Neural representations of vicarious rewards are linked to interoception and prosocial behaviour

• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.119881
• Publication Date: 2023-01-23T16:50:39Z
• Authors: Luis Sebastian Co...; Michel-Pierre Coll; Geoffrey Bird; Hongbo Yu; Annayah Prosser; Patricia L. Lockwood; Jennifer Murphy; M.J. Crockett; Matthew A.J. Apps
• Keywords: Interoception; Prosocial Behavior; Similarity (geometry)

Every day we constantly observe other people receiving rewards. Theoretical accounts posit that vicarious reward processing might be linked to people's sensitivity internal body states (interoception) and facilitates a tendency act prosocially. However, the neural processes underlying links between processing, interoception, prosocial behaviour are poorly understood. Previous research has anterior cingulate gyrus (ACCg) insula (AI). Can predict someone's propensity or aware of interoceptive signals from variability in how ACCg AI process rewards? Here, participants monitored rewards being delivered themselves stranger during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Later, they performed task measuring their willingness exert effort obtain for others, use respiratory signals. Using multivariate similarity analysis, show is predicted by greater self representations ACCg. Moreover, dissimilarity self-other propensity. These findings highlight bodily AI, foster tendencies through