1
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Zhao H, Zhang C, Tao R, Duan H, Xu S. Distinct inter-brain synchronization patterns underlying group decision-making under uncertainty with partners in different interpersonal relationships. Neuroimage 2023; 272:120043. [PMID: 37003448 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.120043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans may behave in different manners when making decisions with friends and strangers. Whether the interpersonal relationship and the characteristics of the individuals in the group affected the group decision-making under uncertainty in the real-time interaction remains unknown. Using the turn-based Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART), the present study examined the group decision-making propensity under uncertainty with partners in different interpersonal relationships and interpersonal orientations. Corresponding inter-brain synchronization (IBS) patterns at the prefrontal cortex (PFC) were also uncovered with the fNIRS-based hyperscanning approach. Behavioral results identified that dyads in the friend group exhibited the uncertainty-averse propensity when comparing with the stranger group. The fNIRS results reported that feedback-related IBS at the left inferior frontal gyrus (l-IFG) and medial frontopolar cortex (mFPC) during different feedbacks was modulated by interpersonal relationships. The IBS at all channels in the PFC during the positive and negative feedbacks, respectively, predicted the decision-making propensity under uncertainty in the stranger and friend groups based on the support vector machine (SVM) algorithm. The moderating role of the social value orientation (SVO) was also verified in the mediation effect of the dyad closeness on the decision-making propensity under uncertainty via the IBS at the right lateral frontopolar cortex (r-FPC). These findings demonstrated disparate behavioral responses and inter-brain synchronization patterns underlying group decision-making under uncertainty with partners in different interpersonal relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanxuan Zhao
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research & Key Laboratory of Applied Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Shanghai International Studies University, 550, Dalian West Street, Shanghai 200083, China; College of International Business, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China
| | - Can Zhang
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research & Key Laboratory of Applied Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Shanghai International Studies University, 550, Dalian West Street, Shanghai 200083, China; College of International Business, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China
| | - Ruiwen Tao
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research & Key Laboratory of Applied Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Shanghai International Studies University, 550, Dalian West Street, Shanghai 200083, China; College of International Business, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China
| | - Haijun Duan
- Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, 199 South Chang' an Road, Xi'an 710062, China.
| | - Sihua Xu
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research & Key Laboratory of Applied Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Shanghai International Studies University, 550, Dalian West Street, Shanghai 200083, China; College of International Business, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China; School of Education, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei, China; Anhui Engineering Research Center for Intelligent Computing and Application on Cognitive Behavior, Huaibei Normal University, Huaibei, China.
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2
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Arioli M, Basso G, Baud-Bovy G, Mattioni L, Poggi P, Canessa N. Neural bases of loss aversion when choosing for oneself versus known or unknown others. Cereb Cortex 2023:7030624. [PMID: 36748997 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad025] [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: 10/08/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite the ubiquitous interdependence between one's own decisions and others' welfare, and the controversial evidence on the behavioral effect of choosing for others, the neural bases of making decisions for another versus oneself remain unexplored. We investigated whether loss aversion (LA; the tendency to avoid losses over approaching equivalent gains) is modulated by (i) choosing for oneself, other individuals, or both; (ii) knowing or not knowing the other recipients; or (iii) an interaction between these factors. We used fMRI to assess the brain activations associated with choosing whether to accept or reject mixed gambles, either for oneself, for another player, or both, in 2 groups of 28 participants who had or had not briefly interacted with the other players before scanning. Participants displayed higher LA for choices involving their payoff compared with those affecting only the payoff of other, known, players. This "social" modulation of decision-making was found to engage the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and its inhibitory connectivity to the middle cingulate cortex. This pattern might underpin decision-making for known others via self-other distinction processes associated with dorsomedial prefrontal areas, with this in turn promoting the inhibition of socially oriented responses through the downregulation of the midcingulate node of the empathy network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Arioli
- Department of Human and Social Sciences, University of Bergamo, Piazzale Sant'Agostino 2, Bergamo 24129, Italy
| | - Gianpaolo Basso
- School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, Via Cadore 48, Monza (MB) 20900, Italy
| | - Gabriel Baud-Bovy
- Robotics, Brain and Cognitive Sciences Unit, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Morego 30, Genova 16163, Italy.,Faculty of Psychology, Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Via Olgettina 58, Milan 20132, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Mattioni
- Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS, IUSS Cognitive Neuroscience (ICoN) Center, Piazza della Vittoria 15, Pavia 27100, Italy.,Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory of Pavia Institute, Via Maugeri 10, Pavia 27100, Italy
| | - Paolo Poggi
- Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Radiology Unit of Pavia Institute, Via Maugeri 10, Pavia 27100, Italy
| | - Nicola Canessa
- Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS, IUSS Cognitive Neuroscience (ICoN) Center, Piazza della Vittoria 15, Pavia 27100, Italy.,Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory of Pavia Institute, Via Maugeri 10, Pavia 27100, Italy
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3
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Shu X, Peng J, Wang G. Deciding Alone or with Others: Employment Anxiety and Social Distance Predict Intuitiveness in Career Decision Making. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:1484. [PMID: 36674244 PMCID: PMC9859357 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20021484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Intuitive career decisions can influence people's career choices and subsequent job competencies, which are related to their development and happiness. There is evidence that both anxiety and social distance influence intuitive career decisions individually, but it is unclear how employment anxiety and social distance influence intuitive career decisions individually and how they interact to influence intuitive career decisions. Drawing on the cognitive-emotional dual-system model, in this study, 298 college students and 386 senior job-seeking students were tested through behavioral experiments and questionnaires, respectively. The results showed that employment anxious individuals have a higher intuitive level in career decision making, and they also have a higher intuitive level when making career decisions for others at a far social distance. In addition, employment anxiety and social distance interact to influence the intuitiveness of career decision making. When making career decisions for themselves and those who are close to them, the increase in employment anxiety will increase the intuitive level. Therefore, in a non-anxious situation, you can make career decisions on your own or get help from someone close to you, but in anxious situations, you can turn to others who are at a far social distance to help make decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoli Shu
- School of Education Science, Hanshan Normal University, Chaozhou 521041, China
- School of Education, Research Institute of Macau Education Development, City University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
| | - Jun Peng
- School of Education, Research Institute of Macau Education Development, City University of Macau, Macau 999078, China
| | - Guilin Wang
- School of Education Science, Hanshan Normal University, Chaozhou 521041, China
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4
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Zhan Y, Liu C, Xiao X, Tan Q, Fu X. Theoretical models and neural mechanisms of prosocial risky behavior. CHINESE SCIENCE BULLETIN-CHINESE 2022. [DOI: 10.1360/tb-2022-0699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
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5
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Sun Q, Polman E, Zhang H. On prospect theory, making choices for others, and the affective psychology of risk. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jesp.2021.104177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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6
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Wu Q, He Y, Luo Y, Hughes BL, Jiang C, Chen X. Self-choice preference: The propensity to under-delegate irrespective of sense of control. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2021; 214:103262. [PMID: 33540177 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2021.103262] [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: 06/10/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
People are more likely to make choices themselves than delegate to an agent, even when it may not be the most optimal decision based on a cost-benefit analysis. Previous studies have demonstrated that retaining authority and controllability might be the primary reason for preferring self-choice. The current study asks whether impairment of controllability associated with self-choice can increase the rate of delegation and whether there are self-other discrepancies in self-choice preference. In three studies, we directly manipulated participants' controllability associated with choice through literal instructions (experiment 1) and visual presentation (experiments 2 and 3). We found that participants showed a robust propensity to under-delegate even when they were aware of their impaired controllability associated with self-choice. Moreover, only 40% impairment of controllability (but not 20%) can decrease the propensity to under-delegate. This trend differed between decision-for-self and decision-for-other. These findings suggest that pursuing a sense of control cannot fully explain self-choice preference and appears to occur equally in decisions for oneself as well as for others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Wu
- Key Laboratory of Behavior and Cognitive Psychology in Shaanxi Province, School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, China
| | - Yaji He
- Key Laboratory of Behavior and Cognitive Psychology in Shaanxi Province, School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, China
| | - Yangmei Luo
- Key Laboratory of Behavior and Cognitive Psychology in Shaanxi Province, School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, China
| | - Brent L Hughes
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, United States of America
| | - Chengming Jiang
- School of Management, Zhejiang University of Technology, China
| | - Xuhai Chen
- Key Laboratory of Behavior and Cognitive Psychology in Shaanxi Province, School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, China.
