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Qu C, Huang Y, Philippe R, Cai S, Derrington E, Moisan F, Shi M, Dreher JC. Transcranial direct current stimulation suggests a causal role of the medial prefrontal cortex in learning social hierarchy. Commun Biol 2024; 7:304. [PMID: 38461216 PMCID: PMC10924847 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05976-2] [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: 11/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Social hierarchies can be inferred through observational learning of social relationships between individuals. Yet, little is known about the causal role of specific brain regions in learning hierarchies. Here, using transcranial direct current stimulation, we show a causal role of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in learning social versus non-social hierarchies. In a Training phase, participants acquired knowledge about social and non-social hierarchies by trial and error. During a Test phase, they were presented with two items from hierarchies that were never encountered together, requiring them to make transitive inferences. Anodal stimulation over mPFC impaired social compared with non-social hierarchy learning, and this modulation was influenced by the relative social rank of the members (higher or lower status). Anodal stimulation also impaired transitive inference making, but only during early blocks before learning was established. Together, these findings demonstrate a causal role of the mPFC in learning social ranks by observation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Qu
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yulong Huang
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Rémi Philippe
- Laboratory of Neuroeconomics, Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod, CNRS, Lyon, France
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | - Shenggang Cai
- School of Economics and Management, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
- Key Lab for Behavioral Economic Science & Technology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Edmund Derrington
- Laboratory of Neuroeconomics, Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod, CNRS, Lyon, France
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France
| | | | - Mengke Shi
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jean-Claude Dreher
- Laboratory of Neuroeconomics, Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod, CNRS, Lyon, France.
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Lyon, France.
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2
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Li J, Li M, Sun Y, Zhang G, Fan W, Zhong Y. The impact of social hierarchies on neural response to feedback evaluations after advice giving. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26611. [PMID: 38339957 PMCID: PMC10839742 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Advisors generally evaluate advisee-relevant feedback after advice giving. The response to these feedback-(1) whether the advice is accepted and (2) whether the advice is optimal-usually involves prestige. Prior literature has found that prestige is the basis by which individuals attain a superior status in the social hierarchy. However, whether advisors are motivated to attain a superior status when engaging in advice giving remains uncharacterized. Using event-related potentials, this study investigates how advisors evaluate feedback after giving advice to superior (vs. inferior) status advisees. A social hierarchy was first established based on two advisees (one was ranked as superior status and another as inferior status) as well as participants' performance in a dot-estimation task in which all participants were ranked as medium status. Participants then engaged in a game in which they were assigned roles as advisors to a superior or inferior status advisee. Afterward, the participants received feedback in two phases. In Phase 1, participants were told whether the advisees accepted the advice provided. In Phase 2, the participants were informed whether the advice they provided was correct. In these two phases, when the advisee was of superior status, participants exhibited stronger feedback-related negativity and P300 difference in response to (1) whether their advice was accepted, and (2) whether their advice was correct. Moreover, the P300 was notably larger when the participants' correct advice led to a gain for a superior-status advisee. In the context of advice giving, advisors are particularly motivated to attain a superior status when the feedback involving social hierarchies, which is reflected in higher sensitivity to feedback associated with superior status advisees at earlier and later stages during feedback evaluations in brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Li
- Department of PsychologyHunan Normal UniversityChangshaP.R. China
- Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan ProvinceChangshaP.R. China
| | - Mei Li
- School of PsychologySouth China Normal UniversityGuangzhouP.R. China
| | - Yu Sun
- School of PsychologyGuizhou Normal UniversityGuiyangP.R. China
| | - Guanfei Zhang
- Department of PsychologyHunan Normal UniversityChangshaP.R. China
- Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan ProvinceChangshaP.R. China
| | - Wei Fan
- Department of PsychologyHunan Normal UniversityChangshaP.R. China
- Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan ProvinceChangshaP.R. China
| | - Yiping Zhong
- Department of PsychologyHunan Normal UniversityChangshaP.R. China
- Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan ProvinceChangshaP.R. China
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3
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Fazel S, Vahabie AH, Navi FFT, Heysieattalab S. Unraveling the social hierarchy: Exploring behavioral and neural dynamics in shaping inhibitory control. Behav Brain Res 2024; 456:114686. [PMID: 37775080 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023]
Abstract
Inhibitory control is crucial for regulating emotions, suppressing biases, and inhibiting inappropriate responses in social interactions. Social rank, or perceived position in the hierarchy, can influence inhibitory control, with high-rank individuals requiring it to regulate dominant behavior and low-rank individuals requiring it to regulate emotional reactions or avoid submissive behaviors. Furthermore, research suggests that social status can affect the neural mechanisms underlying inhibitory control, leading to differences in abilities and strategies based on perceived rank. In this study, we investigated the effects of social rank on inhibitory control using a dot estimation task to prime social hierarchy. Subsequently, we assessed the inhibitory control of the participants using a Go/Nogo task with photos of individuals in different social ranks. The study recruited a total of 43 students (22 males and 21 females), with a mean age of 26.8 years (SD=4.08). We measured both behavioral (reaction time and response accuracy) and electrophysiological (N200 and P300 event-related potentials) responses to investigate the neural correlates of inhibitory control. Results showed that participants responded slower to lower-rank individuals but had higher accuracy when inhibiting their response to them. The N200 amplitude was greater when presented with higher ranks stimuli in Go trials, indicating greater conflict monitoring, while the P300 amplitude was significantly higher in Nogo trials compared to Go trials. These findings suggest that social rank can influence inhibitory control and highlight the importance of considering the impact of social hierarchy in social interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soroush Fazel
