不公平感及相关决策的认知神经机制

The cognitive and neural mechanisms of perception of unfairness and related decision-making process

公平是人类社会生活的基本规范之一,不公平感及其相关决策则是研究者们关注的重要课题。长期以来,该领域的研究一般采用最后通牒博弈或其变式展开。大量脑成像研究探查了关于不公平感及相关决策的认知神经机制,尤其集中探讨了最后通牒博弈的回应者对不公平提议进行反应的脑区及其对应功能。经常得到关注的脑区包括了前脑岛、前扣带皮层、背外侧前额叶、内侧前额叶、杏仁核和颞顶交界等。对特殊人群的不公平感及相关决策进行研究可以帮助检验或澄清上述重要脑区及脑网络在不公平感及相关决策中扮演的角色,同时也阐释特殊人群的社会认知功能的特点。近年来,相当数量的研究关注了不同情境因素(包括分配方案相关因素和社会情境相关因素)调制不公平感及相关决策的过程,并讨论其背后的认知神经机制。未来的研究更应利用多模态数据分析方法,同时结合基因和激素层面的研究,以期深入对不公平感及相关决策的心理和生理机制的理解。

Fairness is one of the basic norms in human societies. Researchers have been focusing on the perception of unfairness and the related decision-making process. The Ultimatum Game and its modified versions were typically employed to explore such issues. A large number of brain imaging studies have investigated people＇s neural responses to unfairness and the neural mechanisms underlying unfairness- related decision-making and identified the involvement of several key brain regions, including anterior insula, anterior cingulate cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, medial prefrontal cortex, amygdala and temporo-parietal junction. Researches among special populations further helps to examine and clarify roles of these brain areas and characteristics of special populations＇ social cognitive functions. In recent years, many studies focused on impacts of various contexts on people＇s behavioral and brain responses to unfairness. Future studies might consider the usage of multi-modal data analysis methods, in combination with studies on genes and hormones, to achieve a better understanding of psychological and physiological mechanisms of unfairness and its related decision-making process.