The brain’s functional network architecture reveals human motives
Abstract
Brain activity shows underlying motives: In humans, two completely different motives may nevertheless lead to exactly the same behavior. Because we can't directly observe motives, modern economists often completely disregard them. However, Hein et al. , using fMRI, show that different human motives can yield observable responses in the brain (see the Perspective by Gluth and Fontanesi). In empathy-based and reciprocity-based altruistic behavior, the direction and the strength of functional connectivity between specific brain regions were different for each motive. Moreover, the connectivity patterns were independent of the behavioral implications of the motives. Science , this issue p. 1074 ; see also p. 1028
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
More sensitive changes in neural responses have often been observed in previous studies of prosocial behavior.
“More sensitive changes in neural responses have often been observed in previous studies of prosocial behavior 43 .”
From Oxytocin modulates social value representations in the amygdala (2019) · cites this paper as [43]
Cites
Kass, R. E., & Raftery, A. E. (1995) · Journal of the American Statistical Association · doi:10.1080/01621459.1995.10476572 · Cited by 12,558 · see citing works
Telling more than we can know: Verbal reports on mental processes.
Nisbett, R. E., & Wilson, T. D. (1977) · Psychological Review · doi:10.1037/0033-295x.84.3.231 · Cited by 11,317 · see citing works
Feeling and thinking: Preferences need no inferences.
Zajonc, R. B. (1980) · American Psychologist · doi:10.1037/0003-066x.35.2.151 · Cited by 8,094 · see citing works
Incorporating Fairness into Game Theory and Economics
Rabin, M. (2011) · Princeton University Press eBooks · doi:10.2307/j.ctvcm4j8j.15 · Cited by 4,833 · see citing works
Friston, K. J., Harrison, L., & Penny, W. (2003) · NeuroImage · doi:10.1016/s1053-8119(03)00202-7 · Cited by 4,583 · see citing works
Hoeting, J. A., Madigan, D., Raftery, A. E., & Volinsky, C. T. (1999) · Statistical Science · doi:10.1214/ss/1009212519 · Cited by 4,118 · see citing works
Empathy for Pain Involves the Affective but not Sensory Components of Pain
Singer, T., Seymour, B., O'Doherty, J., Kaube, H., Dolan, R. J., & Frith, C. D. (2004) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1093535 · Cited by 3,929 · see citing works
The reward circuit: linking primate anatomy and human imaging
Haber, S. N., & Knutson, B. (2010) · Neuropsychopharmacology · doi:10.1038/npp.2009.129 · Cited by 3,718 · see citing works
Fehr, E., & Fischbacher, U. (2003) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature02043 · Cited by 3,475 · see citing works
Self-citationA practical solution to the pervasive problems ofp values
Wagenmakers, E.-J. (2007) · Psychonomic Bulletin & Review · doi:10.3758/bf03194105 · Cited by 2,490 · see citing works
Falk, A., & Fischbacher, U. (2006) · Games and Economic Behavior · doi:10.1016/j.geb.2005.03.001 · Cited by 2,416 · see citing works
A framework for studying the neurobiology of value-based decision making
Rangel, A., Camerer, C., & Montague, P. R. (2008) · Nature Reviews Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/nrn2357 · Cited by 2,184 · see citing works
Functional anatomy of the basal ganglia. I. The cortico-basal ganglia-thalamo-cortical loop
Parent, A., & Hazrati, L.-N. (1995) · Brain Research Reviews · doi:10.1016/0165-0173(94)00007-c · Cited by 2,161 · see citing works
Lamm, C., Decety, J., & Singer, T. (2011) · NeuroImage · doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2010.10.014 · Cited by 2,016 · see citing works
Bayesian model selection for group studies
Stephan, K. E., Penny, W. D., Daunizeau, J., Moran, R. J., & Friston, K. J. (2009) · NeuroImage · doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2009.03.025 · Cited by 1,423 · see citing works
A Macroprudential Approach to Financial Regulation
Hanson, S., Kashyap, A., & Stein, J. C. (2011) · The Journal of Economic Perspectives · doi:10.1257/jep.25.1.3 · Cited by 1,090 · see citing works
Neural Responses to Taxation and Voluntary Giving Reveal Motives for Charitable Donations
Harbaugh, W. T., Mayr, U., & Burghart, D. R. (2007) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1140738 · Cited by 1,046 · see citing works
Consumption Theory in Terms of Revealed Preference
Samuelson, P. A. (1948) · Economica · doi:10.2307/2549561 · Cited by 1,012 · see citing works
Human fronto–mesolimbic networks guide decisions about charitable donation
Moll, J., Krueger, F., Zahn, R., Pardini, M., de Oliveira-Souza, R., & Grafman, J. (2006) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.0604475103 · Cited by 900 · see citing works
Hein, G., Silani, G., Preuschoff, K., Batson, C. D., & Singer, T. (2010) · Neuron · doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2010.09.003 · Cited by 821 · see citing works
Self-citationTen simple rules for dynamic causal modeling
Stephan, K. E., Penny, W. D., Moran, R. J., den Ouden, H. E. M., Daunizeau, J., & Friston, K. J. (2010) · NeuroImage · doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2009.11.015 · Cited by 803 · see citing works
A tutorial on a practical Bayesian alternative to null-hypothesis significance testing
