Causal manipulation of self-other mergence in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex
Open accessAbstract
To navigate social environments, people must simultaneously hold representations about their own and others' abilities. During self-other mergence, people estimate others' abilities not only on the basis of the others' past performance, but the estimates are also influenced by their own performance. For example, if we perform well, we overestimate the abilities of those with whom we are co-operating and underestimate competitors. Self-other mergence is associated with specific activity patterns in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC). Using a combination of non-invasive brain stimulation, functional magnetic resonance imaging, and computational modeling, we show that dmPFC neurostimulation silences these neural signatures of self-other mergence in relation to estimation of others' abilities. In consequence, self-other mergence behavior increases, and our assessments of our own performance are projected increasingly onto other people. This suggests an inherent tendency to form interdependent social representations and a causal role of the dmPFC in separating self and other representations.
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The vertex site (MNI: x = 0, y = -34, z = 72) served as a non-active control site, based on previous studies.
“The vertex site (MNI: x = 0, y = -34, z = 72), which served as a non-active control site, was based on previous studies.”
From Two prefrontal-subcortical circuits estimate controllability and reflect its impact on learning (2026) · cites this paper as [23]
In previous studies, dmPFC has been linked to confidence and the sense of agency.
“In previous studies, dmPFC has been linked to confidence and the sense of agency.7”
From Two prefrontal-subcortical circuits estimate controllability and reflect its impact on learning (2026) · cites this paper as [23]
The Introduction and Discussion link dmPFC to estimates of one’s own and others’ abilities and to maintaining a calibrated sense of self. They do not address confidence or the sense of agency as such; searches for both terms found no passage establishing the claimed links. (LLM, conf=0.73)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredSelf-other mergence is associated with differences in activity in dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, and disrupting this area using transcranial magnetic stimulation leads to greater self-other mergence.
“This intertwining of models of self-and other-performance was associated with differences in activity in dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, and disrupting this area using transcranial magnetic simulation (TMS) led to greater self-other mergence (Wittmann et al. 2021)”
From Metacognition and Confidence: A Review and Synthesis (2024) · cites this paper as Wittmann et al. 2021
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“…was associated with differences in activity in dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, and disrupting this area using TMS led to greater self-other mergence (Wittmann et al., 2021) – suggesting that one function of this brain region is not only to support models of ourselves and others, but also to keep…”
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- Authors
- Wittmann, M. K., Trudel, N., Trier, H. A., Klein-Flügge, M. C., Sel, A., Verhagen, L., & Rushworth, M. F. S.
- Affiliations
- University of Oxford (GB)
- University of Essex (GB)
- Radboud University Nijmegen (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Wittmann, Marco K.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Neuron
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2021-07
- Volume
- 109
- Issue
- 14
- Pages
- 2353-2361.e11
- ISSN
- 0896-6273 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC8326319
- OpenAlex
- W3176565698
- Cited by
- 55
- References
- 52
- Citations by year
- 2026: 12 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 2
- FWCI
- 3.68
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Neuron (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Open Access at Essex (University of Essex) (acceptedVersion)
- Radboud Repository (Radboud University) (submittedVersion)
- Radboud Repository (Radboud University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- Fundação Bial (44/16)
- Wellcome Trust (203139/Z/16/Z, 103184/Z/13/Z, WT100973AIA)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Action Observation and Synchronization
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Child and Animal Learning Development
- Keywords
- dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, non-invasive brain stimulation, social representations, self-other distinction, social cognition
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Adult, Female, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Models, Neurological, Reaction Time, Social Behavior, Social Perception, Prefrontal Cortex, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, Young Adult
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