The ability of cognitive control enables people to override the brains impulses, like concentrating on one individual in the crowd and overlooking diversions. It likewise contributes in making ethical decisions. But does cognitive control bypass an ethical impulse to be truthful, or to be dishonest? It depends on an individuals moral default, according to brand-new research study released in JNeurosci.
Topoplots of the first half second of the Spot the distinction task (left) and the last 250 ms of the Stroop task (right) in the theta band. Credit: Speer et al., JNeurosci 2021
Speer et al. used EEG to find the activity pattern of cognitive control and compare it to the brain activity of participants throughout a cheating job. As individuals decided whether or not to cheat, the activity of theta brainwaves enhanced– an activity pattern agent of cognitive control. More powerful theta activity suggested participants were more most likely to go versus their ethical default: cheaters were more most likely to be honest, and honest people were more likely to cheat.
Recommendation: “Cognitive control promotes either sincerity or dishonesty, depending upon ones moral default” by Sebastian P.H. Speer, Ale Smidts and Maarten A.S. Boksem, 13 September 2021, Journal of Neuroscience.DOI: 10.1523/ JNEUROSCI.0666-21.2021.
By Society for Neuroscience
September 15, 2021