This $749,977 project grant from the National Science Foundation's Social, Behavioral, and Economic Sciences program (CFDA 47.075) will fund research at Georgetown University to identify the neural basis of other-oriented decisions and altruism. Over a three-year period, the researchers will conduct behavioral studies and functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine brain activity in corticolimbic circuits related to altruism. The project aims to test whether comparable brain circuits exist in humans that calculate the value of choices for others. The researchers will study a diverse group of participants ranging from altruistic kidney donors to typical adults to those exhibiting antisocial behaviors. Surveys will identify formative experiences shaping altruism. The researchers will also test whether brief interventions can increase typical adults' altruistic behavior and identify related neural mechanisms. Blood samples will assess how oxytocin levels correspond to real-world and lab altruism. Findings could enhance understanding of neural circuits underlying generosity and challenge views of limited human altruism.
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