Neural segregation of objective and contextual aspects of fairness.
Perception of fairness can influence outcomes in human exchange. However, an inherent subjectivity in attribution renders it difficult to manipulate fairness experimentally. Here using a modified ultimatum game, within a varying social context, we induced a bias in human subjects' acceptance of...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Journal article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2011
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| _version_ | 1797070516129890304 |
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| author | Wright, N Symmonds, M Fleming, S Dolan, R |
| author_facet | Wright, N Symmonds, M Fleming, S Dolan, R |
| author_sort | Wright, N |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | Perception of fairness can influence outcomes in human exchange. However, an inherent subjectivity in attribution renders it difficult to manipulate fairness experimentally. Here using a modified ultimatum game, within a varying social context, we induced a bias in human subjects' acceptance of objectively identical offers. To explain this fairness-related behavior, we use a computational model to specify metrics for the objective and contextual aspects of fairness, testing for correlations between these model parameters and brain activity determined using functional magnetic resonance imaging. We show that objective social inequality, as defined by our model, is tracked in posterior insula cortex. Crucially, this inequality is integrated with social context in posterior and mid-insula, consistent with construction of a fairness motivation that flexibly adapted to the social environment. We suggest that the dual importance of objective and contextual aspects to fairness we highlight might explain seemingly inconsistent societal phenomena, including public attitudes to income disparities. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-06T22:39:59Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:5b39a376-7aee-468e-96eb-3545d8695f02 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-06T22:39:59Z |
| publishDate | 2011 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:5b39a376-7aee-468e-96eb-3545d8695f022022-03-26T17:20:45ZNeural segregation of objective and contextual aspects of fairness.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:5b39a376-7aee-468e-96eb-3545d8695f02EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2011Wright, NSymmonds, MFleming, SDolan, RPerception of fairness can influence outcomes in human exchange. However, an inherent subjectivity in attribution renders it difficult to manipulate fairness experimentally. Here using a modified ultimatum game, within a varying social context, we induced a bias in human subjects' acceptance of objectively identical offers. To explain this fairness-related behavior, we use a computational model to specify metrics for the objective and contextual aspects of fairness, testing for correlations between these model parameters and brain activity determined using functional magnetic resonance imaging. We show that objective social inequality, as defined by our model, is tracked in posterior insula cortex. Crucially, this inequality is integrated with social context in posterior and mid-insula, consistent with construction of a fairness motivation that flexibly adapted to the social environment. We suggest that the dual importance of objective and contextual aspects to fairness we highlight might explain seemingly inconsistent societal phenomena, including public attitudes to income disparities. |
| spellingShingle | Wright, N Symmonds, M Fleming, S Dolan, R Neural segregation of objective and contextual aspects of fairness. |
| title | Neural segregation of objective and contextual aspects of fairness. |
| title_full | Neural segregation of objective and contextual aspects of fairness. |
| title_fullStr | Neural segregation of objective and contextual aspects of fairness. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Neural segregation of objective and contextual aspects of fairness. |
| title_short | Neural segregation of objective and contextual aspects of fairness. |
| title_sort | neural segregation of objective and contextual aspects of fairness |
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