认知控制在第三方惩罚中的作用：来自多水平测量与发展视角的证据

Third-party punishment (TPP), which could help maintain human cooperation, is a substantial prosocial behavior. Previous researchers found that empathy was positively associated with TPP. Still, inconsistent findings were observed, and furthermore, even individuals similar in empathy would make different choices. Thus, the implementation of TPP could not be totally attributed to empathy as a socio-cognitive factor, and cognitive control should play an important role in it. First, individuals would directly inhibit the impulse to maximize their own interests via cognitive control; second, as empathy would trigger personal distress towards the victim when a third-party is faced with norm violations, cognitive control would presumably regulate the relationship between empathy and TPP. Study 1 aims to investigate the direct as well as the indirect effect of cognitive control on TPP with behavioral decision, eye-tracking, ERP/EEG and fMRI measures. Study 2 would focus on preschoolers and adolescents, who are undergoing rapid development of cognitive control or empathy, and explore how the effects of cognitive control vary by stage of development. With multilevel measures and the developmental perspective, the present project will shed light on the motivational basis of TPP and deepen our understanding of this crucial prosocial behavior. Meanwhile, the findings will also provide support for pertinent educational programs and legal practice.

第三方惩罚是一种重要的维护人类合作的亲社会行为。前人发现共情越强的个体更倾向于做出第三方惩罚，但是也有研究发现了不一致的结果，而且共情水平相似的个体也会做出不同的选择，因此共情这一社会认知因素并不能完全解释该行为的发生。作为认知因素的认知控制一方面可能起到抑制自利冲动的直接作用，另一方面可能起到调控共情与第三方惩罚之间关系的间接作用。研究一通过行为决策、眼动、脑电和脑成像技术，考察认知控制的直接和间接作用。研究二选择认知控制或共情快速发展的学龄前儿童和青少年，考察认知控制的作用在不同发展阶段中的不同表现。希望研究结果能够揭示第三方惩罚的动机基础，通过多水平测量与发展视角，丰富对于第三方惩罚这一重要的亲社会行为的理解，同时也为相关教育和法律实践提供一定的理论指导和参考依据。

第三方惩罚是高级利他行为的一种，是指当违规行为与自身利益无直接相关时，个体牺牲自我利益来惩罚违规者的行为。本项目基于发展的视角、采用多种研究手段，来揭示第三方惩罚的认知基础、发展轨迹及其影响因素。.项目通过两个研究分别从行动者视角和观察者视角检验第三方惩罚作为一种可信度信号的假设。此外，项目进一步考察了规范理解与第三方惩罚的关系。结果表明，无互惠可能性的情境下第三方惩罚者比不惩罚者有更高水平的可信性和共情，这进一步揭示第三方惩罚可能反映了人类社会的规范和制度。在此基础上，项目从发展视角探讨了共情与第三方惩罚的关系。结果表明，随年龄增长，个体从遵循描述性规范变为遵循指令性规范，且受到情绪共情的影响减小，受到行为共情的影响增大。最后，项目利用脑电技术检验了指令性规范理解在第三方惩罚的决策过程中的作用及其时间加工进程。结果揭示了指令性规范理解在第三方惩罚决策的中晚期阶段发挥作用。.该项目及相应拓展研究深入考察了第三方惩罚在儿童青少年中的发展及其相应神经生理机制，揭示了第三方惩罚在个体发展中对社会适应的重要意义。