Citation

Liang J, Lin H, Xiang J, Wu H, Li X, Liang H, Zheng X. Scand. J. Psychol. 2015; 56(2): 124-131.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Scandinavian Psychological Associations, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/sjop.12191

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Existing literature on the mini-ultimatum game indicates that counterfactual comparison between chosen and unchosen alternatives is of great importance for individual's fairness consideration. However, it is still unclear how counterfactual comparison influences the electrophysiological responses to unfair chosen offers. In conjunction with event-related potentials' (ERPs) technique, the current study aimed to explore the issue by employing a modified version of the mini-ultimatum game where a fixed set of two alternatives (unfair offer vs. fair alternative, unfair vs. hyperfair alternative, unfair offer vs. hyperunfair alternative) was presented before the chosen offer. The behavioral results showed that participants were more likely to accept unfair chosen offers when the unchosen alternative was hyperunfair than when the unchosen alternative was fair or hyperfair. The ERPs results showed that the feedback-related negativity (FRN) elicited by unfair chosen offers was insensitive to the type of unchosen alternative when correcting for possible overlap with other components. In contrast, unfair chosen offers elicited larger P300 amplitudes when the unchosen alternative was hyper-unfair than when the unchosen alternative was fair or hyper-fair. These findings suggest that counterfactual comparison may take effect at later stages of fairness consideration as reflected by the P300.

Language: en