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Tabriz, Tabriz, Iran
| | - Abdol-Hossein Vahabie
- Cognitive Systems Laboratory, Control, and Intelligent Processing Center of Excellence (CIPCE), School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
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4
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Pan Y, Vinding MC, Zhang L, Lundqvist D, Olsson A. A Brain-To-Brain Mechanism for Social Transmission of Threat Learning. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2304037. [PMID: 37544901 PMCID: PMC10558655 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202304037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Survival and adaptation in environments require swift and efficacious learning about what is dangerous. Across species, much of such threat learning is acquired socially, e.g., through the observation of others' ("demonstrators'") defensive behaviors. However, the specific neural mechanisms responsible for the integration of information shared between demonstrators and observers remain largely unknown. This dearth of knowledge is addressed by performing magnetoencephalography (MEG) neuroimaging in demonstrator-observer dyads. A set of stimuli are first shown to a demonstrator whose defensive responses are filmed and later presented to an observer, while neuronal activity is recorded sequentially from both individuals who never interacted directly. These results show that brain-to-brain coupling (BtBC) in the fronto-limbic circuit (including insula, ventromedial, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) within demonstrator-observer dyads predict subsequent expressions of learning in the observer. Importantly, the predictive power of BtBC magnifies when a threat is imminent to the demonstrator. Furthermore, BtBC depends on how observers perceive their social status relative to the demonstrator, likely driven by shared attention and emotion, as bolstered by dyadic pupillary coupling. Taken together, this study describes a brain-to-brain mechanism for social threat learning, involving BtBC, which reflects social relationships and predicts adaptive, learned behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yafeng Pan
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral SciencesZhejiang UniversityHangzhou310058China
- Department of Clinical NeuroscienceKarolinska InstitutetStockholm17165Sweden
| | - Mikkel C. Vinding
- Department of Clinical NeuroscienceKarolinska InstitutetStockholm17165Sweden
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and ResearchCopenhagen University Hospital ‐ Amager and HvidovreCopenhagen2650Denmark
| | - Lei Zhang
- Centre for Human Brain HealthSchool of PsychologyUniversity of BirminghamBirminghamB15 2TTUK
- Institute for Mental HealthSchool of PsychologyUniversity of BirminghamBirminghamB15 2TTUK
- SocialCognitive and Affective Neuroscience UnitDepartment of CognitionEmotionand Methods in PsychologyFaculty of PsychologyUniversity of ViennaVienna1010Austria
| | - Daniel Lundqvist
- Department of Clinical NeuroscienceKarolinska InstitutetStockholm17165Sweden
| | - Andreas Olsson
- Department of Clinical NeuroscienceKarolinska InstitutetStockholm17165Sweden
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5
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Tobore TO. On power and its corrupting effects: the effects of power on human behavior and the limits of accountability systems. Commun Integr Biol 2023; 16:2246793. [PMID: 37645621 PMCID: PMC10461512 DOI: 10.1080/19420889.2023.2246793] [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: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 08/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Power is an all-pervasive, and fundamental force in human relationships and plays a valuable role in social, political, and economic interactions. Power differences are important in social groups in enhancing group functioning. Most people want to have power and there are many benefits to having power. However, power is a corrupting force and this has been a topic of interest for centuries to scholars from Plato to Lord Acton. Even with increased knowledge of power's corrupting effect and safeguards put in place to counteract such tendencies, power abuse remains rampant in society suggesting that the full extent of this effect is not well understood. In this paper, an effort is made to improve understanding of power's corrupting effects on human behavior through an integrated and comprehensive synthesis of the neurological, sociological, physiological, and psychological literature on power. The structural limits of justice systems' capability to hold powerful people accountable are also discussed.
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Li H, Zhao D, Yang B, Zhao Y, Huang H, Jiang H, Chen M, Zhou Q, Ying L. Effect of doctor-patient news-induced moral judgments on pain empathy for doctors and patients in China. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1037659. [PMID: 36507339 PMCID: PMC9726916 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1037659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Pain empathy's preferential nature tends to trigger prejudice and intergroup conflicts. Given the current degree of proliferation of doctor-patient conflict news in China, this study aims to determine whether readers of doctor-patient news-initiated moral judgments prefer pain empathy for doctors or patients. Materials and methods This study utilized localized doctor-patient news with high or low moral performance (based on morality ratings of patients' behaviors) as moral-judgment-eliciting materials, and painful pictures as pain empathy-eliciting materials. The event-related potential (ERP) technique was utilized to assess moral judgment's effect on the cognitive empathy component and to investigate electroencephalogram signals' accuracy in classifying four brain response patterns when facing doctor or patient is experiencing or not experiencing pain. Results Under low moral text material, participants exhibited smaller mean wave amplitude of positive 300 (P3) and late positive potential (LPP) to painful pictures than non-painful pictures when facing patients; under high moral text material, participants exhibited larger mean wave amplitude of P3 and LPP to painful pictures than non-painful pictures when facing doctors. Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals' classification accuracy was significant in 0-1,000 ms in both high and low moral judgments, but the classification accuracy was higher in low moral judgments in some cognitive empathy stages (0.51, 0.53-0.55, 0.66-0.79, and 0.88-1 s). Conclusion Under low moral judgment, individuals pay less attention to the patient's (perpetrator's) pain; under high moral judgment, individuals empathize with the doctor (the person praised), showing that news-induced moral judgment can sway readers' empathy for different social groups. In cognitive empathy, individuals' brain representations are more discriminatory under low than high moral judgments when confronted with pain by doctors and patients, which provides insight into objectively recognizing group bias.
