Study suggests mild electric brain stimulation may reduce selfish behavior in people

SCIENTISTS have discovered that they can temporarily reduce selfishness in people by using a mild electric current on two areas of the brain, proving a clear connection between the activity of brain networks and altruistic behavior, as reported by BBC News.

A recent study conducted by the Uni­versity of Zurich recruited 44 participants who were asked to divide a sum of money between themselves and a stranger. While they made their decision, the researchers stimulated the frontal and parietal parts of the brain, causing the participants to donate more money.

According to an interview with BBC News, the lead author and professor Christian Ruff said that the effects were not significant but showed consistency.

He said, “Statistically, there was a clear increase in the participants’ willingness to pay.”

The results, published in the journal PLoS Biology, not only show the underlying mechanisms of human behavior but may also have potential applications in the future for the treatment of brain disorders that influence social behavior.

Ruff added that people have “quite serious problems with social behavior” because of their “lack of ability to think about other people’s points of view” and their “selfish” behavior, showing the potential of the technology to solve these issues.

The result of the single session was temporary. Ruff said that “to bring about a long-term change, you have to do it again and again,” adding that it is similar to “physical exercise. One workout will not make you fit, but if you go to the gym twice a week for two months, your body will change. This is the same.”

This study is a follow-up on another study where the group observed the brain activity of individuals playing the same money-sharing game. They found that the two areas of the brain, which are linked to empathy and decision-making, seemed to talk to each other when a less selfish decision was made.

This study sought to establish cause and effect.

“What’s new here is evidence of cause and effect,” said co-author Jie Hu from East China Normal Uni­versity. “When we altered communication in a specific brain network using targeted, non-invasive stimulation, people’s sharing decisions changed.”

One volunteer des­cribed the sensation as feeling “like a warm shower or small drops of rain” and said they did not feel the stimulation was impacting their decisions.