Understanding Individual Differences in Domain-General Prosociality: A Resting EEG Study

Overview

Journal Brain Topogr

Specialty Neurology

Date 2018 Sep 30

PMID 30267176

Citations 12

Authors

Lorena R R Gianotti

Franziska M Dahinden

Thomas Baumgartner

Daria Knoch

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Prosocial behavior is of vital importance for the smooth functioning of society. However, the propensity to behave in a prosocial manner is characterized by vast individual differences. In order to reveal the sources of these differences, some studies have used objective, task-independent neural traits, for instance resting electroencephalography (EEG). Despite providing valuable insights into the neural signatures of several domains of prosociality, each of these studies has only focused on one single domain. Here, we exposed 137 participants to different social dilemma situations in order to obtain a measure of the individuals' domain-general prosociality and recorded multi-channel task-independent, resting EEG. Using a source-localization technique, we found that resting current density within the temporo-parietal junction in two beta bands (beta2 and beta3) was positively associated with domain-general prosociality. This is the first demonstration of neural signatures underlying individual differences in the propensity to behave in a prosocial manner across different social situations.

Citing Articles

Neural mechanisms of altruistic decision-making: EEG functional connectivity network analysis.

Mitiureva D, Terlichenko E, Zubko V, Kabanova P, Abrosimova V, Skripkina S Cogn Affect Behav Neurosci. 2024; 24(6):1109-1120.

PMID: 39198301 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-024-01214-8.

Effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on brain activity and cortical functional connectivity in children with autism spectrum disorders.

Kang J, Li Y, Lv S, Hao P, Li X Front Psychiatry. 2024; 15:1407267.

PMID: 38812483 PMC: 11135472. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1407267.

Human Prosocial Preferences Are Related to Slow-Wave Activity in Sleep.

Studler M, Gianotti L, Lobmaier J, Maric A, Knoch D J Neurosci. 2024; 44(15).

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Face coverings increase apparent honesty and cooperativeness.

Lobmaier J, Knoch D Sci Rep. 2023; 13(1):22327.

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Causal roles of prefrontal and temporo-parietal theta oscillations for inequity aversion.

Christian P, Kapetaniou G, Soutschek A Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 2023; 18(1).

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