Studying altruism through virtual reality

A new SISSA study explores the areas of the brain involved in the processes that lead us to help others even at the cost of our own lives, A computer-based environment developed with the aim to shed light on the origins of altruism: this is the innovative approach used by a research group at SISSA in Trieste, in collaboration with the University of Udine. This new study-recently published in the journal Neuropsychologia – immersed participants in a virtual environment that reproduced a building on fire which they had to evacuate in a hurry, deciding whether to save their lives or interrupt their escape and help rescue an injured person. The results showed that altruistic individuals self-reported to have greater concern for others' wellbeing and had larger right anterior insula (a brain area involved in processing social emotions) compared to non-altruists. These