Altruism costs-the cheap signal from amygdala.
When people state their willingness to pay for something, the amount usually differs from the behavior in a real purchase situation. The discrepancy between a hypothetical answer and the real act is called hypothetical bias. We investigated neural processes of hypothetical bias regarding monetary donations to public goods using fMRI with the hypothesis that amygdala codes for real costs. Real decisions activated amygdala more than hypothetical decisions. This was observed for both accepted and rejected proposals. The more the subjects accepted real donation proposals the greater was the activity in rostral anterior cingulate cortex-a region known to control amygdala but also neural processing of the cost-benefit difference. The presentation of a charitable donation goal evoked an insula activity that predicted the later decision to donate. In conclusion, we have identified the neural mechanisms underlying real donation behavior, compatible with theories on hypothetical bias. Our findings imply that the emotional system has an important role in real decision making as it signals what kind of immediate cost and reward an outcome is associated with.
MR Research Center and Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Retzius väg 8, 17177 Stockholm, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Department of Transport Science, Teknikringen 10, 100 44 Stockholm and VTI, Transport Economics Unit, PO Box 920, 781 29 Borlänge, Sweden gospic@gmail.com.
Katarina
K
Gospic
MR Research Center and Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Retzius väg 8, 17177 Stockholm, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Department of Transport Science, Teknikringen 10, 100 44 Stockholm and VTI, Transport Economics Unit, PO Box 920, 781 29 Borlänge, Sweden.
Marcus
M
Sundberg
MR Research Center and Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Retzius väg 8, 17177 Stockholm, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Department of Transport Science, Teknikringen 10, 100 44 Stockholm and VTI, Transport Economics Unit, PO Box 920, 781 29 Borlänge, Sweden.
Johanna
J
Maeder
MR Research Center and Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Retzius väg 8, 17177 Stockholm, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Department of Transport Science, Teknikringen 10, 100 44 Stockholm and VTI, Transport Economics Unit, PO Box 920, 781 29 Borlänge, Sweden.
Peter
P
Fransson
MR Research Center and Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Retzius väg 8, 17177 Stockholm, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Department of Transport Science, Teknikringen 10, 100 44 Stockholm and VTI, Transport Economics Unit, PO Box 920, 781 29 Borlänge, Sweden.
Predrag
P
Petrovic
MR Research Center and Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Retzius väg 8, 17177 Stockholm, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Department of Transport Science, Teknikringen 10, 100 44 Stockholm and VTI, Transport Economics Unit, PO Box 920, 781 29 Borlänge, Sweden.
Gunnar
G
Isacsson
MR Research Center and Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Retzius väg 8, 17177 Stockholm, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Department of Transport Science, Teknikringen 10, 100 44 Stockholm and VTI, Transport Economics Unit, PO Box 920, 781 29 Borlänge, Sweden.
Anders
A
Karlström
MR Research Center and Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institute, Retzius väg 8, 17177 Stockholm, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Department of Transport Science, Teknikringen 10, 100 44 Stockholm and VTI, Transport Economics Unit, PO Box 920, 781 29 Borlänge, Sweden.
Martin
M
Ingvar
D000533:Altruism; D000679:Amygdala / Q000098:blood supply / Q000502:physiology*; D015982:Bias; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012201:Reward; D012737:Sex Factors
D010100:Oxygen
amygdala; decision making; fMRI; hypothetical bias