A5002053395- Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Psychology of Moral and Emotional Judgment
- Behavioral Health and Interventions
- Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
- Mental Health Research Topics
- COVID-19 and Mental Health
- Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics
- Psychological Well-being and Life Satisfaction
- Cultural Differences and Values
- Environmental Education and Sustainability
- Experimental Behavioral Economics Studies
- Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Child and Animal Learning Development
- Climate Change Communication and Perception
- Misinformation and Its Impacts
- Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Action Observation and Synchronization
- Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
- Opinion Dynamics and Social Influence
- Social and Intergroup Psychology
- Attachment and Relationship Dynamics
- Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation
- Optimism, Hope, and Well-being
- Meta-analysis and systematic reviews
University of Birmingham
2020-2025
University of Oxford
2020-2025
Centre for Mental Health
2021-2025
Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging
2020-2025
John Radcliffe Hospital
2025
Georgetown University
2023
University of Sussex
2018-2022
University of North Texas
2022
Social connections are crucial for our health and well-being. This is especially true during times of high uncertainty distress, such as the COVID-19 lockdown. period was characterized by unprecedented physical distancing (often communicated social distancing) measures resulting in significant changes to people's usual lives. Given potential effects this disruption on well-being, it identify factors which associated with negative outcomes, conversely, those that promote resilience...
Effectively reducing climate change requires marked, global behavior change. However, it is unclear which strategies are most likely to motivate people their beliefs and behaviors. Here, we tested 11 expert-crowdsourced interventions on four mitigation outcomes: beliefs, policy support, information sharing intention, an effortful tree-planting behavioral task. Across 59,440 participants from 63 countries, the interventions' effectiveness was small, largely limited nonclimate skeptics,...
Abstract Reinforcement learning is a fundamental mechanism displayed by many species. However, adaptive behaviour depends not only on about actions and outcomes that affect ourselves, but also those others. Using computational reinforcement models, we tested whether young (age 18–36) older 60–80, total n = 152) adults learn to gain rewards for themselves, another person (prosocial), or neither individual (control). Detailed model comparison showed with separate rates each recipient best...
Prosocial behaviors—actions that benefit others—are central to individual and societal well-being. Although the mechanisms underlying financial moral costs of prosocial behaviors are increasingly understood, this work has often ignored a key influence on behavior: effort. Many acts effortful, people averse exerting them. However, how brain encodes effort when actions others is unknown. During fMRI, participants completed decision-making task where they chose in each trial whether "work"...
Changing collective behaviour and supporting non-pharmaceutical interventions is an important component in mitigating virus transmission during a pandemic. In large international collaboration (Study 1, N = 49,968 across 67 countries), we investigated self-reported factors that associated with people reported adopting public health behaviours (e.g., spatial distancing stricter hygiene) endorsed policy closing bars restaurants) the early stage of pandemic (April-May 2020). Respondents who...
Ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) is vital for decision-making. Functional neuroimaging links vmPFC to processing rewards and effort, while parallel work suggests involvement in prosocial behaviour. However, the necessity of these functions unknown. Patients with rare focal lesions (n = 25), patients elsewhere 15) healthy controls 40) chose between rest exerting effort earn themselves or another person. damage decreased prosociality across behavioural computational measures. earned...
Abstract Prosocial preferences and behaviors—defined as those that benefit others—are essential for health, well-being, a society can effectively respond to global challenges. Identifying factors may increase or decrease them is therefore critical. Wealth, in the form of income subjective financial well-being (FWB), be crucial determining prosociality. In addition, individuals’ experience precarity (inability meet basic needs) country-specific could change how wealth correlates with...
Abstract Reinforcement learning is a fundamental process for how humans and other animals attain rewards themselves. However, to act prosocially, we must also learn our choices reward others. The ventromedial prefrontal cortex has been independently linked reinforcement prosocial behaviour, yet its causal impact on the roles of multiple subregions remain unknown. Here, large group adults with rare focal damage (n=28), two carefully age- gender-matched control groups (lesions elsewhere, n=21;...
