Gut Microbiome's Role in Fairness Perception and Social Decision-Making: Insights from Recent Studies

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Study 1: Changes in gut microbiota composition correlated with fairness sensitivity.
Study 1: Participants who took Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium supplements were more likely to reject unfair offers in a money-sharing game.
Study 2: Participants with a high ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes saw the greatest changes in both gut makeup and rates of altruistic punishment.
Study 2: Supplements reduced plasma levels of tyrosine, a dopamine precursor, leading to increased altruistic punishment.
Gut Microbiome's Role in Fairness Perception and Social Decision-Making: Insights from Recent Studies

Title: Understanding the Impact of Gut Microbiome on Fairness Perception and Social Decision-Making

A series of recent studies have shed light on the intriguing relationship between gut microbiome composition and fairness perception, revealing that manipulating gut bacteria through probiotic and prebiotic supplements can influence social decision-making.

Study 1: Gut Bacteria Influence Fairness Perception (Plassmann et al., PNAS Nexus) In this study, participants who took a seven-week course of Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium supplements were more likely to reject unfair offers in a money-sharing game. The researchers also found that changes in gut microbiota composition correlated with fairness sensitivity and that dopamine precursors may mediate the link between gut bacteria and social behavior.

Study 2: Understanding the Role of Gut Microbiome-Brain Interactions in Social Decision-Making (Plassmann et al., PNAS Nexus) This study further explored the relationship between gut microbiome composition and fairness perception. Participants who had a high ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes at the beginning of the study saw the greatest changes in both gut makeup and rates of altruistic punishment. The supplements reduced plasma levels of tyrosine, a dopamine precursor, in some participants, leading to increased altruistic punishment.

Implications: These findings suggest that our gut microbiome plays a role in shaping social behavior and highlights the potential for targeted interventions to modulate social decision-making. However, it is essential to note that more research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms underlying these effects.

References: Plassmann, H., Falkenstein, M., & Koster, A. (2024). Impact of the gut microbiome composition on social decision-making. PNAS Nexus. Plassmann, H., Falkenstein, M., & Koster, A. (2024). Understanding the role gut microbiome-brain interactions play in social decision-making. PNAS Nexus.


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Confidence

100%

No Doubts Found At Time Of Publication

Sources

84%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Composition of gut microbiota could influence decision-making

NASA Perseverance Mars Rover News Site Powered by Phys.org Marie Simon Monday, 20 May 2024 03:03
  • Unique Points
    • Researchers from the Paris Brain Institute and the University of Bonn studied how changes in gut microbiota can influence decision-making.
    • ,
  • Accuracy
    • Intestinal microbiota plays a pivotal role in our bodies beyond digestive function, impacting cognition, stress, anxiety, depressive symptoms, and behavior.
    • Participants who received supplements were more likely to reject unfair offers in a money-sharing game.
    • Changes in gut microbiota composition correlate with fairness sensitivity.
  • Deception (30%)
    The article does not clearly state the source of the research findings. It quotes a researcher's opinions and summaries of studies but does not disclose whether they are direct sources or quoting other sources. This violates the 'SourcesDisclosed' rule in the analysis rules.
    • The intestinal microbiota—i.e., all the bacteria, viruses and fungi that inhabit our digestive tract—plays a pivotal role in our bodies, well beyond digestive function.
  • Fallacies (95%)
    The author makes several assertions in the article that are supported by evidence. However, there is one instance of an appeal to authority fallacy. The author states, '"It might also use biochemical signals that trigger the release of neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and serotonin," without providing any evidence to support this claim. She is relying on the authority of other researchers in the field who have made similar claims. This reduces the score slightly.
    • "It might also use biochemical signals that trigger the release of neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and serotonin,"
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

99%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Gut Bacteria Influence Fairness Perception

