Giving others the option of choice: An fMRI study on low-cost cooperation

Imke L.J. Lemmers-Jansen, Lydia Krabbendam, David M. Amodio, Niels J. Van Doesum, Niels J. Van Doesum, Dick J. Veltman, Paul A.M. Van Lange

Research output: Contribution to JournalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

© 2017 Elsevier Ltd Successful social relationships require a consideration of a partner's thoughts and intentions. This aspect of social life is captured in the social mindfulness paradigm (SoMi task), in which participants make decisions that either limit or preserve options for their interaction partner's subsequent choice. Here we investigated the neural correlates of spontaneous socially mindful and unmindful behaviours. Functional magnetic resonance data were acquired from 47 healthy adolescents and young adults (age 16–27) as they completed the SoMi task. Being faced with socially relevant choices was associated with activity in the medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate, caudate, and insula, which is consistent with prior neuroeconomical research. Importantly, socially mindful choices were associated with activity in the right parietal cortex and the caudate, whereas unmindful choices were associated with activity in the left prefrontal cortex. These neural findings were consistent with the behavioural preference for mindful choices, suggesting that socially mindful decisions are the basic inclination, whereas socially unmindful responses may require greater effort and control. Together, these results begin to uncover the neural correlates of socially mindful and unmindful choices, and illuminate the psychological processes involved in cooperative social behaviour.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1-9
Number of pages9
JournalNeuropsychologia
Volume109
Early online date6 Dec 2017
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 31 Jan 2018

Funding

This work was supported by a VICI grant from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) to Prof. Lydia Krabbendam [ 452-07-007 , 453-11-005 ]; by funding of the Hersenstichting Nederland [ KS2011(1)−75 ] to Prof. Lydia Krabbendam; by an ERC consolidator grant [ 648082 ] to Prof. Lydia Krabbendam, and by a grant of the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) Grant number 022.003.040 , awarded to the Kurt Lewin Institute, with Paul Van Lange as the applicant representing the Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The funding sources approved the study design and had no further involvement in the research nor in the writing of this article.

FundersFunder number
Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research
Horizon 2020 Framework Programme648082
European Research Council022.003.040
Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek452-07-007, 453-11-005
HersenstichtingKS2011

    Keywords

    • Low-cost cooperation
    • Mentalising
    • Social brain
    • Social mindfulness
    • Social value orientation
    • fMRI

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