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Dorsomedial prefrontal cortex activity predicts the accuracy in estimating others' preferences - PubMed

  • ️Tue Jan 01 2013

Dorsomedial prefrontal cortex activity predicts the accuracy in estimating others' preferences

Pyungwon Kang et al. Front Hum Neurosci. 2013.

Abstract

The ability to accurately estimate another person's preferences is crucial for a successful social life. In daily interactions, we often do this on the basis of minimal information. The aims of the present study were (a) to examine whether people can accurately judge others based only on a brief exposure to their appearances, and (b) to reveal the underlying neural mechanisms with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Participants were asked to make guesses about unfamiliar target individuals' preferences for various items after looking at their faces for 3 s. The behavioral results showed that participants estimated others' preferences above chance level. The fMRI data revealed that higher accuracy in preference estimation was associated with greater activity in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC) when participants were guessing the targets' preferences relative to thinking about their own preferences. These findings suggest that accurate estimations of others' preferences may require increased activity in the DMPFC. A functional connectivity analysis revealed that higher accuracy in preference estimation was related to increased functional connectivity between the DMPFC and the brain regions that are known to be involved in theory of mind processing, such as the temporoparietal junction (TPJ) and the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC)/precuneus, during correct vs. incorrect guessing trials. On the contrary, the tendency to refer to self-preferences when estimating others' preference was related to greater activity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex. These findings imply that the DMPFC may be a core region in estimating the preferences of others and that higher accuracy may require stronger communication between the DMPFC and the TPJ and PCC/precuneus, part of a neural network known to be engaged in mentalizing.

Keywords: dorsomedial prefrontal cortex; posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus; preference estimation; temporoparietal junction; theory of mind; thin-slice judgment.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1

A schematic diagram of a typical trial in the preference estimation task. In each trial, the participants (Perceivers) were asked to guess each target's actual preference for a given item. The target's face photo (perceiver's face photo) was shown for 3 s in the target-trials (self-trials), and a photo of the item was displayed after 1~3 s. The perceivers had to estimate within 3 s how much the target liked the presented item on a 4-point scale shown below the item. Immediately after the response, their choice was shown on the screen for 0.5 s. In the self-trials, the perceivers reported their own preference for the item.

Figure 2
Figure 2

Estimation accuracy scores of the individual perceivers. All perceivers reached above chance level (50%, shown on the red line) [M = 62.18 ± 5.19, t(21) = 11.00, p < 0.001].

Figure 3
Figure 3

Dorsomedial Prefrontal Cortex (DMPFC) activity predicts the accuracy of the estimations of the targets' preferences. The DMPFC (x = 18, y = 50, z = 40, Z = 3.42, corrected, p < 0.05) activity that occurred in response to the target- vs. self-trials during the item phase predicted the individual variability in the accuracy of estimating the preferences of the targets. (A) Coronal, (B) Sagittal, and (C) Axial views of the DMPFC. (D) Scatter plot of the beta estimates of the DMPFC in the contrast of target- vs. self-trials as a function of accuracy scores.

Figure 4
Figure 4

The strength of the functional connectivity with the DMPFC associated with higher accuracy in estimating the preferences of the targets. The psychophysiological interaction with DMPFC activity during correct vs. incorrect estimation trials that increased as a function of the individual estimation accuracy scores were observed in posterior cingulate cortex [PCC; (A): x = −2, y = −44, z = 40, Z = 3.73, corrected, p < 0.05] and the right temporoparietal junction [TPJ; (B): x = 48, y = −60, z = 28, Z = 3.55, corrected, p < 0.05]. Scatter plots of the connectivity strength between the DMPFC and (C) the PCC, and (D) the right TPJ as a function of the individual estimation accuracy scores.

Figure 5
Figure 5

Ventromedial Prefrontal Cortex (VMPFC) and Ventral Tegmental Area (VTA) activity associated with the impact of self-preference on the estimated target preference. (A) The VMPFC (x = 20, y = 34, z = −16, Z = 3.77, corrected, p < 0.05) and (B) the VTA (x = −6, y = −18, z = −22, Z = 3.76, corrected, p = 0.06) activities during the target vs. self conditions showed positive correlations with the individual variabilities in the degree of the impact of self-preference (SP) on the estimated target preference (eTP). (C) Scatter plot of the beta estimates of the VMPFC in the contrast of the self- vs. target-trials as a function of the impact of SP on eTP.

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