Neural mechanisms of deliberate dishonesty: Dissociating deliberation from other control processes during dishonest behaviors

Abstract

Numerous studies have sought proof of whether people are genuinely honest by testing whether cognitive control mechanisms are recruited during honest and dishonest behaviors. The underlying assumption is: Deliberate behaviors require cognitive control to inhibit intuitive responses. However, cognitive control during honest and dishonest behaviors can be required for other reasons than deliberation. Across 58 neuroimaging studies (1,211 subjects), we investigated different forms of honest and dishonest behaviors and demonstrated that many brain regions previously implicated in dishonesty may reflect more general cognitive mechanisms. We argue that the motivational/volitional dimension is central to deliberation and provide evidence that motivated dishonest behaviors recruit the perigenual anterior cingulate cortex. This work questions the view that cognitive control is a hallmark of dishonesty.

Reply to Zhen and Yu: Cognitive control as questionable proxy for deliberation in honest behaviors

“… The new ALE results for spontaneous dishonesty (16 studies) reveal significant activations in the right perigenual anterior cingulate cortex ( x = 4, y = 40, z = 22; peak Z = 4.58) and the right inferior frontal gyrus (i.e., ventrolateral prefrontal cortex; x = 36, y = 22, z = −10; peak Z = 4.35)—virtually the same results as our original publication ( 1 ). …”

“…Finally, in agreement with Zhen and Yu ( 2 ), we don't contest that honesty can be as motivational as dishonesty. On the contrary, we stress, in the original paper ( 1 ), and here again, the neglect of such a research question in the current literature, and call for more research on this motivational dimension, which we believe plays a nonnegligible role in both honesty and dishonesty.…”

“…In their letter, Zhen and Yu ( 2 ) state our paper ( 1 ) contains various flaws. First, we have supposedly inflated our results by using bigger samples sizes than those in the original studies.…”

Spontaneous dishonesty does not specifically engage the perigenual anterior cingulate cortex

“…Using activation likelihood estimation (ALE) metaanalysis ( 3 ), Sai et al. report that, in comparison with spontaneous truth telling, spontaneous dishonesty shows consistent activations uniquely in the perigenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC) ( 4 ). The authors argue that the motivational/volitional dimension is central to deliberate dishonesty.…”

Potential use of neuroimaging as a tool to monitor brain imaging changes in politicians related to unethical decision making

“…Furthermore, the repeated use of drugs may lead to dysfunction in the cognitive mechanisms related to decisionmaking (Verdejo-Garcia, Chong, Stout, Yücel, & London, 2018). Moreover, a study investigated several honest and dishonest behaviors and demonstrated that many brain regions previously implicated in dishonesty may be related to general cognitive processes (Sai et al, 2021). On the other hand, it is unclear when to test politicians and their potential decisionmaking processes.…”