Access
To read this article in full you may need to log in, make a payment or gain access through a site license (see right).
News and Views
Nature Neuroscience 10, 137–138 (1 February 2007) | doi:10.1038/nn0207-137
For goodness' sake
&
Abstract
Humans engage in complex social interactions, including altruism. A study in this issue finds that watching a computer perform an altruistic act, earning money for charity, is sufficient to activate a brain region that has been implicated in the evaluation of others' motives and goals, suggesting that this area may be involved in detecting agency in other creatures. Thoreau wrote that “Goodness is the only investment that never fails.” Among the bits of wisdom imparted to us when we are young, the separate charges to be fair and good typically make the top-ten list. Despite the simplicity and intuitiveness of these gentle nudges, this childhood advice raises important issues about social cognition.
To read this article in full you may need to log in, make a payment or gain access through a site license (see right).