Background: Social connections are crucial for our health and well-being. This is especially true during times of high uncertainty distress, such as the COVID-19 lockdown. period was characterized by unprecedented social distancing measures resulting in significant changes to people’s usual lives. Given potential effects this disruption on wellbeing, it identify factors which associated with negative outcomes, conversely, those that promote resilience adversity. Aims: We examined...
Being willing to exert effort obtain rewards is a key component of motivation. Previous research has shown that boosting dopamine can increase the willingness choose for ourselves. Yet often we must whether effort, not our own immediate benefit, but be prosocial and benefit someone else. Pharmacologically increasing availability been change social behaviours in experimental tasks, degeneration Parkinson’s Disease (PD) impacts range socio-cognitive processes. However, neuromodulators involved...
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has long been associated with economic and social decision-making in neuroimaging studies. Several debates question whether different ventromedial PFC (vmPFC) dorsomedial (dmPFC) regions have specific functions or there is a gradient supporting non-social cognition. Here, we tested an unusually large sample of rare participants focal damage to mPFC (N = 33), individuals lesions elsewhere 17), healthy controls 71) (total N 121). Participants completed...
The medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) has long been associated with economic and social decision-making in neuroimaging studies. Several debates question whether different ventral mPFC (vmPFC) dorsal (dmPFC) regions have specific functions or there is a gradient supporting nonsocial cognition. Here, we tested an unusually large sample of rare participants focal damage to the ( N = 33), individuals lesions elsewhere 17), healthy controls 71) (total 121). Participants completed temporal...
Most prosocial and antisocial behaviors simultaneously impact both ourselves others, requiring us to learn from their joint outcomes guide future choices. However, the neurocomputational processes supporting such social learning remain unclear. Across three pre-registered studies, participants learned how choices affected themselves others. Computational modeling tested whether people mentally simulate other value or integrate self- other-relevant information An integrated framework, rather...
Most prosocial and antisocial behaviors affect ourselves others simultaneously. To know whether to repeat 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 make choices simultaneously affected themselves another person. Detailed model comparison showed people integrate self- other-relevant information into a single cached value...
Prosocial behaviours are essential for solving global challenges. Typically these measured using economic games or tasks where people decide between helping not. However, in everyday life, current interrupted with alternatives. Across three samples, (total n=510) watched a movie whilst encountering opportunities to interrupt it benefit another person themselves. Crucially, participants decided poor and rich environments the average reward values of changed. We demonstrate robust...
Abstract Reinforcement learning is a fundamental mechanism displayed by many species. However, adaptive behaviour depends not only on about actions and outcomes that affect ourselves, but also those others. Here, using computational reinforcement models, we tested whether young (age 18-36) older 60-80, total n=152) adults can learn to gain rewards for themselves, another person (prosocial), or neither individual (control). Detailed model comparison showed with separate rates each recipient...
The neurocognitive systems that underlie the ability to process rewards and learn from reinforcement undergo substantial changes across adult lifespan. Adolescence is often characterized as a developmental period with heightened sensitivity reward healthy aging typically associated decline in learning reinforcement. In this Chapter we review how psychological neural mechanisms underpin processing change adolescence older adulthood. We consider behavioral neuroimaging studies, well different...
Humans learn through reinforcement, particularly when outcomes are unexpected. Recent research suggests similar mechanisms drive how we to benefit other people, that is, be prosocial. Yet the neurochemical underlying such prosocial computations remain poorly understood. Here, investigated whether pharmacological manipulation of oxytocin and dopamine influence neurocomputational self-benefitting reinforcement learning. Using a double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over design, administered...
Prosocial preferences and behaviours – defined as those that benefit others are essential for health, well-being, a society can effectively respond to global challenges. Research has therefore focussed on factors may increase or decrease them. How objectively wealthy an individual is, well how subjectively someone feels, be crucial in determining prosociality. However, previous studies have often relied small non-representative samples and/or limited range of measures. In addition,...