Cited by 77Neural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesDecision-Making and Behavioral EconomicsExperimental Behavioral Economics Studies

Neural computations underpinning the strategic management of influence in advice giving

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Hertz, Uri, Palminteri, Stefano, Brunetti, Silvia, Olesen, Cecilie, Frith, Chris D, Bahrami, Bahador·2017·Nature Communications

Published version of a preprint

Abstract

Research on social influence has focused mainly on the target of influence (e.g., consumer and voter); thus, the cognitive and neurobiological underpinnings of the source of the influence (e.g., politicians and salesmen) remain unknown. Here, in a three-sided advice-giving game, two advisers competed to influence a client by modulating their own confidence in their advice about which lottery the client should choose. We report that advisers' strategy depends on their level of influence on the client and their merit relative to one another. Moreover, blood-oxygenation-level-dependent (BOLD) signal in the temporo-parietal junction is modulated by adviser's current level of influence on the client, and relative merit prediction error affects activity in medial-prefrontal cortex. Both types of social information modulate ventral striatum response. By demonstrating what happens in our mind and brain when we try to influence others, these results begin to explain the biological mechanisms that shape inter-individual differences in social conduct.

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  • If we wish to strategically influence the group, it might be advantageous to overstate or understate our public confidence.

    “However, if we wish to strategically influence the group, it might be advantageous to overstate (or understate) our public confidence (Hertz et al. 2017).”

    From Metacognition and Confidence: A Review and Synthesis (2024) · cites this paper as Hertz et al. 2017

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. [28]Campbell-Meiklejohn, D., Simonsen, A., Frith, C. D. & Daw, N. D. Independent neural computation of value from the confidence of others. J. Neurosci.37, 673–684 (2016). PMC6596755 28100748
  2. [62]Kruschke, J. Doing Bayesian Data Analysis: A Tutorial Introduction with R JAGS, and Stan. Igarss2014 (Elsevier, 2015).

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Authors
Hertz, U., Palminteri, S., Brunetti, S., Olesen, C., Frith, C. D., & Bahrami, B.
Affiliations
  • University of London (GB)
  • Inserm (FR)
  • University College London (GB)
Corresponding author
Hertz, Uri
Venue
Nature Communications
Published
2017-12-19
Volume
8
Issue
1
Pages
2191-2191
ISSN
2041-1723 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2950214617
Cited by
77
References
68
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 2
FWCI
3.29
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Nature Communications (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Science Foundation
  • European Commission (328822)
  • Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR-16, ANR-16-NEUC-0004)
  • Arts and Humanities Research Council (AH/M005933/2, AH/M005933/1)
  • FP7 Ideas: European Research Council (309865)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › General Decision Sciences › Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics
  • Social Sciences › Safety Research › Experimental Behavioral Economics Studies
Keywords
social influence, advice-giving, temporoparietal junction, medial prefrontal cortex, ventral striatum, prediction error, individual differences, social behavior, neuroeconomics
MeSH terms
Peer Influence, Biological Variation, Population, Adult, Female, Games, Experimental, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Pilot Projects, Social Behavior, Cohort Studies, Prefrontal Cortex, Young Adult, Functional Neuroimaging, Ventral Striatum

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