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Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses
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Neural foundations to moral reasoning and antisocial behavior.

Adrian Raine1, Yaling Yang

  • 1Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Southern California, USA. raine@usc.edu

Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience
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Summary

Antisocial behavior in criminals and psychopaths may stem from impaired brain regions involved in moral reasoning and emotion. This neural model highlights deficits in emotional components of morality, impacting rule-following.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Moral Psychology
  • Forensic Psychology

Background:

  • Antisocial behavior, criminal conduct, and psychopathy often involve a disregard for moral guidelines.
  • Brain imaging studies have begun to elucidate the neural underpinnings of both antisocial behavior and moral cognition.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review brain imaging research on antisocial behavior and moral reasoning.
  • To integrate findings into a neural moral model of antisocial behavior.
  • To hypothesize the role of specific brain structures in moral deficits associated with rule-breaking.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing neuroimaging research.
  • Integration of findings from studies on antisocial populations and moral judgment tasks.
  • Development of a neural moral model.

Main Results:

  • Antisocial individuals exhibit functional or structural impairments in prefrontal cortex (PFC), amygdala, hippocampus, angular gyrus, anterior cingulate, and temporal cortex.
  • Moral judgment tasks activate polar/medial and ventral PFC, amygdala, angular gyrus, and posterior cingulate.
  • Hypothesized impairments in dorsal/ventral PFC, amygdala, and angular gyrus contribute to rule-breaking behavior.

Conclusions:

  • Deficits in the emotional component of morality (feeling what is moral) are a primary driver of antisocial behavior.
  • Cognitive and cognitive-emotional aspects of morality, including emotion regulation, may also be disrupted.
  • Neurobiological predispositions, alongside biosocial factors, contribute to the etiology of antisocial behavior, raising neuroethical concerns.