Selective impairment of reasoning about social exchange in a patient with bilateral limbic system damage.

摘要: Social exchange is a pervasive feature of human social life. Models in evolutionary biology predict that for to evolve species, individuals must be able detect cheaters (nonreciprocators). Previous research suggests humans have cognitive mechanism specialized detecting cheaters. Here we provide neurological evidence indicating reasoning can selectively impaired while about other domains left intact. The patient, R.M., had extensive bilateral limbic system damage, affecting orbitofrontal cortex, temporal pole, and amygdala. We compared his performance on two types problem were closely matched form equally difficult control subjects: contract rules (of the form, “If you take benefit, then satisfy requirement”) precaution engage hazardous activity X, Y”). R.M. performed significantly worse than reasoning, when both with normal controls brain-damaged subjects. This dissociation provides separable component intelligence, consistent brain processes information world differently from information.