Neural predictor of impression of others

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K16889
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 51020:Cognitive and brain science-related
• Research Institution: Kochi University of Technology
• Principal Investigator: Ito Ayahito 高知工科大学, フューチャー・デザイン研究所, 講師 (00722307)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 社会的認知 / 機能的磁気共鳴画像法 / 顔

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In the present study, we investigated whether brain activity during the presentation of other people's faces and impression ratings of those faces predicted the actual impressions that people would have when they talked to others in face-to-face situation, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The results showed that pre-recorded impression ratings of the other person's face significantly predicted impressions of the actual conversation with that person, while the brain activity for each face obtained during the fMRI task did not significantly predict impressions of others during the conversation task.

Free Research Field

社会神経科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

近年、社会脳科学分野では実際の社会的相互作用を研究対象とすることへの訴求力が高まっており（Schilbach et al., 2013）、特に欧米ではBrain-as-Predictor Approachを採用する動きが活発となっている。しかしながら、本研究においては事前の脳情報が実際に他者と対面した際の印象を予測しないという先行研究（Zerubavel et al., 2018）と異なる結果が得られた。今後。脳情報がどれほどの予測力、信頼性をもつか更なる検討が必要であると考えられる。