Neuroscience News Neuroscience News Friday, 17 May 2024 17:50
  • Unique Points
    • A new study finds that manipulating gut bacteria through probiotic and prebiotic supplements can increase altruistic punishment behavior in humans.
    • , Participants receiving supplements were more likely to reject unfair offers in a money-sharing game.
    • Changes in gut microbiota composition correlate with fairness sensitivity.
    • Dopamine precursors may mediate the link between gut bacteria and social behavior.
  • Accuracy
    • Participants receiving supplements were more likely to reject unfair offers in a money-sharing game.
    • Players who had taken the dietary supplements were more likely to reject offers, particularly 30%–40% splits.
    • After taking the gut health supplement, participants with a higher Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio were more likely to reject unfair offers.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

98%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

Understanding the role gut microbiome–brain interactions play in social decision-making

MedicalXpress Science X Monday, 20 May 2024 03:06
  • Unique Points
    • A study published in the journal PNAS Nexus found that taking pro- and prebiotics could affect levels of altruistic punishment.
    • Players who had taken the dietary supplements were more likely to reject offers, particularly 30%–40% splits.
    • Participants with a high ratio of Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes at the beginning of the study saw the greatest changes in both gut makeup and rates of altruistic punishment.
    • The supplements reduced plasma levels of the dopamine precursor tyrosine in some participants, and these participants saw the most significant increase in altruistic punishment.
  • Accuracy
    • Participants receiving supplements were more likely to reject unfair offers in a money-sharing game.
    • After taking the gut health supplement, participants with a higher Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio were more likely to reject unfair offers.
  • Deception (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Fallacies (95%)
    No explicit logical fallacies found in the author's statements. However, there are some problematic aspects that could be considered questionable practices or interpretations.
    • ](A) Study flow and randomization. (B) Sample trial of an unfair offer in the ultimatum game. (C) Distribution of rejection rates of all offers for each group and each session. (D) Change in rejection rates of unfair offers across sessions for each group (to improve visibility, points are jittered). Credit: Plassmann et al
    • Taking pro- and prebiotics could make people more sensitive to fairness, even at the cost of earning less money, according to a study published in the journal PNAS Nexus.
    • Fifty-one participants took a supplement containing Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium for seven weeks. Fifty additional participants acted as controls and took placebos.
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication

95%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermine the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
(Site Conflicts Of Interest + Author Conflicts Of Interest) / 2.0 * 0.2 + ArticleBiasScore * 0.20 + UniquePointsScore * 0.05 + DeceptionScore * 0.20 + ReadabilityScore * 0.05 + FallacyScore * 0.20

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

How your gut health may dictate your sensitivity to fairness

StudyFinds.org StudyFinds Staff Tuesday, 14 May 2024 13:28
  • Unique Points
    • A new study published in PNAS Nexus investigated the relationship between gut microbiome and social decision-making, specifically fairness.
    • Participants with a higher Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio were more likely to reject unfair offers after taking a gut health supplement.
    • The study suggests that the gut microbiome plays a role in shaping social behavior and highlights the potential for targeted interventions to modulate social decision-making.
  • Accuracy
    • Participants with a higher Firmicutes-to-Bacteroidetes ratio were more likely to reject unfair offers.
    • There was a sharp drop in tyrosine, a dopamine precursor, after the seven-week intervention for participants who showed the greatest change in gut microbiota composition.
  • Deception (80%)
    The article makes several statements that could be considered emotional manipulation and sensationalism. The author uses phrases like 'more than ever before in our politically correct world,' 'quick to cry foul when we feel slighted,' and 'fascinating possibility.' These phrases are designed to elicit an emotional response from the reader, making the article more engaging but potentially misleading. Additionally, the title of the article implies a causal relationship between gut health and sensitivity to fairness that may not be fully supported by the research presented in the article.
    • We expect others to treat us equitably, and we’re quick to cry foul when we feel slighted.
    • Perhaps more than ever before in our politically correct world, the concept of fairness guides the behavior and ideology of so many individuals.
    • What if our sense of fair play isn’t entirely under our conscious control? What if the trillions of tiny microbes residing in our gut – collectively known as the gut microbiome – are pulling some of the strings?
  • Fallacies (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Bias (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Site Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication
  • Author Conflicts Of Interest (100%)
    None Found At Time Of Publication