Salivary alpha-amylase levels and rejection of unfair offers in the ultimatum game.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to examine the role of emotions in rejection of unfair offers in an ultimatum game, which is of interest in neuroeconomics of fairness.


METHODS
Thirty-seven participants played a one-shot ultimatum game as responders and decided whether to accept or reject the unfair offers by the proposers. Salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) was assessed before and after the ultimatum game.


RESULTS
Forty-four percent of the participants rejected the unfair offers. While sAA levels of the participants who rejected the unfair offers increased between pre- and post-experiment, sAA levels of the participants who accepted the unfair offers remain unchanged.


CONCLUSIONS
Emotional stress response was observed when participants rejected the unfair offers. Our results indicated that rejection of the unfair offers is a reflection of emotional arousal associated with adrenergic activations.
Takagishi
Haruto
H
Department of Behavioral Sciences, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, 060-0810, Japan. taikitakahashi@gmail.com
Fujii
Takayuki
T
Kameshima
Shinya
S
Koizumi
Michiko
M
Takahashi
Taiki
T
D000293:Adolescent; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005717:Games, Experimental; D006801:Humans; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D012463:Saliva / Q000201:enzymology*; D055291:Salivary alpha-Amylases / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
D055291:Salivary alpha-Amylases