Hierarchical Neural Prediction of Interpersonal Trust

Exploring neural markers that predict trust behavior may help us to identify the cognitive process underlying trust decisions and to develop a new approach to promote interpersonal trust. It remains unknown how trust behavior may be predicted early in the decision process. We used electrophysiology to sample the brain activity while participants played the role of trustor in an iterative trust game. The results showed that during the trust generation stage, the trust condition led to higher frontocentral beta band activity related to cognitive inhibition compared to the distrust condition (item level). Moreover, individuals with higher frontocentral beta band activity were more likely to perform trust choices at the single-trial level (individual level). Furthermore, after receiving reciprocity feedback on trial(n-1), compared to the betrayal feedback and the distrust choice, the frontocentral beta band oscillation had a stronger predictive effect regarding trust choices on trial(n). These findings indicate that beta band oscillations during the decision generation stage contribute to subsequent trust choices.

Automated summary

The study found that during the trust generation stage, higher frontocentral beta band activity related to cognitive inhibition was associated with trust choices at both item level and individual level. Additionally, frontocentral beta band oscillation after reciprocity feedback had a stronger predictive effect on trust choices compared to betrayal feedback and distrust choices.