title: Like or dislike? Affective preference modulates neural response to others' gains and losses.
abstract: Previous studies have demonstrated that the brain responds differentially to others' gains and losses relative to one's own, moderated by social context factors such as competition and interpersonal relationships. In the current study, we tested the hypothesis that the neural response to others' outcomes could be modulated by a short-term induced affective preference. We engaged 17 men and 18 women in a social-exchange game, in which two confederates played fairly or unfairly. Both men and women rated the fair player as likable and the unfair players as unlikable. Afterwards, ERPs were recorded while participants observed each confederates playing a gambling game individually. This study examines feedback related negativity (FRN), an ERP component sensitive to negative feedback. ANOVA showed a significant interaction in which females but not males displayed stronger FRNs when observing likable players' outcomes compared to unlikable ones'. However, males did not respond differently under either circumstance. These findings suggest that, at least in females, the neural response is influenced by a short-term induced affective preference.
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Center for the Study of Applied Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China; Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, S.A.R., China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, S.A.R., China.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Center for the Study of Applied Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Qiuling
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: School of Psychology, Center for the Study of Applied Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Lulu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xuebing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology*; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology; D004645:Empathy / Q000502:physiology; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D030141:Feedback, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005715:Gambling / Q000523:psychology; D005717:Games, Experimental; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D012201:Reward; D012737:Sex Factors; D012919:Social Behavior; D012931:Social Environment; D055815:Young Adult