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Changing social norm compliance with noninvasive brain stimulation
1Laboratory for Social and Neural Systems Research (SNS-Lab), Department of Economics, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|October 5, 2013
Summary
The right lateral prefrontal cortex (rLPFC) is crucial for social norm compliance. Modulating rLPFC activity impacts voluntary and sanction-based compliance differently, highlighting its complex role in maintaining social order.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Social Psychology
- Behavioral Economics
Background:
- Human societies rely on social norms for order, but the biological basis of compliance is poorly understood.
- The right lateral prefrontal cortex (rLPFC) is a potential key region for regulating social behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of the rLPFC in norm compliance.
- To differentiate the rLPFC's involvement in voluntary versus sanction-induced compliance.
Main Methods:
- Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) was used to modulate neural excitability in the rLPFC.
- Participants' norm compliance behavior was assessed under different stimulation conditions.
Main Results:
- rLPFC stimulation altered both voluntary and sanction-induced norm compliance, but in opposite directions.
- The effect was particularly pronounced for socially constituted sanctions, not beliefs about norms or sanctions.
- This suggests distinct roles for the rLPFC in different compliance mechanisms.
Conclusions:
- The rLPFC is a critical neural substrate for social norm compliance.
- Understanding rLPFC function offers insights into the biological underpinnings of social order and human behavior.
