex. The relationship between history of defending and empathy (specifically, empathetic perspective taking) was moderated by functional connectivity of the right OFC - left amygdala. These findings suggest that coactivation of brain regions involved in compassionate emotion regulation and empathetic distress play a role in the relationship between empathy and peer defending.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theresa A McIver
- Queen's University, Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Wendy Craig
- Queen's University, Department of Psychology, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rachael L Bosma
- Queen's University, Centre for Neuroscience Studies, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Julian Chiarella
- Concordia University, Department of Psychology, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Janell Klassen
- Queen's University, Department of Psychology, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Aislinn Sandra
- Queen's University, Department of Psychology, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sarah Goegan
- Queen's University, Department of Psychology, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
| | - Linda Booij
- Queen's University, Department of Psychology, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.,Concordia University, Department of Psychology, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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