Sense of justice is living outside of the logical areas of the brain

[kozhinart]

The distribution of the benefits of the people manifest themselves in different ways. Some tend to take as much as possible, and that others at the same time will be left out, they do not care. Others feel comfortable with an equal distribution, ie, have an inner sense of social justice.

This feature could study at the level of the brain Masahiko Haruno (Masahiko Haruno), a neuroscientist at the Tamagawa University (Tamagawa University) in Tokyo. The scientist decided to experiment to answer the question to what extent to social justice is relevant cerebral cortex. That is, if it carries a higher control over the brain to suppress the selfish aspirations of man and make him think about others.
This is me, but it too me ...

Scientists began by saying that divided the group of subjects in the "individualists" (which only cares about personal enrichment) and "socialists" (which in fairness). The division conducted on the results of the proposed game in pairs with reward. Among the subjects was 25 "socialists" who chose to equal pay with a partner, and 14 "individualists", who were happy cheated partner.

The next stage of the experiment took place as early as the time when the subjects were in the MRI. They again for the solution of some problem offered rewards: for themselves and for the partner. Amounts intended for the very party and partner differed in each test by different amounts. Were asked to rate in numbers by pressing a button, to the extent they are satisfied with the distribution.
Social justice - it is not reason, but feeling

In the analysis of functional magnetic resonance tomograms of the brain, scientists compared the activity of different areas with more or less inequality of remuneration for the most members and partner. It turned out that only one region, namely the amygdala (neuroscientists often use the term "amygdala") stepped up its activity in the inequitable distribution, and it reacted only with the "socialists", while "individualists" - nothing. In the first group of the amygdala has intensified the stronger, the greater the difference in the amount of compensation to himself and others.

Some other areas of the brain, such as an island, anterior cingulate gyrus, striatum and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is also activated with a big difference in the distribution, but they react in the event that the subject received no more, but less than the partner. Moreover, the reaction did not differ in the two groups. And only the amygdala is clearly not taken the injustice against another.

For scientists, this meant the answer to the question. These experiments showed that social justice is carried out at the subcortex, but not the crust. It is not subject to cognitive control by the cortex. Hence, rejection of inequality - the phenomenon is not conscious, and intuitive, automatic.

The latter conclusion, scientists were able to check in one more experiment in which they compared the speed of reaction to perceived injustice at a speed of reaction. The conclusion is fully confirmed.

Article on where in the brain breeds a sense of social justice, came on 21 December in Nature.