Within-group synchronization in the prefrontal cortex associates with intergroup conflict

Individuals immersed in groups sometimes lose their individuality, take risks they would normally avoid and approach outsiders with unprovoked hostility. In this study, we identified within-group neural synchronization in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (rDLPFC) and the right temporoparieta...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nature neuroscience 2020-06, Vol.23 (6), p.754-760
Main Authors: Yang, Jiaxin, Zhang, Hejing, Ni, Jun, De Dreu, Carsten K. W., Ma, Yina
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
631/378/2645/2646
631/378/3919
631/477
Adolescent
Adult
Animal Genetics and Genomics
Behavioral Sciences
Biological Techniques
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Biomedicine
Bonding
Brain research
Conflict, Psychological
Cortical Synchronization - physiology
Female
Functional Neuroimaging
Hostility
Hostility (Psychology)
Humans
Infrared spectra
Infrared spectroscopy
Interpersonal Relations
Male
Medical examination
Medical imaging
Near infrared radiation
Neurobiology
Neurosciences
Observations
Prefrontal cortex
Prefrontal Cortex - physiology
Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared
Synchronism
Synchronization
Young Adult
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Individuals immersed in groups sometimes lose their individuality, take risks they would normally avoid and approach outsiders with unprovoked hostility. In this study, we identified within-group neural synchronization in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (rDLPFC) and the right temporoparietal junction (rTPJ) as a candidate mechanism underlying intergroup hostility. We organized 546 individuals into 91 three-versus-three-person intergroup competitions, induced in-group bonding or no-bonding control manipulation and measured neural activity and within-group synchronization using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. After in-group bonding (versus control), individuals gave more money to in-group members than to out-group members and contributed more money to outcompete their rivals. In-group bonding decreased rDLPFC activity and increased functional connectivity between the rDLPFC and the rTPJ. Especially during the out-group attack, in-group bonding also increased within-group synchronization in both the rDLPFC and the rTPJ, and within-group rDLPFC synchronization positively correlated with intergroup hostility. Within-group synchronized reduction in prefrontal activity might explain how in-group bonding leads to impulsive and collective hostility toward outsiders. Using fNIRS hyperscanning in three-versus-three-person intergroup competitions, this study shows that in-group bonding and within-group synchronization of reduced dorsolateral prefrontal activity escalate intergroup conflict.
ISSN:1097-6256
1546-1726
DOI:10.1038/s41593-020-0630-x