Fairness concerns predict medial frontal negativity amplitude in ultimatum bargaining
- 1 February 2010
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Informa UK Limited in Social Neuroscience
- Vol. 5 (1), 118-128
- https://doi.org/10.1080/17470910903202666
Abstract
Despite evidence that anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) activity is related to social exclusion, rejection and unfairness, evidence that medial frontal negativity (MFN), which has its source in the ACC, reflects these constructs remains unforthcoming. In the present study, subjects participated as recipients in an ultimatum game, while we recorded their electro-encephalogram (EEG). Participants responded to fair and unfair offers from different human proposers. In addition, participants rated themselves on a measure evaluating their concern for fairness. Results showed that MFN amplitude was more pronounced for unfair offers compared to fair offers. Moreover, this effect was shown to be most pronounced for subjects with high concerns for fairness. Our findings suggest that the MFN not only reflects whether outcomes match expectations, but also reflects whether the process by which these outcomes came about matches a social or even a moral norm. In addition, the present results suggest that people in bargaining situations are not only concerned with their own outcomes, but are also concerned with the fairness of the process that resulted in these outcomes.Keywords
This publication has 67 references indexed in Scilit:
- Sensitivity to punishment and reward omission: Evidence from error-related ERP componentsBiological Psychology, 2008
- Learning‐related changes in reward expectancy are reflected in the feedback‐related negativityEuropean Journal of Neuroscience, 2008
- The face of rejection: Rejection sensitivity moderates dorsal anterior cingulate activity to disapproving facial expressionsSocial Neuroscience, 2007
- Error-related ERP components and individual differences in punishment and reward sensitivityBrain Research, 2006
- Anterior cingulate error‐related activity is modulated by predicted rewardEuropean Journal of Neuroscience, 2005
- Implicit regulatory focus associated with asymmetrical frontal cortical activityJournal of Experimental Social Psychology, 2004
- The self-importance of moral identity.Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 2002
- Neuropsychology of fear and loathingNature Reviews Neuroscience, 2001
- Cognitive and emotional influences in anterior cingulate cortexTrends in Cognitive Sciences, 2000
- Anonymity versus Punishment in Ultimatum BargainingGames and Economic Behavior, 1995