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7
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Sun Q, Lu J, Zhang H, Liu Y. Social Distance Reduces the Biases of Overweighting Small Probabilities and Underweighting Large Probabilities. PERSONALITY AND SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY BULLETIN 2020; 47:1309-1324. [PMID: 33331239 DOI: 10.1177/0146167220969051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
People often exhibit biases in probability weighting such as overweighting small probabilities and underweighting large probabilities. Our research examines whether increased social distance would reduce such biases. Participants completed valuation and choice tasks of probabilistic lotteries under conditions with different social distances. The results showed that increased social distance reduced these biases in both hypothetical (Studies 1 and 2) and incentivized (Study 3) settings. This reduction was accompanied by a decrease in emotional intensity and an increase in the attention to probability in the decision-making process (Study 4). Moreover, the bias-buffering effect of social distance was stronger in the gain domain than in the loss domain (Studies 1-4). These results suggest that increasing the social distance from the beneficiaries of the decisions can reduce biases in probability weighting and shed light on the relationship between social distance and the emotional-cognitive process in decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingzhou Sun
- School of Management, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China.,School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingyi Lu
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Huanren Zhang
- Department of Business and Economics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Yongfang Liu
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
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8
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Choosing for others increases the value of comparative utility. JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DECISION MAKING 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/bdm.2212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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9
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Kim H. Stability or Plasticity? - A Hierarchical Allostatic Regulation Model of Medial Prefrontal Cortex Function for Social Valuation. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:281. [PMID: 32296303 PMCID: PMC7138052 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has long been recognized as the key component of the neurocircuitry involved in various social as well as non-social behaviors, however, little is known regarding the organizing principle of distinctive subregions in the mPFC that integrates a wide range of mPFC functions. The present study proposes a hierarchical model of mPFC functionality, where three functionally dissociable subregions, namely, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), rostromedial prefrontal cortex (rmPFC), and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), are differentially involved in computing values of decision-making. According to this model, the mPFC subregions interact with each other in such a way that more dorsal regions utilize additional external sensory information from environment to predict and prevent conflicts occurring in more ventral regions tuned to internal bodily signals, thereby exerting the hierarchically organized allostatic regulatory control over homeostatic reflexes. This model also emphasizes the role of the thalamic reticular nucleus (TRN) in arbitrating the transitions between different thalamo-cortical loops, detecting conflicts between competing options for decision-making, and in shifting flexibly between decision modes. The hierarchical architecture of the mPFC working in conjunction with the TRN may play a key role in adjusting the internal (bodily) needs to suit the constraints of external (environmental) variables better, thus effectively addressing the stability-plasticity dilemma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hackjin Kim
- Department of Psychology, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
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10
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Suzuki S, O'Doherty JP. Breaking human social decision making into multiple components and then putting them together again. Cortex 2020; 127:221-230. [PMID: 32224320 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2020.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2019] [Revised: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/28/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Most of our waking time as human beings is spent interacting with other individuals. In order to make good decisions in this social milieu, it is often necessary to make inferences about the internal states, traits and intentions of others. Recently, some progress has been made toward uncovering the neural computations underlying human social decision-making by combining functional magnetic resonance neuroimaging (fMRI) with computational modeling of behavior. Modeling of behavioral data allows us to identify the key computations necessary for social decision-making and to determine how these computations are integrated. Furthermore, by correlating these variables against neuroimaging data, it has become possible to elucidate where in the brain various computations are implemented. Here we review the current state of knowledge in the domain of social computational neuroscience. Findings to date have emphasized that social decisions are driven by multiple computations conducted in parallel, and implemented in distinct brain regions. We suggest that further progress is going to depend on identifying how and where such variables get integrated in order to yield a coherent behavioral output.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinsuke Suzuki
