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When ‘more for others, less for self’ leads to co-benefits: a triad fMRI hyperscanning study
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  • Le-Si Wang,
  • Yi-Cing Chang,
  • Shyhnan Liou,
  • Ming-Hung Weng,
  • Der-Yow Chen,
  • Chun-Chia Kung
Le-Si Wang
National Cheng Kung University Institute of Creative Industries Design
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Yi-Cing Chang
National Cheng Kung University Department of Psychology
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Shyhnan Liou
National Cheng Kung University Institute of Creative Industries Design
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Ming-Hung Weng
National Cheng Kung University Department of Economics
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Der-Yow Chen
National Cheng Kung University Department of Psychology
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Chun-Chia Kung
National Cheng Kung University Department of Psychology

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Abstract

Unselfishness is one of the admired facilitators for human group endeavors, especially in times of urgent calls for global collaboration. Despite its importance, the neural dynamics behind its formation is scarcely understood. With 26 triads interacting as turn-taking pairs in a coordination game, we investigated reciprocal interactions in this tri-fMRI hyperscanning experiment. The critical role of the right temporal-parietal junction (rTPJ) was examined by adopting both time- and frequency-domain analyses. For the former, in the successful versus failed “reciprocity” contrast, brain regions associated with the mirror neuron system (MNS) and the mentalizing system (MS) were identified. In addition, the differences of connectivity between the rTPJ (seed region) and the abovementioned network areas (e.g., the right Inferior Parietal Lobule, rIPL) were negatively correlated with the individual reward. These results both verified the experimental design, which favored ‘reciprocal’ participants/triads with larger gains, and supported the opposition of rTPJ (other-) vs. rIPL (self-concerned) areas during successful social exchanges. Furthermore, the cerebral synchronization of the rTPJs emerged between the interacting pairs, and the coupling between the rTPJ and the right Superior Temporal Gyrus (rSTG) was found between those interacting simultaneously with others of the same group. These coherence findings not only echoed our previous findings, but also reinforced the hypotheses of the rTPJ-rTPJ coupling underpinning simultaneous collaboration and the rTPJ-rSTG coupling for decontextualized shared meaning emergence. Taken together, these results support two of the multi-functions (other-concerning and decontextualizing) subserved by the rTPJ, and highlight its interaction with other self-concerning brain areas in reaching co-benefits.
20 Jul 2023Submitted to Psychophysiology
21 Jul 2023Submission Checks Completed
21 Jul 2023Assigned to Editor
21 Jul 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
25 Jul 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
17 Aug 2023Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
17 Nov 2023Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
17 Nov 20231st Revision Received
20 Nov 2023Reviewer(s) Assigned
30 Jan 20242nd Revision Received
01 Feb 2024Submission Checks Completed
01 Feb 2024Assigned to Editor
01 Feb 2024Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
01 Feb 2024Reviewer(s) Assigned
10 Feb 2024Editorial Decision: Accept