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Related Concept Videos

Factors Influencing Attraction IV: Reciprocity01:28

Factors Influencing Attraction IV: Reciprocity

Reciprocity in attraction is fundamental to social and romantic relationships, shaping how individuals form and maintain connections. The psychological principle underlying this phenomenon is that people tend to like those who express liking toward them. Balance theory supports this tendency, suggesting that mutual attraction fosters psychological harmony, whereas one-sided affection leads to discomfort and cognitive dissonance.The Psychological Mechanisms Behind ReciprocityWhen individuals...
Social Exchange Theory02:06

Social Exchange Theory

We have discussed why we form relationships, what attracts us to others, and different types of love. But what determines whether we are satisfied with and stay in a relationship? One theory that provides an explanation is social exchange theory. According to social exchange theory, we act as naïve economists in keeping a tally of the ratio of costs and benefits of forming and maintaining a relationship with others (Rusbult & Van Lange, 2003).
Social Exchange Theory01:26

Social Exchange Theory

As formulated by John Thibaut and Harold Kelley, Social Exchange Theory explains human relationships as economic-like exchanges that maximize rewards and minimize costs. This theory suggests that individuals engage in relationships to gain benefits and reduce burdens, similar to economic transactions. It has been widely applied to various types of relationships, including romantic, professional, and social interactions.Rewards and Costs in RelationshipsRelationship rewards include emotional...
Attribution Theory00:56

Attribution Theory

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Empathy02:34

Empathy

Some researchers suggest that altruism operates on empathy. Empathy is the capacity to understand another person’s perspective, to feel what he or she feels. An empathetic person makes an emotional connection with others and feels compelled to help (Batson, 1991). Empathy can be expressed in several ways, including cognitive, affective, and motor.
Incentive Theory: Pull Theory of Motivation01:18

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 11, 2026

A Fully Automated and Highly Versatile System for Testing Multi-cognitive Functions and Recording Neuronal Activities in Rodents
09:13

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Published on: May 3, 2012

Reputation for reciprocity engages the brain reward center.

K Luan Phan1, Chandra Sekhar Sripada, Mike Angstadt

  • 1Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA. luan@umich.edu

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
|July 10, 2010
PubMed
Summary

The brain

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Social Neuroscience
  • Decision Neuroscience

Background:

  • Brain reward circuitry, including the ventral striatum and orbitofrontal cortex, is linked to preferences for fairness and cooperation.
  • Learning and utilizing partner reputations are crucial for social interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how brain reward circuitry responds to positive reciprocity.
  • To determine if partner reputation modulates these brain responses during cooperative exchanges.

Main Methods:

  • Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to measure brain activity in 36 healthy adults.
  • A "trust game" task involved iterative exchanges with fictive partners exhibiting varying reputations for reciprocity.

Main Results:

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  • Positive reciprocity strongly activated the ventral striatum and orbitofrontal cortex.
  • Ventral striatum responses to reciprocity were selective, occurring only for partners with a reputation for repayment and absent for those without.

Conclusions:

  • The findings reveal a fundamental brain mechanism underlying the initiation and maintenance of human cooperative relationships.
  • Reward-related neural substrates, specifically the ventral striatum and orbitofrontal cortex, play a key role in processing reciprocity based on partner reputation.