A neural basis for social cooperation.

Full Abstract

Cooperation based on reciprocal altruism has evolved in only a small number of species, yet it constitutes the core behavioral principle of human social life. The iterated Prisoner's Dilemma Game has been used to model this form of cooperation. We used fMRI to scan 36 women as they played an iterated Prisoner's Dilemma Game with another woman to investigate the neurobiological basis of cooperative social behavior. Mutual cooperation was associated with consistent activation in brain areas that have been linked with reward processing:
nucleus accumbens, the caudate nucleus, ventromedial frontal/orbitofrontal cortex, and rostral anterior cingulate cortex. We propose that activation of this neural network positively reinforces reciprocal altruism, thereby motivating subjects to resist the temptation to selfishly accept but not reciprocate favors.

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Author information

Author/s: Rilling, James (J); Gutman, David (D); Zeh, Thorsten (T); Pagnoni, Giuseppe (G); Berns, Gregory (G); Kilts, Clinton (C);

Affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. jrilling(-atsign-)princeton.edu

Grants: DA00367 (Agency:NIDA NIH HHS) ; MH61010 (Agency:NIMH NIH HHS)

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

Journal: Neuron (Neuron), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2002-Jul; vol 35 (issue 2) : pp 395-405

Dates: Created 2002/08/05; Completed 2002/08/30; Revised 2007/11/14;

PMID: 12160756, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 12/26/2008)

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Adult
Altruism
Brain - anatomy & histology; physiology
Brain Mapping
Cerebrovascular Circulation - physiology
Cognition - physiology
Evoked Potentials - physiology
Female
Game Theory

Humans
Limbic System - anatomy & histology; physiology
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Middle Aged
Nerve Net - anatomy & histology; physiology
Neuropsychological Tests
Reaction Time - physiology
Reinforcement (Psychology)
Reward

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