Cited by 1,345Experimental Behavioral Economics StudiesNeural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesDecision-Making and Behavioral Economics

Getting to Know You: Reputation and Trust in a Two-Person Economic Exchange

King-Casas, Brooks, Tomlin, Damon, Anen, Cedric, Camerer, Colin F., Quartz, Steven R., Montague, P. Read·2005·Science

Abstract

Using a multiround version of an economic exchange (trust game), we report that reciprocity expressed by one player strongly predicts future trust expressed by their partner—a behavioral finding mirrored by neural responses in the dorsal striatum. Here, analyses within and between brains revealed two signals—one encoded by response magnitude, and the other by response timing. Response magnitude correlated with the “intention to trust” on the next play of the game, and the peak of these “intention to trust” responses shifted its time of occurrence by 14 seconds as player reputations developed. This temporal transfer resembles a similar shift of reward prediction errors common to reinforcement learning models, but in the context of a social exchange. These data extend previous model-based functional magnetic resonance imaging studies into the social domain and broaden our view of the spectrum of functions implemented by the dorsal striatum.

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Crossref · 10.1126/science.1108062

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30 of 30 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Most fMRI hyperscanning studies have used separate scanners connected via video.

    “Most fMRI hyperscanning studies [6,7] have used separate scanners connected via video”
  • Using separate scanners connected via video imposes further barriers to natural interaction.

    “but this imposes further barriers to natural interaction.”
  • Striatal responses transform in a manner that reflects what we have learned to expect from a person after repeated interaction with them-that is, the acquisition of a reputation.

    “Moreover, striatal responses transform in a manner that reflects what we have learned to expect from a person after repeated interaction with them – that is, the acquisition of a reputation 67.”
  • Striatum activity increases in anticipation of a positive social interaction after repeated interactions with one person, suggesting that this neural signal is important for learning to predict others' behavior.

    “Moreover, striatum activity increases in anticipation of a positive social interaction after repeated interactions with one person, suggesting that this neural signal is important for learning to predict others’ behavior 67.”
  • Ventral and dorsal striatum activity increases when receiving rewards as a result of reciprocated cooperation and when making a decision to cooperate.

    “As with rewards such as money or positive social feedback, ventral and dorsal striatum activity increases when receiving rewards as a result of reciprocated cooperation and when making a decision to cooperate 67, 71, 72.”

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Authors
King-Casas, B., Tomlin, D., Anen, C., Camerer, C. F., Quartz, S. R., & Montague, P. R.
Affiliations
  • Human Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
  • California Institute of Technology (US)
Corresponding author
Montague, P. Read
Venue
Science
Published
2005-04
Volume
308
Issue
5718
Pages
78-83
ISSN
  • 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
  • 1095-9203
OpenAlex
W2014957672
Cited by
1,345
References
30
Citations by year
2026: 38 · 2025: 31 · 2024: 42 · 2023: 54 · 2022: 53 · 2021: 56 · 2020: 54 · 2019: 66 · 2018: 66 · 2017: 57 · 2016: 64 · 2015: 88 · 2014: 64 · 2013: 71 · 2012: 85
FWCI
223.23
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Science (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • CaltechAUTHORS (California Institute of Technology) (submittedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (5r21da014883-02)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (MH-52797, R01MH052797)
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse (DA14883, DA 11723, R01DA011723)
  • National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (R01NS045790, NS045790)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Safety Research › Experimental Behavioral Economics Studies
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › General Decision Sciences › Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics
Keywords
trust, reputation, reciprocity, trust game, dorsal striatum, response timing, response magnitude, social exchange, reinforcement learning, reward prediction error
MeSH terms
Caudate Nucleus, Cues, Games, Experimental, Hemodynamics, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Reward, Linear Models, Intention, Trust

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