Reduced social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with antisocial behaviors in an online United States sample

Antisocial behaviors cause harm, directly or indirectly, to others’ welfare. The novel coronavirus pandemic has increased the urgency of understanding a specific form of antisociality: behaviors that increase risk of disease transmission. Because disease transmission-linked behaviors tend to be interpreted and responded to differently than other antisocial behaviors, it is unclear whether general indices of antisociality predict contamination-relevant behaviors. In a preregistered study using an online U.S. sample we found that individuals reporting high levels of antisociality engage in fewer social distancing measures: they report leaving their homes more frequently (p=.016, n=117) and standing closer to others while outside (p<.001, n=114). These relationships were observed after controlling for sociodemographic variables, illness risk, and use of protective equipment. Antisociality was not significantly associated with level of worry about the coronavirus. These findings suggest that more antisocial individuals may pose health risks to themselves and their community during the COVID-19 pandemic

Reduced social distancing early in the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with antisocial behaviors in an online United States sample.

Antisocial behaviors cause harm, directly or indirectly, to others' welfare. The novel coronavirus pandemic has increased the urgency of understanding a specific form of antisociality: behaviors that increase risk of disease transmission. Because disease transmission-linked behaviors tend to be interpreted and responded to differently than other antisocial behaviors, it is unclear whether general indices of antisociality predict contamination-relevant behaviors. In a pre-registered study using an online U.S. sample, we found that individuals reporting high levels of antisociality engage in fewer social distancing measures: they report leaving their homes more frequently (p = .024) and standing closer to others while outside (p < .001). These relationships were observed after controlling for sociodemographic variables, illness risk, and use of protective equipment. Independently, higher education and leaving home for work were also associated with reduced distancing behavior. Antisociality was not significantly associated with level of worry about the coronavirus. These findings suggest that more antisocial individuals may pose health risks to themselves and their community during the COVID-19 pandemic

Neurocomputational basis of learning when choices simultaneously affect both oneself and others

Most prosocial and antisocial behaviors affect ourselves and others simultaneously. To know whether to repeat behaviors that help or harm, we must learn from their outcomes. But the neurocomputational processes supporting such simultaneous learning remain poorly understood. In this pre-registered study, two independent samples learned to make choices that simultaneously affected themselves and another person. Detailed model comparison showed that people integrate self- and other-relevant information into a single cached value per choice, but update this value asymmetrically based on different types of prediction errors related to the target (e.g., self, other) and valence (e.g., positive, negative). People who acquire more prosocial patterns are more sensitive to information about how their choices affect others. However, those with higher levels of subclinical psychopathic traits are relatively insensitive to unexpected outcomes for others. Model-based neuroimaging revealed distinct brain regions tracking prediction errors guided by the asymmetric value update. These results demonstrate that the way people distinctly encode self- and other-relevant outcomes resulting from their behavior guides how desirable the same behavior will be in the future, regardless of whether it is mutually beneficial or costly, instrumentally harmful, or altruistic

Neural responses underlying extraordinary altruists’ generosity for socially distant others

People typically sacrifice fewer resources for socially distant others than close others, a bias termed social discounting. But people who engage in extraordinary real-world altruism, such as altruistic kidney donors, show dramatically reduced social discounting. Why they do so is unclear. Some prior research suggests generosity toward strangers requires effortfully overcoming selfishness bias. Alternately, generosity for strangers could reflect genuinely valuing strangers’ welfare more. We tested both hypotheses in this pre-registered study. Extraordinary altruists and demographically matched controls completed a social discounting task during fMRI scanning. In addition, we tested whether an eight-week Metta meditation training would reduce social discounting in typical adults. During fMRI, participants (N=77) chose selfish or generous options benefiting others at varying social distances. Behavioral results replicated altruists’ reduced social discounting relative to controls. Neither behavioral nor imaging analyses yielded support for the possibility that extraordinary altruism reflects effortfully overcoming a selfishness bias. Instead, we identified group differences in a constellation of social brain regions, including amygdala and rostral anterior cingulate, in which activation reflects the subjective valuation of distant others’ welfare. We found no effects of Metta training on behavioral or neural responses. Our results indicate altruists are more generous to strangers because regions involved in social decision-making encode the subjective value of distant others’ welfare differently than controls. As a result, altruists genuinely value distant others’ welfare more. Interventions aimed at promoting generosity for distant others may succeed to the degree they can alter neural processes supporting the subjective valuation of distant others’ welfare

Brainhack: Developing a culture of open, inclusive, community-driven neuroscience

Brainhack is an innovative meeting format that promotes scientific collaboration and education in an open, inclusive environment. This NeuroView describes the myriad benefits for participants and the research community and how Brainhacks complement conventional formats to augment scientific progress

Brainhack: Developing a culture of open, inclusive, community-driven neuroscience

Brainhack is an innovative meeting format that promotes scientific collaboration and education in an open, inclusive environment. This NeuroView describes the myriad benefits for participants and the research community and how Brainhacks complement conventional formats to augment scientific progress

Brainhack: Developing a culture of open, inclusive, community-driven neuroscience

Brainhack is an innovative meeting format that promotes scientific collaboration and education in an open, inclusive environment. This NeuroView describes the myriad benefits for participants and the research community and how Brainhacks complement conventional formats to augment scientific progress