Default mode network is associated with wise advising from the second- but not the third-person perspective
Yanbin Zheng, Guang-Heng Dong, Harley Glassman, Chenli Huang, Ran Xuan, Chao S. Hu
preprint DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-1458577/v1 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 52 |
| Population | Adult participants who provided advice on life dilemmas |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Key findings | Participants reported significantly smaller psychological distance when advising from a second-person perspective than a third-person perspective. Resting-state Default Mode Network activity, measured as amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations in regions such as prefrontal cortex, correlated significantly with metacognitive humility when advising in the second person but not the third person, suggesting DMN activity may support wise advising from a self-related perspective. |
Abstract
Abstract Advice-giving is an important way to share life experiences and promote wisdom in society. We hypothesized that resting-state Default Mode Network (DMN) activity should be associated with increased wisdom when advising from a self-related perspective due to the DMN's involvement in reflection of personal life experiences. In our study, 52 participants provided advice on various life dilemmas using either a second- or third-person perspective after receiving a resting-state functional MRI scan. The results showed that participants felt significantly smaller psychological distance from advising protagonists on life dilemmas from the second- than the third-person perspective. Additionally, the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) in regions of the DMN (e.g., prefrontal cortex) was significantly correlated with metacognitive humility when advising from the second- but not the third-person perspective. Taken together, resting-state DMN activity may contribute to wise advising from a second-person perspective but not a third-person perspective, which involves greater self-distancing.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| A default mode of brain function Normal adult human brain | 2001 | Observational study | |
| Resting-State Functional Connectivity Reflects Structural Connectivity in the Default Mode Network Healthy subjects | 2008 | Observational cohort | |
| Meditation experience is associated with increased cortical thickness Participants with extensive Insight meditation experience and matched controls | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 20 |
| Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Experienced meditators and matched meditation-naive controls | 2011 | Observational cohort | |
| The precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex plays a pivotal role in the default mode network: Evidence from a partial correlation network analysis Healthy subjects | 2008 | Observational study |