Altruism is associated with an increased neural response to agency
Nature Neuroscience
Short Title:
Nature Neuroscience
Format:
Journal Article
Publication Date:
2007/01/21/
Pages:
150
Sources ID:
48416
Collection:
Altruism
Visibility:
Public (group default)
Abstract:
(Show)
Although the neural mechanisms underlying altruism remain unknown, empathy and its component abilities, such as the perception of the actions and intentions of others, have been proposed as key contributors. Tasks requiring the perception of agency activate the posterior superior temporal cortex (pSTC), particularly in the right hemisphere. Here, we demonstrate that differential activation of the human pSTC during action perception versus action performance predicts self-reported altruism.