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Affiliation(s)
- HuiLing Li
- Department of Psychology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Dong Zhao
- Department of Psychology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - BinJie Yang
- Department of Psychology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - YuHui Zhao
- Department of Psychology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - HanZhi Huang
- Department of Psychology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Huan Jiang
- Department of Psychology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - MeiFen Chen
- School of Education, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, China,*Correspondence: Qiang Zhou,
| | - Qiang Zhou
- Department of Psychology, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China,Liang Ying,
| | - Liang Ying
- Renji College, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China,MeiFen Chen,
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Tao R, Yan K, Yu X, Zhang E. Neural responses to social partners' facial expressions are modulated by their social status in an interactive situation. Int J Psychophysiol 2022; 182:32-38. [PMID: 36179914 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2022.09.011] [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: 11/21/2021] [Revised: 07/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/24/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Recently, several studies have found a recognition advantage for facial expressions, particularly angry expressions, when they appear on high-status faces rather than low-status faces. In the present study, we used event-related potentials (ERPs) to explore the influence of social status on the neural responses to others' facial expressions in a context of performance monitoring. Specifically, we used an interactive rank-inducing task (i.e., time estimation task) to manipulate social partners' status (high versus low) and then told participants that they would receive social feedback (i.e., happy, neutral, or angry) from social partners with high or low status after completing the task. ERP results revealed the preferential processing of high-status targets at both early (P1/N170/FRN) and late (P3) temporal stages of facial expression processing. Notably, larger FRN amplitudes elicited by feedback from high-status partners were observed in happy, neutral, and angry expression contexts, whereas larger P3 amplitudes elicited by feedback from high-status partners were only evident in both neutral and angry expression contexts but not in happy expression context. Together, the present study extended previous studies by showing that the perception of facial expressions could be modulated by target status at multiple stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiwen Tao
- Institute of Cognition, Brain & Health, Henan University, Kaifeng, China; Institute of Psychology and Behavior, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Kaikai Yan
- Institute of Cognition, Brain & Health, Henan University, Kaifeng, China; Institute of Psychology and Behavior, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Xin Yu
- Institute of Cognition, Brain & Health, Henan University, Kaifeng, China; Institute of Psychology and Behavior, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Entao Zhang
- Institute of Cognition, Brain & Health, Henan University, Kaifeng, China; Institute of Psychology and Behavior, Henan University, Kaifeng, China.
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8
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Superior bias in trust-related decisions. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-03567-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractTrust is conditional. Many studies have revealed its relative conditions in different situations, but when social status is characteristic of the person who receives trust (the “trustee”), our knowledge of how social status affects trust still remains limited. In this study, we used the trust game in order to: (1) characterize the effect of trustees’ social hierarchy on trust-related decisions in different trustworthiness situations and (2) explore the underlying computational process regarding the impact that social status has on trust-related decisions by using the computational modeling approach to integrate social status into trust-related situations. In Experiment 1, using a one-shot trust game with no feedback of information about reciprocity, we found that compared with inferiors, superiors gained more trust-related behaviors (investments) in spite of the fact that they were not rated as having higher trustworthiness. Then, in Experiment 2, when we controlled the trustworthiness of different social status partners by providing the same neutral reciprocity rate (50%) in a repeated trust game, the high-status partner gained more trust than the low-status partner. This superior bias extended to Experiment 3a and 3b, in which we set different levels of trustworthiness to match the different social statuses of partners. With respect to modeling results, we found that higher status holds an additional social value independent of trust profit, resulting in superior bias. Ultimately, this study has shed light on the superior bias that commonly leads people to grant high-status individuals goodwill in social interactions.
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9
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Park J, Ha S, Shin H, Jeong J. Experience of a hierarchical relationship between a pair of mice specifically influences their affective empathy toward each other. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2022; 21:e12810. [PMID: 35451184 PMCID: PMC9744536 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Prior experience of social hierarchy is known to modulate emotional contagion, a basic form of affective empathy. However, it is not known whether this behavioral effect occurs through changes in an individual's traits due to their experience of social hierarchy or specific social interrelationships between the individuals. Groups of four mice with an established in-group hierarchy were used to address this in conjunction with a tube test. The rank-1 and rank-4 mice were designated as the dominant or subordinate groups, respectively. The two individuals in between were designated as the intermediate groups, which were then used as the observers in observational fear learning (OFL) experiments, an assay for emotional contagion. The intermediate observers showed greater OFL responses to the dominant demonstrator than the subordinate demonstrators recruited from the same home-cage. When the demonstrators were strangers from different cages, the intermediate observers did not distinguish between dominant and subordinate, displaying the same level of OFL. In a reverse setting in which the intermediate group was used as the demonstrator, the subordinate observers showed higher OFL responses than the dominant observers, and this occurred only when the demonstrators were cagemates of the observers. Furthermore, the bigger the rank difference between a pair, the higher the OFL level that the observer displayed. Altogether, these results demonstrate that the hierarchical interrelationship established between a given pair of animals is critical for expressing emotional contagion between them rather than any potential changes in intrinsic traits due to the experience of dominant/subordinate hierarchy. PRACTITIONER POINTS: Subordinate observer or dominant demonstrator resulted in higher affective empathic response in familiar pairs but not unfamiliar pairs. The relative social rank of the observer with respect to the demonstrator had a negative linear correlation with the affective empathic response of the observer in familiar pairs but not unfamiliar pairs. The effect of social rank on affective empathy is attributed to the prior social hierarchical interrelationship between them and is not due to intrinsic attributes of an individual based on one's dominance rank.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jungjoon Park
