title: Altruism is associated with an increased neural response to agency.
abstract: Although the neural mechanisms underlying altruism remain unknown, empathy and its component abilities, such as the perception of the actions and intentions of others, have been proposed as key contributors. Tasks requiring the perception of agency activate the posterior superior temporal cortex (pSTC), particularly in the right hemisphere. Here, we demonstrate that differential activation of the human pSTC during action perception versus action performance predicts self-reported altruism.
authors.affiliation: Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Box 3918, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA.
authors.forename: Dharol
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tankersley
authors.forename: C Jill
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Stowe
authors.forename: Scott A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Huettel
mesh_terms: D000533:Altruism; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D004645:Empathy; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010551:Personality / Q000502:physiology; D012919:Social Behavior; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D014584:User-Computer Interface