The impact of TMS-enhanced cognitive control on forgiveness processes

Abstract

Background: Cognitive control is thought to be necessary for forgiveness processes. Materials and Methods: To examine this correlation, highly impulsive participants, who often fail to inhibit feelings of revenge, received activating theta burst stimulation (TBS) of a classical cognitive control region of the brain, the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (rDLPFC). For testing forgiveness ability participants received verum TBS versus sham TBS in a randomized, double-blinded, within-subjects design. In both sessions, they first learned that there are fair and unfair opponents in an ultimatum game, and subsequently played a dictator game with reversed roles with the option to revenge or forgive the opponents from the previous game. Results: Contrary to our hypothesis, activating TBS did not increase forgiving behavior toward unfair opponents. However, it increased the generosity toward previously fair opponents. Conclusion: As an explanation it is discussed that the TBS can only affect “cold” emotions such as greed, but not the “hot” emotions such as anger.