- Brain, Mind and Markets Laboratory, Department of Finance, Faculty of Business and Economics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia; Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
| | - John P O'Doherty
- Division of the Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, USA; Computation and Neural Systems, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, USA
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11
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Wang M, Li J, Li D, Zhu C, Wang Y. Modulation of income redistribution decisions by anodal tDCS over the medial prefrontal cortex. Neurosci Lett 2020; 718:134701. [PMID: 31862226 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2019.134701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2019] [Revised: 12/04/2019] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
One cause of the persistence of income inequality may be rooted in people's resistance to change the existing income distribution. Prior studies have shown that the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) may be associated with the decision making that influences income distribution. However, it is unclear whether the mPFC is involved in income redistribution tasks when third-party decision makers are unaffected by the outcome of the decision. In this study, we elucidate the neural mechanism underlying the tolerance of income inequality and the decision making that is related to income redistribution. By applying the transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the mPFC, we investigate whether the change in the activation of the mPFC can influence a subject's inclination to expropriate a rich person's endowment and transfer it to a poor person. The main finding is that the anodal stimulation significantly reduced the subject's inclination to redistribute wealth from the rich to the poor, and lowered the rate of accepting options for redistribution. However, the willingness of income redistribution did not change following the cathodal stimulation compared with the sham condition. The effect of the anodal stimulation was constant across three types of initial inequality. The stimulation effect is likely caused by the subject's enhanced loss aversion or desire to reinforce social hierarchies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minda Wang
- School of Economics and Management, Southeast University, 211189, Nanjing, China; Institute for Study of Brain-Like Economics, School of Economics, Shandong University, 250199, Jinan, China
| | - Jianbiao Li
- Institute for Study of Brain-Like Economics, School of Economics, Shandong University, 250199, Jinan, China; Department of Economics and Management, Nankai University Binhai College, 300071, Tianjin, China.
| | - Dahui Li
- Labovitz School of Business & Economics, University of Minnesota Duluth, 55812, Duluth, USA
| | - Chengkang Zhu
- Institute for Study of Brain-Like Economics, School of Economics, Shandong University, 250199, Jinan, China
| | - Yuanyuan Wang
- Institute for Study of Brain-Like Economics, School of Economics, Shandong University, 250199, Jinan, China
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12
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Yinling ZHANG, Zhen YU, Xiaoqin MAI. The influence of social value orientation on self-other risk decision-making and its mechanisms. ACTA PSYCHOLOGICA SINICA 2020. [DOI: 10.3724/sp.j.1041.2020.00895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- ZHANG Yinling
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China
| | - YU Zhen
- School of Statistics, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China
| | - MAI Xiaoqin
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China
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13
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Neural basis of romantic partners' decisions about participation in leisure activity. Sci Rep 2019; 9:14448. [PMID: 31595015 PMCID: PMC6783572 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-51038-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Leisure activity is one of key ingredients for individual happiness and life satisfaction. Enjoying leisure activity with one’s partner can increase marital satisfaction. This study aimed to identify the neural basis of making decisions on participation in a leisure activity with one’s romantic partner as well as the relationship between leisure activity and satisfaction with life. Thirty-seven soon-to-be married heterosexual couples were participated in functional MRI while deciding participation in specific leisure activities in the individual, partner, with-friend, and with-partner conditions. We constructed analysis of variance models and investigated couple characteristics such as personality similarity, leisure activity matching rate, and spatial similarity in the bilateral frontoparietal network. The results showed decreased activity in the bilateral hippocampus during the task in the with-partner condition. Individual leisure activity was correlated with quality of life in males, whereas participation in leisure activity might require more cognitive loading on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in females. The leisure activity matching rate was correlated with courtship period, personality similarity, and spatial similarity of the right frontoparietal network during the task. These findings suggest that although there are different activation pattern in making decisions on leisure activity between romantic couples, spatial similarity of the partner’s social brain networks may be a marker that predicts how well the couple enjoys leisure activity together. In addition, our couples’ data analysis provides a scientific basis for the saying that romantic couples become more similar the longer they are together.