- Department of Bio and Brain EngineeringKorea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)DaejeonRepublic of Korea,Center for Cognition and SocialityInstitute for Basic Science (IBS)DaejeonRepublic of Korea
| | - Seungshin Ha
- Center for Cognition and SocialityInstitute for Basic Science (IBS)DaejeonRepublic of Korea
| | - Hee‐Sup Shin
- Center for Cognition and SocialityInstitute for Basic Science (IBS)DaejeonRepublic of Korea
| | - Jaeseung Jeong
- Department of Bio and Brain EngineeringKorea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)DaejeonRepublic of Korea
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10
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Yang D, Li X, Zhang Y, Li Z, Meng J. Skin Color and Attractiveness Modulate Empathy for Pain: An Event-Related Potential Study. Front Psychol 2022; 12:780633. [PMID: 35058849 PMCID: PMC8763853 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.780633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although racial in-group bias in empathy for pain has been reported, empathic responses to others’ pain may be influenced by other characteristics besides race. To explore whether skin color and attractiveness modulate empathy for pain, we recorded 24 participants’ reactions to painful faces from racial in-group members with different skin color (fair, wheatish, or dark) and attractiveness (more or less attractive) using event-related potentials (ERPs). Results showed that, for more attractive painful faces, dark skin faces were judged as less painful and elicited smaller N2 amplitudes than fair- and wheatish-skinned faces. However, for less attractive faces, there were no significant differences among the three skin colors. Our findings suggest that empathy for pain toward racial in-group members may be influenced by skin color and attractiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Yang
- Key Laboratory of Applied Psychology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China.,School of Education, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiong Li
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.,Key Laboratory of Basic Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yinya Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Applied Psychology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China.,School of Education, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Zuoshan Li
- Key Laboratory of Applied Psychology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China.,School of Education, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jing Meng
- Key Laboratory of Applied Psychology, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China.,School of Education, Chongqing Normal University, Chongqing, China
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11
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Li S, Krueger F, Camilleri JA, Eickhoff SB, Qu C. The neural signatures of social hierarchy-related learning and interaction: A coordinate- and connectivity-based meta-analysis. Neuroimage 2021; 245:118731. [PMID: 34788662 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 10/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous neuroimaging studies have investigated the neural mechanisms of two mutually independent yet closely related cognitive processes aiding humans to navigate complex societies: social hierarchy-related learning (SH-RL) and social hierarchy-related interaction (SH-RI). To integrate these heterogeneous results into a more fine-grained and reliable characterization of the neural basis of social hierarchy, we combined coordinate-based meta-analyses with connectivity and functional decoding analyses to understand the underlying neuropsychological mechanism of SH-RL and SH-RI. We identified the anterior insula and temporoparietal junction (dominance detection), medial prefrontal cortex (information updating and computation), and intraparietal sulcus region, amygdala, and hippocampus (social hierarchy representation) as consistent activated brain regions for SH-RL, but the striatum, amygdala, and hippocampus associated with reward processing for SH-RI. Our results provide an overview of the neural architecture of the neuropsychological processes underlying how we understand, and interact within, social hierarchy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siying Li
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631 China
| | - Frank Krueger
- School of Systems Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, United States; Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, United States
| | - Julia A Camilleri
- Research Center Jülich, Institute for Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7), Germany; Medical Faculty, Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Research Center Jülich, Institute for Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-7), Germany; Medical Faculty, Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Chen Qu
- Key Laboratory of Brain, Cognition and Education Sciences, Ministry of Education, School of Psychology, Center for Studies of Psychological Application, and Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631 China.
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12
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Jie J, Fan M, Yang Y, Luo P, Wang Y, Li J, Chen W, Zhuang M, Zheng X. Establishing a Counter-Empathy Processing Model: Evidence from Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 17:nsab097. [PMID: 34415030 PMCID: PMC8881639 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2021] [Revised: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Counter-empathy significantly affects people's social lives. Previous evidence indicates that the degree of counter-empathy can be either strong or weak. Strong counter-empathy easily occurs when empathizers are prejudiced against the targets of empathy (e.g., prejudice against outgroup members) and activates brain regions that are opposite to those activated by empathy. Weak counter-empathy may have different neural processing paths from strong one, but its underlying neural mechanisms remain unclear. In this work, we used an unfair distribution paradigm, which can reduce participants' prejudice against persons empathized with, and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to explore the neural mechanisms underlying counter-empathy. Here, empathy and counter-empathy shared a common neural mechanism, induced by unfair distribution, in the right middle temporal gyrus. Counter-empathy activated distinct brain regions that differed from those of empathic responses in different situations. The functions of these brain regions, which included the middle frontal, middle temporal and left medial superior gyri, were similar and mostly related to emotional regulation and cognitive processing. Here, we propose a process model of counter-empathy, involving two processing paths according to whether or not prejudice exists. This study has theoretical significance and broadens our understanding of the cognitive neural mechanisms underlying empathy and counter-empathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Jie
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Hainan University, Haikou 570228, China
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Min Fan
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Yong Yang
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
- School of Educational Science, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 414000, China
| | - Pinchao Luo
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Yijing Wang
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Junjiao Li
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
- College of Teacher’s Education, Guangdong University of Education, Guangzhou 510303, China
| | - Wei Chen
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Mengdi Zhuang
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
| | - Xifu Zheng
- School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
- Center for Studies of Psychological Application, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Cognitive Science, South China Normal University, Guangzhou 510631, China
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13
