ABSTRACT

Cacioppo and colleagues advanced the study of anthropomorphism by positing three motives that moderated the occurrence of this phenomenon; belonging, effectance, and explanation. Here, we further this literature by exploring the extent to which the valence of a target’s behavior influences its anthropomorphism when perceivers attempt to explain and predict that target’s behavior, and the involvement of brain regions associated with explanation and prediction in such anthropomorphism. Participants viewed videos of varying visually complex agents - geometric shapes, computer generated (CG) faces, and greebles - in nonrandom motion performing harming and helping behaviors. Across two studies, participants reported a narrative that explained the observed behavior (both studies) while we recorded brain activity (study one), and participants predicted future behavior of the protagonist shapes (study two). Brain regions implicated in prediction error (striatum), not language generation (inferior frontal gyrus; IFG) engaged more to harming than helping behaviors during the anthropomorphism of such stimuli. Behaviorally, we found greater anthropomorphism in explanations of harming rather than helping behaviors, but the opposite pattern when participants predicted the agents’ behavior. Together, these studies build upon the anthropomorphism literature by exploring how the valence of behavior drives explanation and prediction.

摘要

Cacioppo 及其同事提出了抑制这种现象发生的三个动机，从而推进了拟人化研究。归属、效力和解释。在这里，我们通过探索当感知者试图解释和预测目标的行为时，目标行为的效价对其拟人化的影响程度以及与解释和预测相关的大脑区域参与这种拟人化的程度，从而进一步推进了这一文献。参与者观看了各种视觉复杂代理的视频 - 几何形状、计算机生成 (CG) 面部和 greebles - 在非随机运动中执行伤害和帮助行为。在两项研究中，参与者报告了解释观察到的行为（两项研究）的叙述，而我们记录了大脑活动（研究一项），参与者预测主角形状的未来行为（研究二）。与预测错误（纹状体）有关的大脑区域，而不是语言生成（额下回；IFG）在此类刺激的拟人化过程中更多地是伤害而不是帮助行为。在行为上，我们在解释伤害而非帮助行为时发现了更大的拟人化，但当参与者预测代理人的行为时，则相反。总之，这些研究通过探索行为的效价如何驱动解释和预测，建立在拟人论文献的基础上。IFG）在这种刺激的拟人化过程中更多地是伤害而不是帮助行为。在行为上，我们在解释伤害而非帮助行为时发现了更大的拟人化，但当参与者预测代理人的行为时，则相反。总之，这些研究通过探索行为的效价如何驱动解释和预测，建立在拟人论文献的基础上。IFG）在这种刺激的拟人化过程中更多地是伤害而不是帮助行为。在行为上，我们在解释伤害而非帮助行为时发现了更大的拟人化，但当参与者预测代理人的行为时，则相反。总之，这些研究通过探索行为的效价如何驱动解释和预测，建立在拟人论文献的基础上。