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14
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Sun Q, Jiang T, Zhang J, Wu Q, Zhao L, Hu F. Riskier for me or for others? The role of domain and probability in self-other differences, in risky decision-making. The Journal of General Psychology 2019; 147:169-185. [PMID: 31530234 DOI: 10.1080/00221309.2019.1664388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
In social and economic interactions, people often decide differently for others, as against for themselves, under situations involving risks. This sometimes leads to conflicts or contradictions. Although previous studies have explored such contradictions, the findings have been inconsistent. To reconcile these inconsistencies, this paper investigates the role played by the different domains and probabilities in the self-other differences under risk. Two groups of participants completed a gambling task combining different domains (gain vs. loss) and probabilities (small vs. large). One group made decisions for others and the other group made decisions for themselves. The results revealed a four pattern of discrepancy: the ones who made decisions for others were less risk-seeking than those who made decisions for themselves over the small probability gains. This was reversed over the large probability gains. Conversely, the participants who made decisions for others were more risk-seeking than those who made decisions for themselves over the small probability losses. The results were reversed over the large probability losses. These results reconcile the contradictory findings of the previous studies and suggest the significant role played by contextual factors in such discrepancies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Lei Zhao
- Zhejiang University of Technology
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15
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Zhang Y, Chen S, Hu X, Mai X. Increasing the Difference in Decision Making for Oneself and for Others by Stimulating the Right Temporoparietal Junction. Front Psychol 2019; 10:185. [PMID: 30787900 PMCID: PMC6372537 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ) has been thought to be associated with the difference in self-other decision making. In the present study, using noninvasive transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), we examined whether stimulating the rTPJ could modulate the self-other decision-making difference. We found that after receiving anodal stimulation of the rTPJ, participants were more likely to choose a high-value item for others than for themselves in the situations where the win probability of the high-value item was equal to or greater than that of a low-value item, indicating that elevating the cortical excitability of the rTPJ might increase the self-other decision-making difference in certain decision contexts. Our results suggest that decision making for others depends on neural activity in the rTPJ and regulation of the excitability of the rTPJ can influence the self-other decision-making difference.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinling Zhang
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Siyang Chen
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Xinmu Hu
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoqin Mai
- Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Beijing, China
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16
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Zhang X, Li S, Liu Y, Chen X, Shang X, Qi F, Wang X, Guo X, Chen J. Gain-loss situation modulates neural responses to self-other decision making under risk. Sci Rep 2019; 9:632. [PMID: 30679764 PMCID: PMC6345784 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-37236-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2017] [Accepted: 11/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Although self-other behavioral differences in decision making under risk have been observed in some contexts, little is known about the neural mechanisms underlying such differences. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and the cups task, in which participants choose between risky and sure options for themselves and others in gain and loss situations, we found that people were more risk-taking when making decisions for themselves than for others in loss situations but were equally risk-averse in gain situations. Significantly stronger activations were observed in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) and anterior insula (AI) when making decisions for the self than for others in loss situations but not in gain situations. Furthermore, the activation in the dmPFC was stronger when people made sure choices for others than for themselves in gain situations but not when they made risky choices, and was both stronger when people made sure and risky choices for themselves than for others in loss situations. These findings suggest that gain-loss situation modulates self-other differences in decision making under risk, and people are highly likely to differentiate the self from others when making decisions in loss situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangyi Zhang
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Shijia Li
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Yongfang Liu
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China. .,Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China.
| | - Xiyou Chen
- Changsha Experimental Middle School, Changsha, 410001, Hunan, China
| | - Xuesong Shang
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Fangzhu Qi
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Xiaoyan Wang
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Xiuyan Guo
- School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China.,Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, Ministry of Education, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Brain Functional Genomics, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Magnetic Resonance, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China
| | - Jie Chen
- Cognition and Human Behavior Key Laboratory of Hunan Province and Department of Psychology, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, 410081, Hunan, China.
