title: Modulation of empathy in the left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex facilitates altruistic behavior: An fNIRS study.
abstract: Previous studies suggest that the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) is involved in modulating empathy. However, it is unclear whether VLPFC activation while an individual empathizes with others is related to subsequent altruistic behavior. In the present study, participants observed two people playing a card game while empathizing with one of them (target person); PFC activation during the task was measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). After this task, participants distributed money to the target person. Results showed that activation in the left VLPFC during empathizing with the target person, who lost a small amount of money, was positively correlated with the amount of money distributed; this activation mediated a relationship between norm of restitution toward helping and the amount of distributed money. These results suggest that activation in the left VLPFC during empathizing with others experiencing negative circumstances is associated with altruistic behavior.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cognitive Psychology in Education, Graduate School of Education, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.|Japan Society for the Promotion of Sciences, Kojimachi Business Center Building, 5-3-1, Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0083, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshiyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Himichi
authors.affiliation: Department of Cognitive Psychology in Education, Graduate School of Education, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Honmachi, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.
authors.forename: Michio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nomura
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000533:Altruism; D001931:Brain Mapping; D004645:Empathy; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000378:metabolism*; D011581:Psychological Tests; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins
keywords: Empathy; altruistic behavior; emotion regulation; ventrolateral prefrontal cortex