Masson, M. E. J. (2011) · Behavior Research Methods · doi:10.3758/s13428-010-0049-5 · Cited by 752 · see citing works
Perceptions of moral character modulate the neural systems of reward during the trust game
Delgado, M. R., Frank, R. H., & Phelps, E. A. (2005) · Nature Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/nn1575 · Cited by 729 · see citing works
Neuroeconomics: The Consilience of Brain and Decision
Glimcher, P. W., & Rustichini, A. (2004) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1102566 · Cited by 725 · see citing works
Emmons, R. A., & McCullough, M. E. (2004) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195150100.001.0001 · Cited by 708 · see citing works
Nonlinear dynamic causal models for fMRI
Stephan, K. E., Kasper, L., Harrison, L. M., Daunizeau, J., den Ouden, H. E. M., Breakspear, M., & Friston, K. J. (2008) · NeuroImage · doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2008.04.262 · Cited by 416 · see citing works
Morishima, Y., Schunk, D., Bruhin, A., Ruff, C. C., & Fehr, E. (2012) · Neuron · doi:10.1016/j.neuron.2012.05.021 · Cited by 296 · see citing works
Self-citationNeuroeconomic Foundations of Economic Choice—Recent Advances
Fehr, E., & Rangel, A. (2011) · The Journal of Economic Perspectives · doi:10.1257/jep.25.4.3 · Cited by 264 · see citing works
Self-citationAgent-Specific Responses in the Cingulate Cortex During Economic Exchanges
Tomlin, D., Kayali, M., King-Casas, B., Anen, C., Camerer, C., Quartz, S., & Montague, P. (2006) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1125596 · Cited by 222 · see citing works
The (Paper)Work of Medicine: Understanding International Medical Costs
Cutler, D., & Ly, D. P. (2011) · The Journal of Economic Perspectives · doi:10.1257/jep.25.2.3 · Cited by 203 · see citing works
The neural correlates of the affective response to unreciprocated cooperation
Rilling, J. K., Goldsmith, D. R., Glenn, A. L., Jairam, M. R., Elfenbein, H. A., Dagenais, J. E., Murdock, C. D., & Pagnoni, G. (2008) · Neuropsychologia · doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2007.11.033 · Cited by 169 · see citing works
Generative embedding for model-based classification of fMRI data
Brodersen, K. H., Schofield, T. M., Leff, A. P., Ong, C. S., Lomakina, E. I., Buhmann, J. M., & Stephan, K. E. (2011) · PLoS Computational Biology · doi:10.1371/journal.pcbi.1002079 · Cited by 165 · see citing works
Reputation for reciprocity engages the brain reward center
Phan, K. L., Sripada, C. S., Angstadt, M., & McCabe, K. (2010) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1008137107 · Cited by 152 · see citing works
Automatic processing of political preferences in the human brain
Tusche, A., Kahnt, T., Wisniewski, D., & Haynes, J. (2013) · NeuroImage · doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.01.020 · Cited by 62 · see citing works
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Building better biomarkers: brain models in translational neuroimaging
Woo, C.-W., Chang, L. J., Lindquist, M. A., & Wager, T. D. (2017) · Nature Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/nn.4478 · Cited by 1,056 · see citing works
Differential benefits of mental training types for attention, compassion, and theory of mind
Trautwein, F.-M., Kanske, P., Böckler, A., & Singer, T. (2020) · Cognition · doi:10.1016/j.cognition.2019.104039 · Cited by 139 · see citing works
Oxytocin modulates social value representations in the amygdala
Liu, Y., Li, S., Lin, W., Li, W., Yan, X., Wang, X., Pan, X., Rutledge, R. B., & Ma, Y. (2019) · Nature Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/s41593-019-0351-1 · Cited by 89 · see citing works
Han, X., He, K., Wu, B., Shi, Z., Liu, Y., Luo, S., Wei, K., Wu, X., & Han, S. (2017) · Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience · doi:10.1093/scan/nsx016 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
- Authors
- Hein, G., Morishima, Y., Leiberg, S., Sul, S., & Fehr, E.
- Affiliations
- University of Zurich (CH)
- University of Bern (CH)
- Pusan National University (KR)
- Corresponding author
- Hein, Grit
- Venue
- Science
- Published
- 2016-03-04
- Volume
- 351
- Issue
- 6277
- Pages
- 1074-1078
- ISSN
- 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
- 1095-9203
- OpenAlex
- W2292373711
- Cited by
- 165
- References
- 34
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 29 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 13 · 2018: 22 · 2017: 22 · 2016: 6
- FWCI
- 13.40
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Science (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- BORIS (University Library Bern) (submittedVersion)
- Zurich Open Repository and Archive (University of Zurich) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- European Research Council
- Swiss National Science Foundation
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Action Observation and Synchronization
- Keywords
- motives, altruism, brain connectivity, anterior cingulate cortex, anterior insula, ventral striatum, selfishness, empathy induction, goal-directed behavior
- MeSH terms
- Altruism, Cerebral Cortex, Empathy, Female, Gyrus Cinguli, Humans, Motivation, Nerve Net, Social Behavior, Young Adult
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review