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17
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Sun Q, Zhang H, Zhang J, Zhang X. Why Can't We Accurately Predict Others' Decisions? Prediction Discrepancy in Risky Decision-Making. Front Psychol 2018; 9:2190. [PMID: 30483196 PMCID: PMC6242966 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2018] [Accepted: 10/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals often fail to accurately predict others' decisions in a risky environment. In this paper, we investigate the characteristics and causes of this prediction discrepancy. Participants completed a risky decision-making task mixed with different domains (gain vs. loss) and probabilities (small vs. large), with some participants making decisions for themselves (the actor) and the others predicting the actors' decisions (the predictor). The results demonstrated a prediction discrepancy: predictions were more risk-averse than the actual decisions over small-probability gains and more risk-seeking over large-probability gains, while these patterns were reversed in the loss domain. Reported and predicted levels of emotional stimulation revealed a pattern that is consistent with the notion of risk-as-feelings and empathy gaps. Mediation analysis provided strong evidence that such prediction discrepancy is driven mainly by the predictor's underestimate of the intensity (not the impact) of the actor's emotional state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingzhou Sun
- College of Economics and Management, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Huanren Zhang
- Department of Business and Economics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Jing Zhang
- College of Economics and Management, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoning Zhang
- College of Economics and Management, Zhejiang University of Technology, Hangzhou, China
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18
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Deciding for others as a neutral party recruits risk-neutral perspective-taking: Model-based behavioral and fMRI experiments. Sci Rep 2018; 8:12857. [PMID: 30150657 PMCID: PMC6110713 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-31308-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Risky decision making for others is ubiquitous in our societies. Whereas financial decision making for oneself induces strong concern about the worst outcome (maximin concern) as well as the expected value, behavioral and neural characteristics of decision making for others are less well understood. We conducted behavioral and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiments to examine the neurocognitive underpinnings of risky decisions for an anonymous other, using decisions for self as a benchmark. We show that, although the maximin concern affected both types of decisions equally strongly, decision making for others recruited a more risk-neutral computational mechanism than decision making for self. Specifically, participants exhibited more balanced information search when choosing a risky option for others. Activity of right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ, associated with cognitive perspective taking) was parametrically modulated by options’ expected values in decisions for others, and by the minimum amounts in decisions for self. Furthermore, individual differences in self-reported empathic concern modified these attentional and neural processes. Overall, these results indicate that the typical maximin concern is attenuated in a risk-neutral direction in decisions for others as compared to self. We conjecture that, given others’ diverse preferences, deciding as a neutral party may cognitively recruit such risk-neutrality.
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19
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Von Gunten CD, Scherer LD. Self-other differences in multiattribute decision making: Compensatory versus noncompensatory decision strategies. JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL DECISION MAKING 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/bdm.2099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Curtis D. Von Gunten
- Department of Psychological Sciences; University of Missouri; Columbia Missouri USA
| | - Laura D. Scherer
- Department of Psychological Sciences; University of Missouri; Columbia Missouri USA
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20
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Liu Y, Polman E, Liu Y, Jiao J. Choosing for others and its relation to information search. ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR AND HUMAN DECISION PROCESSES 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.obhdp.2018.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
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21
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Zhang X, Chen X, Gao Y, Liu Y, Liu Y. Self-promotion hypothesis: The impact of self-esteem on self–other discrepancies in decision making under risk. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2018.01.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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22
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Social Observation Increases Functional Segregation between MPFC Subregions Predicting Prosocial Consumer Decisions. Sci Rep 2018; 8:3368. [PMID: 29463816 PMCID: PMC5820324 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-21449-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2017] [Accepted: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Although it is now well documented that observation by others can be a powerful elicitor of prosocial behaviour, the underlying neural mechanism is yet to be explored. In the present fMRI study, we replicated the previously reported observer effect in ethical consumption, in that participants were more likely to purchase social products that are sold to support people in need than non-social products when being observed by others. fMRI data revealed that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) encoded subject-specific value parameters of purchase decisions for social and non-social products, respectively, under social observation. The ACC showed strong functional coupling with the amygdala and the anterior insula when participants in the observation condition were making purchases of social versus non-social products. Finally, ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) activity predicted faster reaction time and increased prosocial behavior during decisions to purchase social versus non-social products, regardless of social observation. The present findings suggest that subregions of the mPFC, namely the dmPFC, ACC, and vmPFC, are hierarchically organized to encode different levels of decision values from the value of context-sensitive reputation to that of internalized prosociality.
