"Social brain" changes structure with evolving concept of fairness


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"Social brain" changes structure with evolving concept of fairness

An important aspect of social interactions and cooperation is “fairness,” which is determined by perceptions of others’ intentions and preferences for “egalitarianism” or equal outcomes. Others’ intentions have a considerable influence on our ultimate decisions, because we tend to reciprocate intention rather than outcome. Interestingly, this relative importance is determined by age. Younger children usually prefer egalitarian outcomes, whereas older children and adolescents consider reciprocity and intention. In a study published in August 2017 in Scientific Reports, led by first author Asst Prof Sunhae Sul from Pusan National University, scientists showed that these behavioral changes are strongly linked to structural changes in the brain.