Brain Switches Utilitarian Behavior: Does Gender Make the Difference?

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 5; no. 1; p. e8865
• Main Authors: Fumagalli, Manuela, Vergari, Maurizio, Pasqualetti, Patrizio, Marceglia, Sara, Mameli, Francesca, Ferrucci, Roberta, Mrakic-Sposta, Simona, Zago, Stefano, Sartori, Giuseppe, Pravettoni, Gabriella, Barbieri, Sergio, Cappa, Stefano, Priori, Alberto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 25.01.2010; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Behavior; Brain; Brain - physiology; Brain architecture; Cognitive ability; Cortex (occipital); Criminal statistics; Decision making; Direct current; Dopamine; Drug resistance; Electrical stimulation of the brain; ESB; Female; Females; Functional morphology; Gender; Gender differences; Human behavior; Humans; Judgments; Male; Males; Moral judgment; Neurobiology; Neurophysiology; Neuroscience/Behavioral Neuroscience; Neuroscience/Cognitive Neuroscience; Neuroscience/Experimental Psychology; Neuroscience/Psychology; Neurosciences; Occipital lobe; Parkinson's disease; Prefrontal cortex; Reasoning; Sex Factors; Sexes; Social behavior; Social interaction; Stimulation; Stimuli; Studies; Switches; Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; Italy

Decision often implies a utilitarian choice based on personal gain, even at the expense of damaging others. Despite the social implications of utilitarian behavior, its neurophysiological bases remain largely unknown. To assess how the human brain controls utilitarian behavior, we delivered transcra...