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Stevens F, Taber K. The neuroscience of empathy and compassion in pro-social behavior. Neuropsychologia 2021; 159:107925. [PMID: 34186105 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.107925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Research in the scientific literature increasingly demonstrates that empathy consists of multiple dimensions, and that defining empathy as a single encompassing term may be imprecise. Recent calls have been made for increasing empathy as means to increase pro-social behavior. However, contradictory evidence exists that empathy may reduce pro-social behavior. This debate has sparked confusion around what is empathy, along with the value of empathy in promoting pro-social behavior. This paper will examine recent advances in affective neuroscience to better understand the construct of empathy and its relationship to pro-social behavior. Individuals' responses to affective empathy, seeing the suffering of others can result in personal distress or empathic concern, which may then subsequently affect motivation for pro-social behavior. Current research in affective neuroscience suggests that combining compassion interventions in conjunction with both affective and cognitive empathy offers the most optimal likelihood that individuals will engage in pro-social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Katherine Taber
- Veterans Affairs Mid Atlantic Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, USA; W.G. "Bill" Hefner VA Medical Center, USA; Division of Biomedical Sciences at College of Osteopathic Medicine, USA; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Baylor College of Medicine, USA
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14
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Lidhar NK, Darvish-Ghane S, Sivaselvachandran S, Khan S, Wasif F, Turner H, Sivaselvachandran M, Fournier NM, Martin LJ. Prelimbic cortex glucocorticoid receptors regulate the stress-mediated inhibition of pain contagion in male mice. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:1183-1193. [PMID: 33223518 PMCID: PMC8115346 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-00912-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Experiencing pain with a familiar individual can enhance one's own pain sensitivity, a process known as pain contagion. When experiencing pain with an unfamiliar individual, pain contagion is suppressed in males by activating the endocrine stress response. Here, we coupled a histological investigation with pharmacological and behavioral experiments to identify enhanced glucocorticoid receptor activity in the prelimbic subdivision of the medial prefrontal cortex as a candidate mechanism for suppressing pain contagion in stranger mice. Acute inhibition of glucocorticoid receptors in the prelimbic cortex was sufficient to elicit pain contagion in strangers, while their activation prevented pain contagion in cagemate dyads. Slice physiology recordings revealed enhanced excitatory transmission in stranger mice, an effect that was reversed by pre-treating mice with the corticosterone synthesis inhibitor metyrapone. Following removal from dyadic testing, stranger mice displayed enhanced affective-motivational pain behaviors when placed on an inescapable thermal stimulus, which were reversed by metyrapone. Together, our data suggest that the prelimbic cortex may play an integral role in modulating pain behavior within a social context and provide novel evidence towards the neural mechanism underlying the prevention of pain contagion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Navdeep K. Lidhar
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6 Canada
| | - Soroush Darvish-Ghane
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L1C6 Canada
| | - Sivaani Sivaselvachandran
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6 Canada
| | - Sana Khan
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6 Canada
| | - Fatima Wasif
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6 Canada
| | - Holly Turner
- grid.52539.380000 0001 1090 2022Department of Psychology, Trent University, Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8 Canada
| | - Meruba Sivaselvachandran
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6 Canada
| | - Neil M. Fournier
- grid.52539.380000 0001 1090 2022Department of Psychology, Trent University, Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8 Canada
| | - Loren J. Martin
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L 1C6 Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON L5L1C6 Canada
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15
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Frontotemporal dementia, music perception and social cognition share neurobiological circuits: A meta-analysis. Brain Cogn 2021; 148:105660. [PMID: 33421942 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2020.105660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is a neurodegenerative disease that presents with profound changes in social cognition. Music might be a sensitive probe for social cognition abilities, but underlying neurobiological substrates are unclear. We performed a meta-analysis of voxel-based morphometry studies in FTD patients and functional MRI studies for music perception and social cognition tasks in cognitively normal controls to identify robust patterns of atrophy (FTD) or activation (music perception or social cognition). Conjunction analyses were performed to identify overlapping brain regions. In total 303 articles were included: 53 for FTD (n = 1153 patients, 42.5% female; 1337 controls, 53.8% female), 28 for music perception (n = 540, 51.8% female) and 222 for social cognition in controls (n = 5664, 50.2% female). We observed considerable overlap in atrophy patterns associated with FTD, and functional activation associated with music perception and social cognition, mostly encompassing the ventral language network. We further observed overlap across all three modalities in mesolimbic, basal forebrain and striatal regions. The results of our meta-analysis suggest that music perception and social cognition share neurobiological circuits that are affected in FTD. This supports the idea that music might be a sensitive probe for social cognition abilities with implications for diagnosis and monitoring.
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16
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CHEN J, WU K, SHI Y, AI X. The relationship between dispositional self-construal and empathy foringroup and outgroup members’ pain: evidence from ERPs. ACTA PSYCHOLOGICA SINICA 2021. [DOI: 10.3724/sp.j.1041.2021.00629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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17
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Yaple ZA, Yu R. Upward and downward comparisons across monetary and status domains. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:4662-4675. [PMID: 33463879 PMCID: PMC7555068 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2020] [Revised: 07/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to accurately infer one's place with respect to others is crucial for social interactions. Individuals tend to evaluate their own actions and outcomes by comparing themselves to others in either an upward or downward direction. We performed two fMRI meta‐analyses on monetary (n = 39; 1,231 participants) and status (n = 23; 572 participants) social comparisons to examine how domain and the direction of comparison can modulate neural correlates of social hierarchy. Overall, both status and monetary downward comparisons activated regions associated with reward processing (striatum) while upward comparisons yielded loss‐related activity. These findings provide partial support for the common currency hypothesis in that downward and upward comparisons from both monetary and status domains resemble gains and losses, respectively. Furthermore, status upward and monetary downward comparisons revealed concordant orbitofrontal cortical activity, an area associated with evaluating the value of goals and decisions implicated in both lesion and empirical fMRI studies investigating social hierarchy. These findings may offer new insight into how people relate to individuals with higher social status and how these social comparisons deviate across monetary and social status domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary A Yaple
- Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Rongjun Yu
- Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore.,NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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18
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Gu R, Liu J, Cui F. Pain and social decision-making: New insights from the social framing effect. BRAIN SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020. [DOI: 10.26599/bsa.2019.9050020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper focuses on the social function of painful experience as revealed by recent studies on social decision-making. Observing others suffering from physical pain evokes empathic reactions that can lead to prosocial behavior (e.g., helping others at a cost to oneself), which might be regarded as the social value of pain derived from evolution. Feelings of guilt may also be elicited when one takes responsibility for another’s pain. These social emotions play a significant role in various cognitive processes and may affect behavioral preferences. In addition, the influence of others’ pain on decision-making is highly sensitive to social context. Combining neuroimaging techniques with a novel decision paradigm, we found that when asking participants to trade-off personal benefits against providing help to other people, verbally describing the causal relationship between their decision and other people’s pain (i.e., framing) significantly changed participants’ preferences. This social framing effect was associated with neural activation in the temporoparietal junction (TPJ), which is a brain area that is important in social cognition and in social emotions. Further, transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on this region successfully modulated the magnitude of the social framing effect. These findings add to the knowledge about the role of perception of others’ pain in our social life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruolei Gu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jie Liu
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
- Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Neuroscience, Shenzhen 518060, China
| | - Fang Cui
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China
- Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Neuroscience, Shenzhen 518060, China
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19
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Lu J, Huang X, Liao C, Guan Q, Qi XR, Cui F. Social Mindfulness Shown by Individuals With Higher Status Is More Pronounced in Our Brain: ERP Evidence. Front Neurosci 2020; 13:1432. [PMID: 32038139 PMCID: PMC6988832 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.01432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
"Social mindfulness" refers to being thoughtful of others and considering their needs before making decisions, and can be characterized by low-cost and subtle gestures. The present study compared the behavioral and neural responses triggered by observing others' socially mindful/unmindful choices and how these responses were modulated by the social status of the agency. At the behavioral level, observing socially mindful choices made observers feel better, rate the actors as more likable, and behave more cooperatively than did observing socially unmindful choices. Analysis of event-related potentials in the brain revealed that compared with socially unmindful choices, mindful choices elicited more negative feedback-related negativity (FRN). Notably, while this effect of social mindfulness was only significant when the actor's social status was medium and high, it was undetectable when the actor's social status was low. These results demonstrate that the social mindfulness of others can be rapidly detected and processed, as reflected by FRN, even though it does not seem to receive further, more elaborate evaluation. These findings indicated that low-cost cooperative behaviors such as social mindfulness can also be detected and appreciated by our brain, which may result in better mood and more cooperative behaviors in the perceivers. Besides, the perception of social mindfulness is sensitive to important social information, such as social status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juanzhi Lu
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xiaoxuan Huang
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Chong Liao
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qing Guan
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xin-Rui Qi
- Center for Translational Neurodegeneration and Regenerative Therapy, Shanghai Tenth People’s Hospital Affiliated to Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Fang Cui
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Neuroscience, Shenzhen, China
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20
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Ma X, Wu K, Zhang E. The Role of Social Power in Neural Responses to Others' Pain. Front Psychol 2019; 10:2320. [PMID: 31681112 PMCID: PMC6804528 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2018] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent evidence has demonstrated that empathic responses are modulated by social power. However, there is little consensus regarding how an observer's social power can shape empathic responses. The present study used event-related potentials (ERPs) to explore the role of social power in empathic responses. Specifically, to induce the sense of power, we asked participants to recall a past situation in which they were in a position of power (high power prime) or a situation in which they were lacking power (low power prime). Afterward, we used ERPs to record the responses when participants were viewing pictures depicting other people in painful or non-painful situations. The results revealed that larger amplitudes in the earlier P2 and the later P3 components in response to painful stimuli than to non-painful stimuli. Besides, participants primed with high power only showed larger P1 amplitudes than participants primed with low power. The present study extended previous studies by showing that social power tends to enhance the early sensory processing of both painful and non-painful stimuli, instead of directly decreasing the level of empathic responses to others' pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueling Ma
- Institute of Cognition, Brain and Health, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
- Institute of Psychology and Behavior, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Kai Wu
- Institute of Cognition, Brain and Health, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
- Institute of Psychology and Behavior, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Entao Zhang
- Institute of Cognition, Brain and Health, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
- Institute of Psychology and Behavior, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
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21
