Cited by 260Neural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesExperimental Behavioral Economics StudiesEmotions and Moral Behavior

Triangulating the Neural, Psychological, and Economic Bases of Guilt Aversion

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Chang, Luke J., Smith, Alec, Dufwenberg, Martin, Sanfey, Alan G.·2011·Neuron

Abstract

Video abstract Why do people often choose to cooperate when they can better serve their interests by acting selfishly? One potential mechanism is that the anticipation of guilt can motivate cooperative behavior. We utilize a formal model of this process in conjunction with fMRI to identify brain regions that mediate cooperative behavior while participants decided whether or not to honor a partner's trust. We observed increased activation in the insula, supplementary motor area, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (PFC), and temporal parietal junction when participants were behaving consistent with our model, and found increased activity in the ventromedial PFC, dorsomedial PFC, and nucleus accumbens when they chose to abuse trust and maximize their financial reward. This study demonstrates that a neural system previously implicated in expectation processing plays a critical role in assessing moral sentiments that in turn can sustain human cooperation in the face of temptation.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.neuron.2011.02.056

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  • Striatum responses appear more closely related to the fairness of others' actions than the fairness of our own actions towards others.

    “Striatum responses appear more closely related to the fairness of others’ actions than the fairness of our own actions towards others.”
  • Ventral striatum activity, as well as medial prefrontal cortex, increases when people decide to unfairly keep a monetary endowment instead of share it with a partner.

    “Ventral striatum activity, as well as medial prefrontal cortex, increases when people decide to unfairly keep a monetary endowment instead of share it with a partner (i.e., keep more than the partner expects according to social norms) 95.”
  • People who are less troubled by the guilt of acting unfairly towards others exhibit greater ventral striatum activity.

    “Furthermore, people who are less troubled by the guilt of acting unfairly towards others exhibit greater ventral striatum activity, suggesting that ventral striatum activity during one's own unfair actions is more tightly linked to the material reward than the social consequences.”
  • Ventral striatum activity during one's own unfair actions is more tightly linked to the material reward than the social consequences.

    “Furthermore, people who are less troubled by the guilt of acting unfairly towards others exhibit greater ventral striatum activity, suggesting that ventral striatum activity during one's own unfair actions is more tightly linked to the material reward than the social consequences.”

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Authors
Chang, L. J., Smith, A., Dufwenberg, M., & Sanfey, A. G.
Affiliations
  • University of Arizona (US)
  • California Institute of Technology (US)
Corresponding author
Sanfey, Alan G.
Venue
Neuron
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2011-05
Volume
70
Issue
3
Pages
560-572
ISSN
0896-6273 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2138142268
Cited by
260
References
80
Citations by year
2026: 9 · 2025: 20 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 17 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 23 · 2017: 20 · 2016: 19 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 14 · 2013: 16 · 2012: 11
FWCI
6.99
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Neuron (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
  • CaltechAUTHORS (California Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion)
  • Radboud Repository (Radboud University) (submittedVersion)
  • Radboud Repository (Radboud University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
  • National Institute on Aging (R21AG030768)
  • National Science Foundation
  • National Institute of Mental Health (F31MH085465, R03MH077058)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Social Sciences › Safety Research › Experimental Behavioral Economics Studies
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Emotions and Moral Behavior
Keywords
guilt aversion, cooperation, trust, temptation, moral emotions, insula, supplementary motor area, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, temporoparietal junction, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, nucleus accumbens
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Brain Mapping, Cerebral Cortex, Economics, Female, Genetic Testing, Guilt, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Models, Psychological, Morals, Motivation, Neuropsychological Tests, Oxygen, Regression Analysis, Reward, Young Adult

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