Brain Activity Dissociates Mentalization from Motivation During an Interpersonal Competitive Game

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Social Neuroscience

Background:

• Previous research identified distinct brain networks for motivation and mentalization.
• The interplay and independence of these networks during real-time social interactions remain underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the neural basis of simultaneous motivation and implicit mentalization during social competition.
• To determine the independence of mentalization and motivation networks in online social interactions.

Main Methods:

• Two functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies were conducted.
• Participants played a competitive game against human and computer opponents, engaging implicit mentalization and motivation.

Main Results:

• A specific brain network (bilateral temporoparietal junction, temporal pole, medial prefrontal cortex, right fusiform gyrus) responded to opponent type and challenge.
• This network overlaps with known circuits for explicit mentalization, suggesting its role in implicit, online mentalization.
• Medial prefrontal cortex and temporal pole showed selectivity for mentalization over motivation.

Conclusions:

• The findings suggest a shared neural basis for implicit online mentalization and explicit offline mentalization.
• Medial prefrontal cortex and temporal pole are crucial for attributing mental states during dynamic social interactions.
• This research provides insights into the neural mechanisms underlying real-life social cognition.