Influence of an individual’s own gains and losses on the evaluation of friends’ gambling results: Evidence from ERPs

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1041.2021.00651

Abstract

Abstract:

In this study, FRN and P300 were used as response indicators to explore the effects of self-gains or losses on friends’ outcomes and how this mode of influence was regulated by the individual’s self-construction. The results showed that the FRN and P300 differences between watching friends’ gains and losses no longer existed under the condition of self-gains, and the FRN differences were significant even though the P300 differences between watching friends’ losses and gains disappeared under the condition of self-losses. Furthermore, no significant FRN differences were observed in the self-constructed group regardless of self-gains or losses. However, watching friends’ losses after self-gains elicited stronger P300 amplitude. The results of this study showed that: (1) the result evaluation model of friends was not fixed but varied with the individual’s own situation of gains and losses; (2) compared to the interdependent self-construction priming group, the independent self-construction priming group was more indifferent and more competitive in the face of friends’ gains and losses.

Key words: self-other representation, monetary gambling task, self-construal, FRN, P300

YUE Tong, HUANG Xiting, YUE Caizhen, XUE Liming, FU Anguo. (2021). Influence of an individual’s own gains and losses on the evaluation of friends’ gambling results: Evidence from ERPs. Acta Psychologica Sinica, 53(6), 651-666.

Figures/Tables 8

Figure 1. Money Game Tasks Under the Real Situation
(Image credit: Koban et al., 2010)

Figure 2. Flow Chart of One Trial in a Pre-experiment.

Figure 3. The results of the pre-experiment are as follows: (a) the average waveforms of FRN and P300 when Cz and FCz are watching the results of friends’ game, in which the red line is the waveforms when friends win money and the Blue Line is the waveforms when friends lose money; (b) the mean and standard error of FRN and P300 amplitudes caused by watching friends win/lose (^** p < 0.01; ^* p < 0.05)

Figure 4. Schematic Diagram of a Trial Flow in Experiment 1

Figure 5. Results of study 1. (a) the average waveforms of FRN and P300 at CZ and FCZ when the participants themselves participated in the game, in which the red line was the waveforms when the friends gained, and the blue line was the waveforms when the friends lost; (b) the average waveforms of FRN and P300 were shown at CZ and FCZ points after the participants gained the benefit, and (c) the average waveforms of FRN and P300 were shown at CZ and FCZ points after the participants lost money (d) the comparison of the mean and standard error of the amplitudes of FRN and P300 under different operating conditions, “self” represented the operating conditions, “sw-f” represented the playing conditions of friends after winning, “sl-f” represented the condition of watching a friend’s game after a loss (** p < 0.01; * p < 0.05).

Table 1 Statistical analysis table of sentences description difference between independent self group and interdependent self group

Group	n	M	SD	t	p	Cohen’s d
Independent self group
Independent self sentences count	18	6.17	1.54	7.86	< 0.001	1.62
Interdependent self sentences count	18	3.22	2.06	7.86	< 0.001	1.62
Interpendent self group
Independent self sentences count	22	3.45	1.11	-4.94	< 0.001	1.47
Interependent self sentence count	22	5.59	1.74	-4.94	< 0.001	1.47

Figure 6. The results of Experiment 2 are as follows: (a) the average waveforms of the self-initiated group and the self-initiated group at the Cz point; (b) the average waveforms on the Cz points when the self-initiated group and the self-initiated group benefit from watching the friends’ game; (c) the average waveform at a Cz point when watching friends’ game after a loss for the independent self group and the interdependent self group.

Figure 7. Comparison of mean and standard error of FRN and P300 amplitude under different operating conditions (*** p < 0.001; ** p < 0.01; * p < 0.05). “self” represents the condition of self-operation, “sw-f” represents the condition of watching a friend’s game after winning, “sl-f” represents the condition of watching a friend’s game after losing, and “inde-win” represents the condition of starting to win money for an independent group, “inde-lose” represents the conditions under which the independent group started losing money, “Inter-win” represents the conditions under which the interdependent group started winning money, and “Inter-lose” represents the conditions under which the interdependent group started losing money.

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