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The human dorsal anterior cingulate facilitates acceptance of unfair offers and regulates inequity aversion

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  • Shotaro Numano
  • Chris Frith
  • Masahiko Haruno

Abstract

Bargaining is a fundamental social behavior in which individuals often accept unfair offers. Traditional behavioral models, based solely on choice data, typically interpret such acceptance as simple reward-maximization. However, regulating inequity aversion may also play a critical role in these decisions. Incorporating response time alongside choice data allows us to quantify participants’ internal mental effort when deciding to accept unfair offers. We conducted functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while participants played the ultimatum game, deciding within 10 s whether to accept or reject monetary offers from a proposer. Using the drift diffusion model (DDM), we quantified decision-making dynamics based on both choice and response time. Participants with lower levels of behavioral disadvantageous inequity (DI) aversion (reflected by a lower DDM weight for DI) showed stronger neural representations of DI in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC). Functional connectivity analysis revealed a negative correlation between the dACC and bilateral ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC) when DI was high. This connectivity predicted both rejection rates and response times associated with the acceptance of DI offers. Furthermore, robust linear regression showed that only dACC-vlPFC connectivity—not reward-related activity—explained both the rejection rates and response times. Finally, right vlPFC activity correlated with amygdala activity under high DI conditions. These findings suggest that the dACC plays a key role in regulating responses to DI, thereby facilitating the acceptance of unfair offers.Traditional behavioral models of bargaining interpret acceptance of unfair offers as simple reward maximization. This study shows that inequality aversion also shapes these decisions and identifies the dACC as a regulator of responses to disadvantageous inequity.

Suggested Citation

  • Shotaro Numano & Chris Frith & Masahiko Haruno, 2026. "The human dorsal anterior cingulate facilitates acceptance of unfair offers and regulates inequity aversion," PLOS Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 24(2), pages 1-26, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pbio00:3003007
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3003007
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Ernst Fehr & Simon Gächter, 2000. "Fairness and Retaliation: The Economics of Reciprocity," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 14(3), pages 159-181, Summer.
    2. Katarina Gospic & Erik Mohlin & Peter Fransson & Predrag Petrovic & Magnus Johannesson & Martin Ingvar, 2011. "Limbic Justice—Amygdala Involvement in Immediate Rejection in the Ultimatum Game," PLOS Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(5), pages 1-8, May.
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