A stronger relationship between reward responsivity and trustworthiness evaluations emerges in healthy aging. Issue 5 (3rd September 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cassidy, Brittany S.; Hughes, Colleen; Krendl, Anne C.
• Is Part Of: Aging, neuropsychology, and cognition. Volume 28:Issue 5(2021)
• Page Start: 669
• Page End: 686
• Publication Date: 2021-09-03
• Subjects: Trustworthiness -- reward -- caudate -- race -- aging; Aging -- Periodicals; Cognition in old age -- Periodicals; Cognition disorders in old age -- Periodicals; Neuropsychology -- Periodicals; Aging -- periodicals; Neuropsychology -- periodicals; Cognition -- periodicals; Mental Disorders -- periodicals; Gerontology -- periodicals; Mental Health -- periodicals; 155.67
• DOI: 10.1080/13825585.2020.1809630
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1382-5585

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Older adults (OA) evaluate faces to be more trustworthy than do younger adults (YA), yet the processes supporting these more positive evaluations are unclear. This study identified neural mechanisms spontaneously engaged during face perception that differentially relate to OA' and YA' later trustworthiness evaluations. We examined two mechanisms: salience (reflected by amygdala activation) and reward (reflected by caudate activation) – both of which are implicated in evaluating trustworthiness. We emphasized the salience and reward value of specific faces by having OA and YA evaluate ingroup male White and outgroup Black and Asian faces. Participants perceived faces during fMRI and made trustworthiness evaluations after the scan. OA rated White and Black faces as more trustworthy than YA. OA had a stronger positive relationship between caudate activity and trustworthiness than YA when perceiving ingroup, but not outgroup, faces. Ingroup cues might intensify how trustworthiness is rewarding to OA, potentially reinforcing their overall positivity.