Individual differences in the neural representation of cooperation and competition

Abstract

Much evidence links the Big Five’s agreeableness to a propensity for cooperation and aggressiveness to a propensity for competition. However, the neural basis for these associations is unknown. In this functional magnetic resonance imaging study, using multivariate pattern analysis of data recorded during a computer game in which participants were required to construct target patterns either in cooperation or in competition with another person, we sought to determine how individual differences in neural representations of cooperative and competitive behavior relate to individual differences in agreeableness and aggressiveness. During cooperation, agreeableness was positively correlated with the consistency of spatial patterns of neural activation in the left temporoparietal junction (TPJ) and showed positive correlations with inter-subject similarity in the dynamics of neural responses in the posterior default mode network hub and areas involved in the regulation of attention, movement planning, and visual perception. During competition, aggressiveness was positively correlated with the consistency of spatial patterns in the left and right TPJ and showed positive correlations with neural dynamics in visual processing and movement regulation areas. These results are consistent with the assumption that agreeable individuals are more involved in cooperative interactions with others, whereas aggression-prone individuals are more involved in competitive interactions.