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Jauniaux J, Khatibi A, Rainville P, Jackson PL. A meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies on pain empathy: investigating the role of visual information and observers' perspective. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2019; 14:789-813. [PMID: 31393982 PMCID: PMC6847411 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsz055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2019] [Revised: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Empathy relies on brain systems that support the interaction between an observer's mental state and cues about the others' experience. Beyond the core brain areas typically activated in pain empathy studies (insular and anterior cingulate cortices), the diversity of paradigms used may reveal secondary networks that subserve other more specific processes. A coordinate-based meta-analysis of fMRI experiments on pain empathy was conducted to obtain activation likelihood estimates along three factors and seven conditions: visual cues (body parts, facial expressions), visuospatial (first-person, thirdperson), and cognitive (self-, stimuli-, other-oriented tasks) perspectives. The core network was found across cues and perspectives, and common activation was observed in higher-order visual areas. Body-parts distinctly activated areas related with sensorimotor processing (superior and inferior parietal lobules, anterior insula) while facial expression distinctly involved the inferior frontal gyrus. Self- compared to other-perspective produced distinct activations in the left insula while stimulus- versus other-perspective produced distinctive responses in the inferior frontal and parietal lobules, precentral gyrus, and cerebellum. Pain empathy relies on a core network which is modulated by several secondary networks. The involvement of the latter seems to depend on the visual cues available and the observer's mental state that can be influenced by specific instructions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josiane Jauniaux
- École de psychologie, Université Laval, 2325, rue des Bibliothèques, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche en réadaptation et intégration sociale (CIRRIS), 525, boul. Wilfrid-Hamel, Québec, QC G1M 2S8, Canada
- Centre de recherche CERVO, 2601, rue de la Canardière, Québec, QC G1J 2G3, Canada
| | - Ali Khatibi
- Centre de recherche de l’Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal (CRIUGM), 4545, Chemin Queen-Mary, Montréal, QC H3W 1W4, Canada
- Center of Precision Rehabilitation for Spinal Pain (CPR Spine), School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Pierre Rainville
- Centre de recherche de l’Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal (CRIUGM), 4545, Chemin Queen-Mary, Montréal, QC H3W 1W4, Canada
- Département de stomatologie, Université de Montréal, CP 6128, Succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Philip L Jackson
- École de psychologie, Université Laval, 2325, rue des Bibliothèques, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Centre interdisciplinaire de recherche en réadaptation et intégration sociale (CIRRIS), 525, boul. Wilfrid-Hamel, Québec, QC G1M 2S8, Canada
- Centre de recherche CERVO, 2601, rue de la Canardière, Québec, QC G1J 2G3, Canada
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22
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Cui F, Wang C, Cao Q, Jiao C. Social hierarchies in third-party punishment: A behavioral and ERP study. Biol Psychol 2019; 146:107722. [PMID: 31226446 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2019.107722] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Revised: 06/16/2019] [Accepted: 06/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Third-party punishment refers to the punishment imposed by a party whose benefit is not directly affected by any norm violations. The present study using a modified Dictator Game explored how social statuses of the involved parties modulate punishment decisions of a third-party. Systematic manipulation of the dictators' and recipients' status revealed that: higher recipient status correlated with more severe punishment, but no effect of the dictator's. We further focused on the neural underlying of this effect using ERPs. An interaction of recipient's status × fairness was observed on MFN such that only for a high-status recipient, larger amplitude was triggered by unfair offers comparing to fair offers. On LPC, the largest amplitude was observed when the offer was fair and the recipient had medium-status. These findings suggested: participants consider unfair offers proposed to high-status recipients as more norm-violating and they may evaluate the offers from the perspective of the recipient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fang Cui
- College of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China; Center for Brain Disorders and Cognitive Neuroscience, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Chengyao Wang
- College of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Qiongwen Cao
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
| | - Can Jiao
- College of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
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23
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Dziura SL, Thompson JC. The Neural Representational Space of Social Memory. Open Mind (Camb) 2019; 3:1-12. [PMID: 34485787 PMCID: PMC8412184 DOI: 10.1162/opmi_a_00021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 11/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Social functioning involves learning about the social networks in which we live and interact; knowing not just our friends, but also who is friends with our friends. This study utilized an incidental learning paradigm and representational similarity analysis (RSA), a functional MRI multivariate pattern analysis technique, to examine the relationship between learning social networks and the brain's response to the faces within the networks. We found that accuracy of learning face pair relationships through observation is correlated with neural similarity patterns to those pairs in the left temporoparietal junction (TPJ), the left fusiform gyrus, and the subcallosal ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), all areas previously implicated in social cognition. This model was also significant in portions of the cerebellum and thalamus. These results show that the similarity of neural patterns represent how accurately we understand the closeness of any two faces within a network. Our findings indicate that these areas of the brain not only process knowledge and understanding of others, but also support learning relations between individuals in groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L. Dziura
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, 22030 USA
| | - James C. Thompson
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, 22030 USA
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24
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Breton A, Ligneul R, Jerbi K, George N, Baudouin JY, Van der Henst JB. How occupational status influences the processing of faces: An EEG study. Neuropsychologia 2018; 122:125-135. [PMID: 30244000 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2018.09.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2018] [Revised: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 09/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
This study examines the influence of social hierarchy on the neural electrophysiological responses to faces. In contrast with earlier EEG studies that typically manipulate social rank through competitive situations, we implemented hierarchy through occupational status and thus contrasted faces associated with high- vs. low-status (e.g. lawyer vs. waiter). Since social hierarchies are largely intertwined with gender, both female and male faces were used as stimuli, and both female and male participants were tested. The procedure consisted in presenting a status label before the face it was associated with. The analyses focused mainly on two components that have been shown to be modulated by competitive hierarchies and other social contexts, namely the N170 and the Late Positive Potential (LPP). The results indicated that gender, but not status, modulated the N170 amplitude. Moreover, high-status faces elicited larger LPP amplitude than low-status faces but this difference was driven by female participants. This gender effect is discussed in line with research showing that women and men are sensitive to different kinds of hierarchy. Methodological differences are considered to account for the discrepancy between studies that find an effect of hierarchy on the N170 and those that do not.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Breton
- Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod (UMR 5304), CNRS-Université Lyon 1, France.
| | - Romain Ligneul
- Champalimaud Neuroscience Program, Champalimaud Center for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal; Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod (UMR 5229), CNRS-Université Lyon 1, France.