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23
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Park J, Kim H, Sohn JW, Choi JR, Kim SP. EEG Beta Oscillations in the Temporoparietal Area Related to the Accuracy in Estimating Others' Preference. Front Hum Neurosci 2018; 12:43. [PMID: 29479312 PMCID: PMC5811502 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 01/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans often attempt to predict what others prefer based on a narrow slice of experience, called thin-slicing. According to the theoretical bases for how humans can predict the preference of others, one tends to estimate the other's preference using a perceived difference between the other and self. Previous neuroimaging studies have revealed that the network of dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) and right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ) is related to the ability of predicting others' preference. However, it still remains unknown about the temporal patterns of neural activities for others' preference prediction through thin-slicing. To investigate such temporal aspects of neural activities, we investigated human electroencephalography (EEG) recorded during the task of predicting the preference of others while only a facial picture of others was provided. Twenty participants (all female, average age: 21.86) participated in the study. In each trial of the task, participants were shown a picture of either a target person or self for 3 s, followed by the presentation of a movie poster over which participants predicted the target person's preference as liking or disliking. The time-frequency EEG analysis was employed to analyze temporal changes in the amplitudes of brain oscillations. Participants could predict others' preference for movies with accuracy of 56.89 ± 3.16% and 10 out of 20 participants exhibited prediction accuracy higher than a chance level (95% interval). There was a significant difference in the power of the parietal alpha (10~13 Hz) oscillation 0.6~0.8 s after the onset of poster presentation between the cases when participants predicted others' preference and when they reported self-preference (p < 0.05). The power of brain oscillations at any frequency band and time period during the trial did not show a significant correlation with individual prediction accuracy. However, when we measured differences of the power between the trials of predicting other's preference and reporting self-preference, the right temporal beta oscillations 1.6~1.8 s after the onset of facial picture presentation exhibited a significant correlation with individual accuracy. Our results suggest that right temporoparietal beta oscillations may be correlated with one's ability to predict what others prefer with minimal information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonghyeok Park
- Department of Human Factors Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, South Korea
| | - Hackjin Kim
- Department of Psychology, Korea University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Jeong-Woo Sohn
- Medical Device Development Center, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Jong-Ryul Choi
- Medical Device Development Center, Daegu-Gyeongbuk Medical Innovation Foundation, Daegu, South Korea
| | - Sung-Phil Kim
- Department of Human Factors Engineering, Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology, Ulsan, South Korea
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24
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Sun Q, Liu Y, Zhang H, Lu J. Increased social distance makes people more risk-neutral. The Journal of Social Psychology 2016; 157:502-512. [DOI: 10.1080/00224545.2016.1242471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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25
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Spatial gradient in value representation along the medial prefrontal cortex reflects individual differences in prosociality. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:7851-6. [PMID: 26056280 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1423895112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the importance of valuing another person's welfare for prosocial behavior, currently we have only a limited understanding of how these values are represented in the brain and, more importantly, how they give rise to individual variability in prosociality. In the present study, participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing a prosocial learning task in which they could choose to benefit themselves and/or another person. Choice behavior indicated that participants valued the welfare of another person, although less so than they valued their own welfare. Neural data revealed a spatial gradient in activity within the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), such that ventral parts predominantly represented self-regarding values and dorsal parts predominantly represented other-regarding values. Importantly, compared with selfish individuals, prosocial individuals showed a more gradual transition from self-regarding to other-regarding value signals in the MPFC and stronger MPFC-striatum coupling when they made choices for another person rather than for themselves. The present study provides evidence of neural markers reflecting individual differences in human prosociality.
