Gender Differences and Unfairness Processing during Economic and Moral Decision-Making: A fNIRS Study
Maria Elide Vanutelli1,2, Francesca Meroni1, Giulia Fronda2,3
1Department of Philosophy, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20122 Milan, Italy.
Brain Sciences
|September 22, 2020
Summary
This study used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to examine brain activity during economic and moral decision-making. Disadvantageous offers activated widespread brain areas, while advantageous moral choices engaged the right prefrontal cortex, with gender differences observed.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Social Psychology
- Decision Science
Background:
- Decisional conflicts are often studied using social decision-making tasks like the Ultimatum Game (UG).
- These tasks model social dynamics, including fairness perception and emotional responses.
- Previous research highlights the role of prefrontal cortex in decision-making.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate brain activity differences in economic versus moral decision-making contexts.
- To explore neural responses to advantageous (U) and disadvantageous (D) unfair offers in the UG.
- To identify potential gender-related differences in neural activation during these tasks.
Main Methods:
- Modified UG tasks were presented in economic and moral frames.
- Two types of unfair offers (advantageous and disadvantageous) were used.
- Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) recorded hemodynamic activity in 36 participants (20 females, 16 males).
Main Results:
- Disadvantageous offers (D) elicited increased widespread cortical activation.
- Advantageous moral choices (U) at others' expense activated the right prefrontal cortex.
- Significant gender-related differences in brain activation were observed, particularly in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC).
Conclusions:
- The study confirms and extends knowledge on prefrontal cortex involvement in decision-making.
- Distinct prefrontal networks may serve moral and economic decisions.
- Further research is needed to fully understand gender-specific neural mechanisms in moral and economic decision-making.
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