May 2008 PMID 18467558

The right and the good: distributive justice and neural encoding of equity and efficiency.

Ming Hsu, Cédric Anen, Steven R Quartz

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Mentions

21
Peak: 4 in Oct 2023
across 5 sources since Jul 2020

Extended reach

115,737
potential audience

Total likes

33

Video views

1,601

Mentions per month

Jul 2020 – Feb 2025

Where it's discussed

  • X / Twitter8 posts
  • Blogs5 articles
  • YouTube4 videos
  • Facebook2 posts
  • News2 articles

AI synopsis

What people are saying

The discussions highlight the importance of emotional processing in fairness judgments, with mentions of specific neural regions and experimental evidence. The tone frequently emphasizes the significance of empirical studies in understanding moral behavior, using words like 'showing,' 'highlighting,' and 'important,' which reflect both deep engagement and acknowledgment of the research's influence.

AgreementModerate agreement

Most discussions acknowledge the significance of the research, supporting its findings about emotional influences on fairness and justice in decision-making.

InterestHigh interest

The discussions demonstrate high interest, with references to empirical work, neural studies, and debates about fairness versus efficiency.

EngagementHigh engagement

Postings include detailed references to brain imaging studies, theoretical critiques, and implications, indicating deep engagement.

ImpactModerate impact

While the findings are recognized as influential, the discussions primarily revolve around academic and theoretical contexts, suggesting a moderate perceived impact.

Abstract in brief

  • The study explores how the brain processes different aspects of distributive justice, focusing on the balance between fairness (equity) and efficiency, using brain imaging techniques.
  • It finds that specific brain regions, like the putamen, respond to efficiency, while others like the insula and caudate-septal areas are linked to perceptions of inequality and overall fairness judgments, which are influenced by emotional responses.
  • These findings suggest that feelings of fairness are deeply connected to emotional processing, supporting ideas that morality in distribution involves emotional intuition rather than purely utilitarian calculations.]

Top posts

Most liked on X and Bluesky
Steven Quartz PhD
@StevenQuartz · X

@Oliver_S_Curry how do you think the issue of distributive norms - whether utilitarian efficiency or deontological inequity aversion - gets solved at a purely empirical level, as in our neural study showing large individual differences? https://t.co/pZTAYELlZH

Mar 17, 2023 · 5 likes · 2,942 followers View post →
GET A GRIP
@docrussjackson · X

Hsu M., C. Anen and S.R. Quartz (2008), “The Right And The Good: Distributive Justice And Neural Encoding Of Equity And Efficiency”, Science, 320: 1092–1095. https://t.co/5WiJmyUMq8 https://t.co/fPkj8DxqlG

Oct 30, 2022 · 1 like · 66,452 followers View post →
Steven Quartz PhD
@StevenQuartz · X

@enzoreds @HarryBrighouse1 @philunderground @amurali284 agree on that - we did some exp work showing sense of fairness is rooted more in affective systems. Was thinking more of the sort of Marxist critiques Cohen mounts re egoism, incentivization & that Rawls was the more plausible position (https://t.co/VZ6iRA8gTH

Apr 14, 2024 · 1 like · 2,942 followers View post →
Steven Quartz PhD
@StevenQuartz · X

@enzoreds @NathanJRobinson I've been keeping an eye out for it...re some of the empirical work, we had this a few years back: https://t.co/VZ6iRA8gTH

Feb 26, 2025 · 1 like · 2,942 followers View post →
Steven Quartz PhD
@StevenQuartz · X

@Oliver_S_Curry Few people actually are utilitarian - here's one of our brain imaging studies showing people also care about the 'right' or equity and will trade off the good (efficiency) - inequity aversion rooted in affective processing: https://t.co/VZ6iRA8gTH

Dec 5, 2023 · 1 like · 2,942 followers View post →
Richard V. Reeves
@RichardvReeves · X

RT @StevenQuartz: @willwilkinson @alexoimas @besttrousers @RichardvReeves @nytdavidbrooks should mention my lab did a brain imaging exp to…

Jul 14, 2020 · 1 share · 34,911 followers View post →

All mentions

Steven Quartz PhD
@StevenQuartz · X

@enzoreds @NathanJRobinson I've been keeping an eye out for it...re some of the empirical work, we had this a few years back: https://t.co/VZ6iRA8gTH

Feb 26, 2025 · 1 like · 2,942 followers View post →
Steven Quartz PhD
@StevenQuartz · X

@enzoreds @HarryBrighouse1 @philunderground @amurali284 agree on that - we did some exp work showing sense of fairness is rooted more in affective systems. Was thinking more of the sort of Marxist critiques Cohen mounts re egoism, incentivization & that Rawls was the more plausible position (https://t.co/VZ6iRA8gTH

Apr 14, 2024 · 1 like · 2,942 followers View post →
Steven Quartz PhD
@StevenQuartz · X

@Oliver_S_Curry Few people actually are utilitarian - here's one of our brain imaging studies showing people also care about the 'right' or equity and will trade off the good (efficiency) - inequity aversion rooted in affective processing: https://t.co/VZ6iRA8gTH

Dec 5, 2023 · 1 like · 2,942 followers View post →
Steven Quartz PhD
@StevenQuartz · X

@Oliver_S_Curry how do you think the issue of distributive norms - whether utilitarian efficiency or deontological inequity aversion - gets solved at a purely empirical level, as in our neural study showing large individual differences? https://t.co/pZTAYELlZH

Mar 17, 2023 · 5 likes · 2,942 followers View post →
GET A GRIP
@docrussjackson · X

Hsu M., C. Anen and S.R. Quartz (2008), “The Right And The Good: Distributive Justice And Neural Encoding Of Equity And Efficiency”, Science, 320: 1092–1095. https://t.co/5WiJmyUMq8 https://t.co/fPkj8DxqlG

Oct 30, 2022 · 1 like · 66,452 followers View post →
The Effectiveness Institute
@Effective_Insti · X

The Right and the Good: Distributive Justice and Neural Encoding of Equity and Efficiency https://t.co/xMoogpWUzA

Jul 19, 2020 · 501 followers View post →
The Effectiveness Institute
@Effective_Insti · X

RT @StevenQuartz: @willwilkinson @alexoimas @besttrousers @RichardvReeves @nytdavidbrooks should mention my lab did a brain imaging exp to…

Jul 19, 2020 · 1 share · 501 followers View post →
Richard V. Reeves
@RichardvReeves · X

RT @StevenQuartz: @willwilkinson @alexoimas @besttrousers @RichardvReeves @nytdavidbrooks should mention my lab did a brain imaging exp to…

Jul 14, 2020 · 1 share · 34,911 followers View post →