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26
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O'Connell G, Christakou A, Chakrabarti B. The role of simulation in intertemporal choices. Front Neurosci 2015; 9:94. [PMID: 25873852 PMCID: PMC4379903 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2015.00094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2014] [Accepted: 03/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
One route to understanding the thoughts and feelings of others is by mentally putting one's self in their shoes and seeing the world from their perspective, i.e., by simulation. Simulation is potentially used not only for inferring how others feel, but also for predicting how we ourselves will feel in the future. For instance, one might judge the worth of a future reward by simulating how much it will eventually be enjoyed. In intertemporal choices between smaller immediate and larger delayed rewards, it is observed that as the length of delay increases, delayed rewards lose subjective value; a phenomenon known as temporal discounting. In this article, we develop a theoretical framework for the proposition that simulation mechanisms involved in empathizing with others also underlie intertemporal choices. This framework yields a testable psychological account of temporal discounting based on simulation. Such an account, if experimentally validated, could have important implications for how simulation mechanisms are investigated, and makes predictions about special populations characterized by putative deficits in simulating others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garret O'Connell
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading Reading, UK
| | - Anastasia Christakou
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading Reading, UK
| | - Bhismadev Chakrabarti
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading Reading, UK
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27
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Morelli SA, Sacchet MD, Zaki J. Common and distinct neural correlates of personal and vicarious reward: A quantitative meta-analysis. Neuroimage 2014; 112:244-253. [PMID: 25554428 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.12.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2014] [Revised: 12/18/2014] [Accepted: 12/20/2014] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals experience reward not only when directly receiving positive outcomes (e.g., food or money), but also when observing others receive such outcomes. This latter phenomenon, known as vicarious reward, is a perennial topic of interest among psychologists and economists. More recently, neuroscientists have begun exploring the neuroanatomy underlying vicarious reward. Here we present a quantitative whole-brain meta-analysis of this emerging literature. We identified 25 functional neuroimaging studies that included contrasts between vicarious reward and a neutral control, and subjected these contrasts to an activation likelihood estimate (ALE) meta-analysis. This analysis revealed a consistent pattern of activation across studies, spanning structures typically associated with the computation of value (especially ventromedial prefrontal cortex) and mentalizing (including dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and superior temporal sulcus). We further quantitatively compared this activation pattern to activation foci from a previous meta-analysis of personal reward. Conjunction analyses yielded overlapping VMPFC activity in response to personal and vicarious reward. Contrast analyses identified preferential engagement of the nucleus accumbens in response to personal as compared to vicarious reward, and in mentalizing-related structures in response to vicarious as compared to personal reward. These data shed light on the common and unique components of the reward that individuals experience directly and through their social connections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sylvia A Morelli
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
| | - Matthew D Sacchet
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Neurosciences Program, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Jamil Zaki
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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28
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Kang P, Lee J, Sul S, Kim H. Dorsomedial prefrontal cortex activity predicts the accuracy in estimating others' preferences. Front Hum Neurosci 2013; 7:686. [PMID: 24324419 PMCID: PMC3840299 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2013] [Accepted: 10/29/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to accurately estimate another person's preferences is crucial for a successful social life. In daily interactions, we often do this on the basis of minimal information. The aims of the present study were (a) to examine whether people can accurately judge others based only on a brief exposure to their appearances, and (b) to reveal the underlying neural mechanisms with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Participants were asked to make guesses about unfamiliar target individuals' preferences for various items after looking at their faces for 3 s. The behavioral results showed that participants estimated others' preferences above chance level. The fMRI data revealed that higher accuracy in preference estimation was associated with greater activity in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC) when participants were guessing the targets' preferences relative to thinking about their own preferences. These findings suggest that accurate estimations of others' preferences may require increased activity in the DMPFC. A functional connectivity analysis revealed that higher accuracy in preference estimation was related to increased functional connectivity between the DMPFC and the brain regions that are known to be involved in theory of mind processing, such as the temporoparietal junction (TPJ) and the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC)/precuneus, during correct vs. incorrect guessing trials. On the contrary, the tendency to refer to self-preferences when estimating others' preference was related to greater activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. These findings imply that the DMPFC may be a core region in estimating the preferences of others and that higher accuracy may require stronger communication between the DMPFC and the TPJ and PCC/precuneus, part of a neural network known to be engaged in mentalizing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pyungwon Kang
- Laboratory of Social and Decision Neuroscience, Korea University Seoul, South Korea ; Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University Seoul, South Korea
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29
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Preuschoff K, Mohr PNC, Hsu M. Decision making under uncertainty. Front Neurosci 2013; 7:218. [PMID: 24311997 PMCID: PMC3834552 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2013.00218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2013] [Accepted: 10/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Preuschoff
- Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne Lausanne, Switzerland ; Laboratoire de Recherché en Neuroimagerie, Le Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois Lausanne, Switzerland
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