Medial orbitofrontal cortex is associated with shifting decision thresholds in self-serving cognition

Abstract

Recent research has begun to identify neural regions associated with self-serving cognition, that is, the tendency to make claims that cast the self in an overly flattering light, yet little is known about the mechanisms supported by neural activation underlying self-serving cognition. One possibility suggested by current research is that MOFC, a region that shows reduced recruitment in relation to self-serving cognition, may support changes in the decision thresholds that influence whether information should be expressed in an evaluation. The current fMRI study addresses this question by combining a signal detection approach and a contextual manipulation that permits the measurement of changes in decision threshold. Participants evaluated their familiarity with blocks of existent and nonexistent information when they believed that self-serving claims of knowledge could either be exposed (accountable condition) or not (unaccountable condition). When held accountable, participants tended to shift their decision thresholds in a conservative (i.e., less self-serving) direction and showed greater activation in orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC). Furthermore, the extent to which participants adopted more conservative (i.e., less self-serving) decision thresholds as a function of context (i.e., accountability), the more they recruited MOFC activation. These findings refine current knowledge about the mechanisms performed by neural regions involved in self-serving cognition and suggest a role for MOFC in changing decision thresholds that influence whether information should be expressed in an evaluation.