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Implicit trustworthiness decisions: automatic coding of face properties in the human amygdala.
Andrew D Engell1, James V Haxby, Alexander Todorov
1Princeton University, NJ 08540, USA.
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience
|August 24, 2007
Summary
The amygdala (brain region) automatically processes facial trustworthiness, even without explicit evaluation. This response is driven by shared perceptions of untrustworthy faces, not individual judgments.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Social Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Assessing trustworthiness is crucial for social interactions.
- The amygdala is implicated in processing facial emotions and social cues.
- Previous research suggests amygdala involvement in trustworthiness judgments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the amygdala's role in implicit trustworthiness evaluations of faces.
- To determine if amygdala responses are driven by individual perceptions or shared facial properties.
- To explore the automaticity of trustworthiness categorization.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to measure brain activity.
- Participants viewed faces, and their amygdala response was recorded.
- Trustworthiness judgments were collected both individually and via consensus ratings.
Main Results:
- Amygdala response increased as perceived trustworthiness decreased.
- Consensus ratings of trustworthiness better predicted amygdala response than individual judgments.
- Individual judgments explained minimal variance in amygdala activity after accounting for consensus.
Conclusions:
- The amygdala automatically categorizes faces based on commonly perceived untrustworthy properties.
- Facial trustworthiness evaluation involves both automatic and potentially modulated processes.
- Findings highlight the amygdala's role in rapid social assessment and decision-making.
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