title: Modulating prefrontal control in humans reveals distinct pathways to competitive success and collective waste.
abstract: Competitive decision making may require controlling and calculative mind-sets. We examined this possibility in repeated predator-prey contests by up- or down-regulating the individual's right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG), a brain region involved in impulse inhibition and mentalizing. Following brain stimulation, subjects invested as predator or prey against a non-treated antagonist. Relative to sham-treatment (i) prey-defense was relatively frequent, strong and unaffected by stimulation, (ii) down-regulating predator rIFG produced a high-firing strategy-predators earned more because they attacked more frequently, while (iii) up-regulating predator rIFG produced a track-and-attack strategy-predators earned more because they attacked especially when their (non-stimulated) antagonist lowered its prey-defense. Results suggest that calculative mindsets are not needed to compete effectively, especially not when the goal is to survive. Enhanced prefrontal control enables individuals to appear less aggressive without sacrificing competitive effectiveness-it provides human predators with an iron fist in a velvet glove.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, PO Box 9555, 2300RB Leiden, The Netherlands Center for Experimental Economics and Political Decision Making (CREED), University of Amsterdam, Roetersstraat 11, 1018WB Amsterdam, The Netherlands c.k.w.de.dreu@fsw.leidenuniv.nl.
authors.forename: Carsten K W
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: De Dreu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, PO Box 9555, 2300RB Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Mariska E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Kret
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Brain and Cognition, Amsterdam Brain and Cognition Center, University of Amsterdam.
authors.forename: Ilja G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Sligte
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression / Q000502:physiology*; D003163:Competitive Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D013826:Theta Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D050781:Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: aggression; cooperation; defense; inferior frontal gyrus; theta burst stimulation