Susceptibility to social pressure following ventromedial prefrontal cortex damage

Kuan-Hua Chen; Michelle L Rusch; Jeffrey D Dawson; Matthew Rizzo; Steven W Anderson

doi:10.1093/scan/nsv037

Back

Susceptibility to social pressure following ventromedial prefrontal cortex damage

Journal article

Open access

Susceptibility to social pressure following ventromedial prefrontal cortex damage

Kuan-Hua Chen, Michelle L Rusch, Jeffrey D Dawson, Matthew Rizzo and Steven W Anderson

Social cognitive and affective neuroscience, Vol.10(11), pp.1469-1476

11/2015

DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsv037

PMCID: PMC4631144

PMID: 25816815

Files and links (1)

url

https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsv037View

Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Social pressure influences human behavior including risk taking, but the psychological and neural underpinnings of this process are not well understood. We used the human lesion method to probe the role of ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) in resisting adverse social pressure in the presence of risk. Thirty-seven participants (11 with vmPFC damage, 12 with brain damage outside the vmPFC and 14 without brain damage) were tested in driving simulator scenarios requiring left-turn decisions across oncoming traffic with varying time gaps between the oncoming vehicles. Social pressure was applied by a virtual driver who honked aggressively from behind. Participants with vmPFC damage were more likely to select smaller and potentially unsafe gaps under social pressure, while gap selection by the comparison groups did not change under social pressure. Participants with vmPFC damage also showed prolonged elevated skin conductance responses (SCR) under social pressure. Comparison groups showed similar initial elevated SCR, which then declined prior to making left-turn decisions. The findings suggest that the vmPFC plays an important role in resisting explicit and immediately present social pressure with potentially negative consequences. The vmPFC appears to contribute to the regulation of emotional responses and the modulation of decision making to optimize long-term outcomes.

Humans

Middle Aged

Prefrontal Cortex - physiopathology

Risk-Taking

Female

Male

Aged

Decision Making - physiology

Automobile Driving

Social Conformity

Prefrontal Cortex - pathology

Details

Title: Subtitle: Susceptibility to social pressure following ventromedial prefrontal cortex damage
Creators: Kuan-Hua Chen - Neuroscience Graduate Program, Department of Neurology, kuan-hua-chen-1@uiowa.edu
Michelle L Rusch - Department of Neurology
Jeffrey D Dawson - Department of Biostatistics
Matthew Rizzo - Neuroscience Graduate Program, Department of Neurology, Department of Industrial Engineering and Department of Public Policy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA and Deparment of Neurological Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
Steven W Anderson - Neuroscience Graduate Program, Department of Neurology
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Social cognitive and affective neuroscience, Vol.10(11), pp.1469-1476
DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsv037
PMID: 25816815
PMCID: PMC4631144
NLM abbreviation: Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci
ISSN: 1749-5016
eISSN: 1749-5024
Publisher: England
Grant note: R01 AG017177 / NIA NIH HHS P01 NS019632 / NINDS NIH HHS P01 NS19632 / NINDS NIH HHS
Language: English
Date published: 11/2015
Academic Unit: Neurology; Public Health Administration; Law, Health Policy and Disability Center; Biostatistics
Record Identifier: 9983997444202771

Metrics

28 Record Views

5 Times Cited - Web of Science

See more details