A new study suggests that activity between frontal and parietal regions can increase altruistic choices.

The effect was specific to high-frequency gamma stimulation and strongest when people are at a disadvantage.

Findings suggest the brain may need extra coordination to care for others when it costs more.

When we think about altruism, we often picture character. Some people are generous; others are not. We imagine kindness as a trait, shaped by upbringing, culture, or moral belief. However, altruistic decisions may be more dynamic than we assume, influenced not only by values but also by how different parts of the brain coordinate in the moment of choice.

A new study in PLOS Biology tested whether increasing the coordination between two distant brain regions could cause people to make more generous decisions. A mild electrical stimulation technique designed to synchronize brain activity between brain regions was tested on healthy adult volunteers as they played a monetary decision game. When certain brain rhythms were synchronized, people became more likely to choose options that benefited someone else, even when it cost them.

The Orchestra of Decision

Our brains do not make decisions in a single location. Some brain areas represent our own rewards, while others track what someone else will receive. Still others accumulate evidence and prepare actions.

This study........

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