Multi-Round Trust Game Quantifies Inter-Individual Differences in Social Exchange from Adolescence to Adulthood

Computational Psychiatry, vol. 5, pp. 102–118

Abstract

Investing in strangers in a socio-economic exchange is risky, as we may be uncertain whether they will reciprocate. Nevertheless, the potential rewards for cooperating can be great. Here, we used a cross sectional sample (n = 784) to study how the challenges of cooperation versus defection are negotiated across an important period of the lifespan: from adolescence to young adulthood (ages 14 to 25). We quantified social behaviour using a multi round investor-trustee task, phenotyping individuals using a validated model whose parameters characterise patterns of real exchange and constitute latent social characteristics. We found highly significant differences in investment behaviour according to age, sex, socio-economic status and IQ. Consistent with the literature, we showed an overall trend towards higher trust from adolescence to young adulthood but, in a novel finding, we characterized key cognitive mechanisms explaining this, especially regarding socio-economic risk aversion. Males showed lower risk-aversion, associated with greater investments. We also found that inequality aversion was higher in females and, in a novel relation, that socio-economic deprivation was associated with more risk averse play.

Authors 12

1. Andreas Hula corresponding

   AIT Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH

   Affiliation as printed

   Austrian Insitute of Technology, Vienna, Austria

   Austrian Insitute of Technology, Vienna

2. Michael Moutoussis

   Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging · University College London

   Affiliation as printed

   Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom

   Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, London

3. Geert‐Jan Will Aachen Institute of Psychology, Leiden University

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands

   Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden

4. Danae Kokorikou

   Anna Freud Centre

   Affiliation as printed

   Anna Freud Centre, London, United Kingdom

   Anna Freud Centre, London

5. Andrea M.F. Reiter

   Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging · Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences · University College London · Technische Universität Dresden

   Affiliation as printed

   Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Lifespan Developmental Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Germany; Department of Neurology, Max-Planck-Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany

   Department of Neurology, Max-Planck-Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig

   Lifespan Developmental Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Technische Universität Dresden

   Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK

6. Gabriel Ziegler

   German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases

   Affiliation as printed

   Centre for Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Magdeburg, Germany; German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Magdeburg, Germany

   Centre for Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Magdeburg

   German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Magdeburg

7. Edward Thomas Bullmore

   National Health Service · University of Cambridge · Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust · University College London · Wellcome Trust · Medical Research Council

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough National Health Service Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Medical Research Council/Wellcome Trust Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Max Planck University College London Centre for Computational Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom

   Cambridgeshire and Peterborough National Health Service Foundation Trust, Cambridge

   Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge

   Max Planck University College London Centre for Computational Psychiatry, London

   Medical Research Council/Wellcome Trust Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge

8. Peter Brian Jones

   National Health Service · University of Cambridge · Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough National Health Service Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom

   Cambridgeshire and Peterborough National Health Service Foundation Trust, Cambridge

   Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge

9. Ian Michael Goodyer

   National Health Service · University of Cambridge · Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough National Health Service Foundation Trust, Cambridge, United Kingdom

   Cambridgeshire and Peterborough National Health Service Foundation Trust, Cambridge

   Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge

10. Peter Fonagy

    Anna Freud Centre · University College London

    Affiliation as printed

    Anna Freud Centre, London, United Kingdom; Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, United Kingdom

    Anna Freud Centre, London

    Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London

11. P. Read Montague

    Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging · University College London · Virginia Tech

    Affiliation as printed

    Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Human Neuroimaging Laboratory, Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Roanoke, Virginia, United States of America; Department of Physics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, United States of America

    Department of Physics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia

    Human Neuroimaging Laboratory, Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute, Roanoke, Virginia

    Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK

12. Raymond J. Dolan

    Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging · University College London

    Affiliation as printed

    Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Max Planck University College London Centre for Computational Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom

    Max Planck University College London Centre for Computational Psychiatry, London

    Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, London