Module 4: Deciding in a social context

Question 1

Name 3 examples why people behave other than math predicts

Answer 1

1. Warm glow-giving: people receive utility from giving (reward)
2. Negative emotions: irrationality derives from the involvement of negative emotions (anger, frustration)
3. Social norms and expectation: fairness is a norm

Question 2

Which games do you use for studying:
1. Fariness and equity
2. Trust and reciprocity
3. Cooperation

Answer 2

1. Ultimatum and dictator game
2. Trust game
3. Prisoner’s dilemma and public goods game

Question 3

Neurotransmitters

Answer 3

• Produced in the brain
• Fast transmission of information
• Dopamine, serotonin

Question 4

Hormones

Answer 4

• Synthesized somewhere in the body and released into the bloodstream
• Slow transmission of information
• Oxytocin, testosterone

Question 5

Why are older people generally less risk seeking?

Answer 5

The loss in dopamine neurons

Question 6

Dopamine

Answer 6

Involved in novelty and reward seeking
- High DA levels&raquo_space; risk seeking
- Stimulates reward circuit (striatum, vmPFC)

Question 7

Serotonin

Answer 7

Involved in safety seeking and harm avoidance
- High 5-HT&raquo_space; risk aversion
- Serotonin inhibits reward circuit and stimulates insula, amygdala

Question 8

Oxytocin

Answer 8

Increases trust and stimulates in-group preferences
- does not increase reciprocity
- motivation to affiliate

Question 9

Testosterone

Answer 9

Decreases trust, increases reciprocity and generosity
- motivation to dominate
- stimulates competitive behavior in socially challenging situations

Question 10

Morality

Answer 10

Differentiation among intentions, decisions and actions between those that are good (right) and bad (wrong)

Question 11

Desensitizing

Answer 11

Reducing the emotional intensity of an experience by repeated exposure (emotions prevent immoral behavior)

Question 12

Utilitarism

Answer 12

The morally correct decision is the one that maximizes well being for the greatest number of people

Question 13

Influence of vmPFC lesion on moral choice

Answer 13

These patients fail to involve these emotional (pro-social) considerations, in the trolley dilemma they would choose the personal choice&raquo_space; more utilitarian

Question 14

Which areas show psychopathy

Answer 14

Lower activity in the mPFC, amygdala and posterior cingulate cortex

Question 15

How does the brain of an extreme altruist look like?

Answer 15

The opposite of psychopaths: bigger amygdala’s than normal people

Question 16

Name characteristics of psychopathy

Answer 16

• Reduced emotionality
• Reduced detection of emotions in others
• Reduced amygdala volume and activation
• Reduced mPFC activity

Question 17

Mentalizing

Answer 17

The ability to represent another person’s psychological perspective (activity in mPFC)

Question 18

Default mode network

Answer 18

• mPFC, posterior cingulate cortex and angular gyrus
• Importen for projection to another place, time, person