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When and why do we value the lives of others? Insights from brain, body and behaviour

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posted on 2023-06-09, 21:08 authored by Jo Cutler
Altruistic behaviours benefit others at a cost to the self. They can be motivated by valuing the lives and wellbeing of other people. However, this value can be inconsistent, creating biases in who is valued and receives help. In this thesis, a literature review differentiates motivations for prosocial behaviour and then studies using neuroimaging, physiology, and behaviour explore the situational and individual factors that determine the value of otherpeople.Paper 1 uses fMRI meta-analysis to distinguish between altruistic decisions, driven by intrinsic value, and strategic prosocial decisions, which could be for extrinsic gain. Results demonstrate overlap in reward-related regions, activations unique to each context and differences between the two. Paper 2 presents a solution to an issue in fMRI meta-analysis. The following papers focus on altruistic contexts. Papers 3 and 4 identify the physiological (skin conductance) and neural (fMRI) correlates respectively of valuing lives at risk. Results show that this value can be biased by the number of people at risk, whether they are at home or abroad, and how many similar situations one has already seen. Papers 1, 3 and 4 suggest we are affected by events that happen to others and our ability to help them efficiently. Paper 5 tests whether this translates to curiosity and choices to find out about their fate or choices to avoid this knowledge. Results from a series of behavioural experiments show ‘wanting to know’ about an outcome depends on who it affects, who caused it, and whether it is positive or negative.

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  • Published version

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247.0

Department affiliated with

  • Psychology Theses

Qualification level

  • doctoral

Qualification name

  • phd

Language

  • eng

Institution

University of Sussex

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  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2020-04-21

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