Investigation of the impacts of altruistic motivation on cognitive control

• Project/Area Number: 16K21230
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Experimental psychology; Educational psychology
• Research Institution: Nagasaki University
• Principal Investigator: MAEHARA Yukio 長崎大学, 教育学部, 准教授 (60737279)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2018)
• Budget Amount: ¥3,510,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥810,000); Fiscal Year 2018: ¥910,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥210,000); Fiscal Year 2017: ¥1,430,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥330,000); Fiscal Year 2016: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000)
• Keywords: 認知的コントロール / ワーキングメモリ / 利他的動機づけ / ADHD / 教育的介入 / 自閉症 / 個人差 / 親切 / 精神的健康 / 実行機能

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study investigated the impacts of altruistic motivation on cognitive control and mental health. To this end, I administered a series of psychological experiments. Participants tackled a spatial working memory task in which their success in self-reward trials and other-reward trials benefited themselves and charity organizations, respectively. Results showed that some cognitive performances in the other-reward condition were significantly better than those in the self-reward condition. Furthermore, individuals with higher tendency of hyperactivity/impulsivity showed a better performance in the other-reward condition (but not in the self-reward condition). These indicate the possibility that other-oriented or altruistic motivation improves our cognitive competence.

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究は利他的動機づけが認知能力を改善する可能性を示唆したものである。動機づけと認知能力との関係を扱った従来の研究では，利己的動機づけが認知能力を向上させることを証明するものがほとんどであった。しかし，本研究は従来あまり注目されてこなかった利他的動機づけに焦点を当てて，そのポジティブな影響を実証した点で学術的に高い意義があると思われる。また，自分の利益だけでなく他者の利益を期待したときにも人は普段以上の認知能力を発揮できるという発見，特に多動性・衝動性の高い人は利他的動機づけの影響を強く受けるという発見は，教育現場での指導法や療育法に応用できる可能性を有している点で社会的意義に富むと思われる。

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Joint cognition and the role of human agency in random number choices (2019)
  • Author(s): Maehara, Y., Saito, S., & Towse, J. N.
  • Journal Title: Psychological Research Volume: 83 Issue: 3 Pages: 574-589
  • DOI: 10.1007/s00426-017-0944-9
  • NAID: 120006850270
  • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
• [Presentation] Cognitive control oriented by the reward of self and others: Working memory, social motivation, ADHD traits in healthy adults (2019)
  • Author(s): Maehara, Y.
  • Organizer: Daiwa Founded Research Workshop: Multi-person Perspective in Psychological Science
• [Presentation] 親切の振り返りと心身の健康 (2018)
  • Author(s): 前原由喜夫
  • Organizer: 日本心理学会第82回大会
• [Presentation] 学校ベースの認知トレーニングの効果 (2018)
  • Author(s): 前原由喜夫
  • Organizer: 日本教育心理学会第60回総会
• [Presentation] 親切や感謝の記録が中学生の精神的健康に及ぼす影響 (2017)
  • Author(s): 前原由喜夫
  • Organizer: 日本教育心理学会第59回総会
• [Presentation] 自分の親切行為のふり返りは心身の健康を向上させる (2017)
  • Author(s): 前原由喜夫
  • Organizer: 日本心理学会第81回大会
• [Book] Memory in a social context: Brain, mind, and society (2018)
  • Author(s): Tsukiura, T., Umeda, S., Shimizu, H., Chikazoe, J., Konishi, S., Maehara, Y., Turkileri, N., Sakaki, M., Dolcos, F., Katsumi, Y., Denkova, E., Weymar, M., Dolcos, S., Shigemune, Y., Sugiura, M., Kikuchi, H., Abe, N., Terasawa, Y., Addis, D. R., Wiebels, K. et al.
  • Total Pages: 327
  • Publisher: Springer