Another in need enhances prosociality and modulates frontal theta oscillations in young adults
Journal
Frontiers in Psychiatry
ISSN
1664-0640
Date Issued
2023
Author(s)
Claudio Lavín
Vladimir López
Type
Resource Types::text::journal::journal article
URL Institutional Repository
Abstract
Decision-making is a process that can be strongly affected by social factors. Evidence has shown how people deviate from traditional rational-choice predictions under different levels of social interactions. The emergence of prosocial decision-making, defined as any action that is addressed to benefit another individual even at the expense of personal benefits, has been reported as an example of such social influence. Furthermore, brain evidence has shown the involvement of structures such as the prefrontal cortex, anterior insula, and midcingulate cortex during decision settings in which a decision maker interacts with others under physical pain or distress or while being observed by others.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods</jats:title><jats:p>Using a slightly modified version of the dictator game and EEG recordings, we tested the hypothesis that the inclusion of another person into the decision setting increases prosocial decisions in young adults and that this increase is higher when the other person is associated with others in need. At the brain level, we hypothesized that the increase in prosocial decisions correlates with frontal theta activity.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results and Discussion</jats:title><jats:p>The results showed that including another person in the decision, setting increased prosocial behavior only when this presence was associated with someone in need. This effect was associated with an increase in frontocentral theta-oscillatory activity. These results suggest that the presence of someone in need enhances empathy concerns and norm compliance, raising the participants’ prosocial decision-making.
Project(s)
Subjects
decision-making
;
electroencephalography
;
empathy
;
prosociality
;
social cognition
;
theta rhythm
;
adult
;
anterior insula
;
article
;
brain depth recording
;
brain depth stimulation
;
cognition
;
controlled study
;
decision making
;
distress syndrome
;
electroencephalogram
;
electroencephalography
;
empathy
;
female
;
human
;
human experiment
;
male
;
neuromodulation
;
normal human
;
prefrontal cortex
;
prosocial behavior
;
social aspect
;
social cognition
;
social interaction
;
task performance
;
theta rhythm
;
young adult