Group Membership Modulates the Neural Circuitry Underlying Third Party Punishment

This research aims to explore the neural correlates involved in altruistic punishment, parochial altruism and anti-social punishment, using the Third-Party Punishment (TPP) game. In particular, this study considered these punishment behaviors in in-group vs. out-group game settings, to compare how p...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2016-11, Vol.11 (11), p.e0166357-e0166357
Main Authors: Morese, Rosalba, Rabellino, Daniela, Sambataro, Fabio, Perussia, Felice, Valentini, Maria Consuelo, Bara, Bruno G, Bosco, Francesca M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Altruism
Analysis
Biology and Life Sciences
Brain
Brain Mapping
Circuits
Cognition & reasoning
Cooperation
Cortex (parietal)
Decision making
Emotions
Emotions - physiology
Exploratory behavior
Games, Experimental
Group dynamics
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Medicine and Health Sciences
Neural circuitry
Neural networks
Neurosciences
Parietal Lobe - anatomy & histology
Parietal Lobe - physiology
Physical Sciences
Prefrontal cortex
Prefrontal Cortex - anatomy & histology
Prefrontal Cortex - physiology
Punishment
Punishment - psychology
Research and Analysis Methods
Science
Social behavior
Social Sciences
Studies
Temporal Lobe - anatomy & histology
Temporal Lobe - physiology
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Summary:This research aims to explore the neural correlates involved in altruistic punishment, parochial altruism and anti-social punishment, using the Third-Party Punishment (TPP) game. In particular, this study considered these punishment behaviors in in-group vs. out-group game settings, to compare how people behave with members of their own national group and with members of another national group. The results showed that participants act altruistically to protect in-group members. This study indicates that norm violation in in-group (but not in out-group) settings results in increased activity in the medial prefrontal cortex and temporo-parietal junction, brain regions involved in the mentalizing network, as the third-party attempts to understand or justify in-group members' behavior. Finally, exploratory analysis during anti-social punishment behavior showed brain activation recruitment of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, an area associated with altered regulation of emotions.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0166357