| | - Karim Jerbi
- CoCo Lab, Psychology Department, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada; MEG Unit, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Nathalie George
- Inserm U 1127, CNRS UMR 7225, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06 UMR S 1127, Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière (ICM), Social and Affective Neuroscience (SAN) Laboratory and Centre MEG-EEG, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Yves Baudouin
- Laboratoire Développement, Individu, Processus, Handicap, Éducation (DIPHE), Département Psychologie du Développement, de l'Éducation et des Vulnérabilités (PsyDÉV), Institut de psychologie, Université Lumière Lyon 2, Bron, France
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25
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Boll S, Almeida de Minas A, Raftogianni A, Herpertz S, Grinevich V. Oxytocin and Pain Perception: From Animal Models to Human Research. Neuroscience 2018; 387:149-161. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.09.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2017] [Revised: 09/14/2017] [Accepted: 09/24/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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26
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Abstract
We explore why people feel the socially improper emotions of schadenfreude (pleasure at another person’s or group’s misfortune) and gluckschmerz (pain at another person’s or group’s good fortune). One explanation follows from sentiment relations. Prior dislike leads to both schadenfreude and gluckschmerz. A second explanation relates to concerns over justice. Deserved misfortune is pleasing and undeserved good fortune is displeasing. A third explanation concerns appraisal of the good or bad fortunes of others as creating either benefit or harm for the self or in-group. Especially in competitive situations and when envy is present, gain is pleasing and loss is displeasing. Both emotions have important implications for understanding human relations at the individual and group levels.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wilco W. van Dijk
- Department of Social and Organisational Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands
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27
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Xiang Y, Wang Y, Gao S, Zhang X, Cui R. Neural Mechanisms With Respect to Different Paradigms and Relevant Regulatory Factors in Empathy for Pain. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:507. [PMID: 30087592 PMCID: PMC6066512 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2018] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Empathy for pain is thought to activate the affective-motivational components of the pain matrix, which includes the anterior insula and middle and anterior cingulate cortices, as indicated by functional magnetic resonance imaging and other methodologies. Activity in this core neural network reflects the affective experience that activates our responses to pain and lays the neural foundation for our understanding of our own emotions and those of others. Furthermore, although picture-based paradigms can activate somatosensory components of directly experienced pain, cue-based paradigms cannot. In addition to this difference, the two paradigms evoke other distinct neuronal responses. Although the automatic “perception-action” model has long been the dominant theory for pain empathy, a “bottom-up, top-down” mechanism seems to be more comprehensive and persuasive. Indeed, a variety of factors can regulate the intensity of empathy for pain through “top-down” processes. In this paper, we integrate and generalize knowledge regarding pain empathy and introduce the findings from recent studies. We also present ideas for future research into the neural mechanisms underlying pain empathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yien Xiang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, The Second Hospital Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Yicun Wang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, The Second Hospital Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Shuohui Gao
- Department of Gastrointestinal Colorectal Surgery, China-Japan Union Hospital, Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Xuewen Zhang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, The Second Hospital Jilin University, Changchun, China
| | - Ranji Cui
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory on Molecular and Chemical Genetic, The Second Hospital Jilin University, Changchun, China
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Richins MT, Barreto M, Karl A, Lawrence N. Empathic responses are reduced to competitive but not non-competitive outgroups. Soc Neurosci 2018; 14:345-358. [DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2018.1463927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Manuela Barreto
- School of Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
- Centre for Social Research and Intervention, Lisbon University Institute (CIS/ISCTE-IUL), Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Anke Karl
- School of Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
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Structure of the alexithymic brain: A parametric coordinate-based meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 87:50-55. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2017] [Revised: 12/10/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Cortical thickness and trait empathy in patients and people at high risk for alcohol use disorders. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2017; 234:3521-3533. [PMID: 28971228 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-017-4741-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2016] [Revised: 06/27/2017] [Accepted: 09/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE Alcoholism not only affects individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) but also their biological relatives. This high-risk (HR) group has a higher probability to develop AUD. The aim of our study was to compare cortical thickness (CT) in AUD patients relative to participants with (HR) and without (non-HR) familial predisposition for AUD. We focused on empathy-related brain areas as sociocognitive impairment represents a known risk factor for AUD. METHOD We examined 13 individuals with AUD, 14 HR individuals, and 20 non-HR participants using high-resolution T1-weighted magnetic resonance images (3 Tesla) to investigate differences in CT. CT was correlated with self-reported empathy in empathy-related areas. RESULTS AUD patients showed decreased CT in the left inferior and superior frontal gyri, the right precuneus and bilaterally in the middle frontal gyri/the insula relative to the HR group, and in the left insula, the right middle frontal gyrus and bilaterally in the superior frontal gyrus/the precuneus relative to the non-HR group (all ps < 0.036, all ƞp2 between 0.161 and 0.375). Reduced CT in inferior, middle, and superior frontal gyri was related to cognitive (all ps < 0.036) and reduced CT in the inferior frontal gyrus to affective (p = 0.031) empathy. CONCLUSIONS We present preliminary evidence of CT reduction in empathy-associated brain regions in patients with AUD relative to healthy participants with and without familial predisposition for AUD. The results have to be interpreted with caution due to low sample sizes and potential confounding effects of medication, gender, and withdrawal.
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32
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Effect of catechol-O-methyltransferase Val158Met polymorphism on resting-state brain default mode network after acupuncture stimulation. Brain Imaging Behav 2017; 12:798-805. [DOI: 10.1007/s11682-017-9735-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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Zheng L, Zhang F, Wei C, Xu J, Wang Q, Zhu L, Roberts ID, Guo X. Decreased Empathic Responses to the 'Lucky Guy' in Love: The Effect of Intrasexual Competition. Front Psychol 2016; 7:660. [PMID: 27242579 PMCID: PMC4863427 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2015] [Accepted: 04/21/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
People have a greater desire to date highly attractive partners, which induces intrasexual competition between same-sex individuals. The present study used functional magnetic resonance imaging to explore whether and how intrasexual competition modulates pain empathy for a same-sex rival and the underlying neural mechanism. Participants were scanned while processing the pain of a same-sex ‘lucky guy’ who had an attractive partner and one with a plain partner. The results revealed that participants reported lower pain intensity for the lucky guy. Neurally, reduced pain-related activations in anterior insula and anterior mid-cingulate cortex and increased activations in right superior frontal gyrus (SFG) and medial prefrontal gyrus (MPFC) were found for the lucky guy compared to the one with a plain partner. Right SFG and MPFC activations could predict participants’ subsequent pain intensity ratings for the lucky guy. These findings suggest intrasexual competition can modulate normal empathic responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University Shanghai, China
| | - Fangxiao Zhang
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University Shanghai, China
| | - Chunli Wei
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University Shanghai, China
| | - Jialin Xu
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Department of Physics, East China Normal University Shanghai, China
| | - Qianfeng Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and Department of Physics, East China Normal University Shanghai, China
| | - Lei Zhu
- Department of Psychology, Fudan University Shanghai, China
| | - Ian D Roberts
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Xiuyan Guo
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance and School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal UniversityShanghai, China; Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal UniversityShanghai, China
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