Trustworthiness and negative affect predict economic decision making

Christopher M Nguyen; Michael Koenigs; Torricia H Yamada; Shu Hao Teo; Joseph E Cavanaugh; Daniel Tranel; Natalie L Denburg

doi:10.1080/20445911.2011.575773

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Trustworthiness and negative affect predict economic decision making

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Peer reviewed

Trustworthiness and negative affect predict economic decision making

Christopher M Nguyen, Michael Koenigs, Torricia H Yamada, Shu Hao Teo, Joseph E Cavanaugh, Daniel Tranel and Natalie L Denburg

Journal of Cognitive Psychology: Cognition and emotion: Neuroscience and behavioural perspectives, Vol.23(6), pp.748-759

09/01/2011

DOI: 10.1080/20445911.2011.575773

PMCID: PMC3594810

PMID: 23493494

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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/3594810View

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Abstract

The Ultimatum Game (UG) is a widely used and well-studied laboratory model of economic decision making. Here, we studied 129 healthy adults and compared demographic (i.e., age, gender, education), cognitive (i.e., intelligence, attention/working memory, speed, language, visuospatial, memory, executive functions), and personality (i.e., "Big Five", positive affect, negative affect) variables between those with a "rational" versus an "irrational" response pattern on the UG. Our data indicated that participants with "rational" UG performance (accepting any offer, no matter the fairness) endorsed higher levels of trust, or the belief in the sincerity and good intentions of others, whereas participants with "irrational" UG performance (rejecting unfair offers) endorsed higher levels of negative affect, such as anger and contempt. These personality variables were the only ones that differentiated the two response patterns-demographic and cognitive factors did not differ between rational and irrational players. The results indicate that the examination of personality and affect is crucial to our understanding of the individual differences that underlie decision making.

Trustworthiness

Decision making

Ultimatum Game

Negative affect

Details

Title: Subtitle: Trustworthiness and negative affect predict economic decision making
Creators: Christopher M Nguyen - Counseling Psychology Program, Department of Psychological and Quantitative Foundations , University of Iowa College of Education
Michael Koenigs - Department of Psychiatry , University of Wisconsin-Madison
Torricia H Yamada - Counseling Psychology Program, Department of Psychological and Quantitative Foundations , University of Iowa College of Education
Shu Hao Teo - Department of Neurology, Division of Behavioral Neurology and Cognitive Neuroscience , University of Iowa College of Medicine
Joseph E Cavanaugh - University of Iowa, Biostatistics
Daniel Tranel - Department of Neurology, Division of Behavioral Neurology and Cognitive Neuroscience , University of Iowa College of Medicine
Natalie L Denburg - Department of Neurology, Division of Behavioral Neurology and Cognitive Neuroscience , University of Iowa College of Medicine
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Journal of Cognitive Psychology: Cognition and emotion: Neuroscience and behavioural perspectives, Vol.23(6), pp.748-759
DOI: 10.1080/20445911.2011.575773
PMID: 23493494
PMCID: PMC3594810
NLM abbreviation: J Cogn Psychol (Hove)
ISSN: 2044-5911
eISSN: 2044-592X
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Group
Language: English
Date published: 09/01/2011
Academic Unit: Statistics and Actuarial Science; Neurology; Psychological and Brain Sciences; Iowa Neuroscience Institute; Biostatistics; Injury Prevention Research Center
Record Identifier: 9983985713302771

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