Research on Emotional/Neuroscientific Basis of Forgiveness

• Project/Area Number: 15H03447
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Social psychology
• Research Institution: Kobe University
• Principal Investigator: Ohtsubo Yohsuke 神戸大学, 人文学研究科, 准教授 (80322775)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 松永 昌宏 愛知医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (00533960) ; 大平 英樹 名古屋大学, 情報学研究科, 教授 (90221837)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2017)
• Budget Amount: ¥19,760,000 (Direct Cost: ¥15,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥4,560,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥6,370,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,470,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥6,240,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,440,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥7,150,000 (Direct Cost: ¥5,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,650,000)
• Keywords: 謝罪 / 対人関係 / 赦し / ｆMRI / 集団謝罪 / コストのかかる謝罪 / fMRI / 社会系心理学 / 神経科学 / コストリー・シグナル / コミットメント / 機能的磁気共鳴画像法 / 眼窩前頭皮質 / 孤独感 / 認知神経科学 / 感情 / 社会的シグナル / 心の理論 / 感情制御

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We conducted three fMRI studies on interpersonal relations through 2015 to 2017. In 2015, we investigated the brain regions that respond to costly apologies. We found the theory-of-mind region responded to costly apologies. Apology is one type of commitment signals. Therefore, we investigated which brain region would respond to various forms of commitment signals (except costly apologies). We found a brain region that is known to code value responds to commitment signals emitted by their friends. In 2017, we tested whether the same brain regions would respond to both interpersonal and group apologies, and found that partially overlapped regions responded to both interpersonal and group apologies.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Costly apologies communicate conciliatory intention: an fMRI study on forgiveness in response to costly apologies (2018)
  • Author(s): Ohtsubo, Y., Matsunaga, M., Tanaka, T., Suzuki, K., Kobayashi, F., Shibata, E., Hori, R., Umemura, T., & Ohira, H.
  • Journal Title: Evolution and Human Behavior Volume: 39 Issue: 2 Pages: 249-256
  • DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2018.01.004
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] The Price of Being Seen to Be Just: An Intention Signalling Strategy for Indirect Reciprocity. (2016)
  • Author(s): Tanaka, H., Ohtsuki, H. & Ohtsubo, Y.
  • Journal Title: Proceedings of the Royal Society B Volume: 283(1835) Issue: 1835 Pages: 20160694-20160694
  • DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.0694
  • NAID: 120005842582
  • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Acknowledgement Compliant
• [Presentation] Simply saying ‘sorry’ is insufficient to communicate conciliatory intention: An fMRI study of forgiveness in response to apologies (2017)
  • Author(s): Ohtsubo, Y., Matsunaga, M., Tanaka, H., Suzuki, K., Kobayashi, F., Shibata, E., Hori, R., Umemura, T., & Ohira, H.
  • Organizer: Human Behavior and Evolution Society
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] 友人の価値は効用計算で決まるのか？ コミットメント・シグナルへの応答性に関するfMRI実験 (2017)
  • Author(s): 大坪庸介・松永昌宏・日道俊之・鈴木孝太・柴田英治・堀礼子・梅村朋弘・大平英樹
  • Organizer: 日本社会心理学会
• [Presentation] コストリーシグナリングが間接互恵状況における協力的均衡へ及ぼす効果 (2016)
  • Author(s): 田中大貴・大槻久・大坪庸介
  • Organizer: 日本人間行動進化学会
  • Place of Presentation: 金沢市文化ホール（石川県・金沢市）
  • Year and Date: 2016-12-10
• [Presentation] 「ごめんね」だけでは誠意は伝わらない：謝罪-赦し関係に関するfMRI研究 (2016)
  • Author(s): 大坪庸介・松永昌宏・田中大貴・小林章雄・柴田英治・堀礼子・梅村朋弘・大平英樹
  • Organizer: 日本社会心理学会
  • Place of Presentation: 関西学院大学（兵庫県・西宮市）
  • Year and Date: 2016-09-17
• [Presentation] Why we forgive our valuable partners: Rational calculation, emotional adaptation, or a mixture of both? (2016)
  • Author(s): Smith, A., Yagi, A., Yamaura, K., Shimizu, H., & Ohtsubo, Y.
  • Organizer: Human Behavior and Evolution Society
  • Place of Presentation: Vancouver, Canada
  • Year and Date: 2016-06-29
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Costly signaling leads to a more efficient cooperative equilibrium than the standing strategy (2016)
  • Author(s): Tanaka, H., Ohtsuki, H., & Ohtsubo, Y.
  • Organizer: Human Behavior and Evolution Society
  • Place of Presentation: Vancouver, Canada
  • Year and Date: 2016-06-29
  • Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] 和解の社会心理学的理解を目指して (2016)
  • Author(s): 大坪庸介
  • Organizer: 名古屋社会心理学研究会
  • Place of Presentation: 名古屋大学（愛知県・名古屋市）
  • Invited