海角论坛

Psychology professor Abigail Marsh, shown here delivering a TED Talk on her research into altruism, has received an award, secured a grant, and published a book this fall. (Photo: Marla Aufmuth/TED)

October 26, 2017 鈥�聽Many academics stumble across their specialty in a college classroom or postgraduate lab. That wasn鈥檛 the case for .

When the Georgetown 海角论坛 professor was 20, a stranger crossed four lanes of highway traffic on foot to get her out of harm鈥檚 way after she was involved in a car accident. From that point on, Marsh couldn鈥檛 shake her fascination with the psychological basis for behavior like this. What quirk of the human brain could make someone decide to risk their life for a stranger?

鈥淚t鈥檚 sort of a puzzle from a biological perspective 鈥斅爓hen people help family, friends, other people that they鈥檙e close to, you can explain that very well through principles of self-interest,鈥� Marsh said. 鈥淏ut what about giving a stranger your kidney? That seemed like a big mystery.鈥�

While she spent much of her career studying psychopathy 鈥斅犫�渢he other end of the spectrum,鈥� as she puts it 鈥斅燤arsh eventually turned toward answering that nagging question of altruism. This fall marks several milestones in her journey.

Last month, she received a grant from the to continue her research into the neurological basis of altruistic behavior. Earlier this month, she published a book, . Finally, her research program earned her the S&R Foundation鈥檚 Kuno Award for Applied Science in the Social Good.

THE EMPATHY SPECTRUM

The Fear Factor, which has been critically well-received thus far, is a deep dive into the differences between the brains of psychopaths, altruists, and 鈥渙rdinary鈥� people, based on years of Marsh鈥檚 research.

The book works off the prevailing belief in modern psychology that most behaviors traditionally thought of as 鈥渄isorders鈥� are better understood as high- or low-end examples of a behavioral spectrum present in all humans.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not that there鈥檚 a hard and fast cutoff between being anxious and having an anxiety disorder 鈥斅爐here鈥檚 a gradient,鈥� Marsh said. 鈥淭he same is true for empathy and compassion.鈥�

Marsh shows that some of the difference in behavior can be observed by using brain imaging to measure the structure and function of the amygdala, an area of the brain associated with emotion, decision-making and memory.

鈥淧eople who are extremely altruistic have amygdalae that look basically like the opposite of a psychopath鈥檚,鈥� Marsh said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e larger than average, more reactive than average, and help the person be better able to recognize and empathize with fear.鈥�

A NEW INTERVENTION

Marsh鈥檚 team will continue researching altruism with the help of a grant from the National Science Foundation it received last month.

Their most recent findings have revealed that the connections between the amygdala and the periaqueductal gray (PAG) 鈥斅燼 region of gray matter involved in pain and stress regulation 鈥斅爉ay support caring responses in altruists.

Marsh鈥檚 team hypothesizes that the brain鈥檚 parental care system, of which pathways between the amygdala and PAG are part, has been adapted in altruists to support caring responses to all people, not just children or other family members.

鈥淭he same systems are on overdrive in altruists, and they鈥檙e active when presented with a situation in which they can help somebody,鈥� Marsh said.

The three-year, $390,000 NSF grant will continue funding for a project in which Marsh鈥檚 team performs brain scans on people who have donated kidneys to strangers. The newest experiment involves performing a meditation-based intervention on 鈥渙rdinary鈥� people 鈥斅爐hose who aren鈥檛 unusually altruistic 鈥斅爐hat will attempt to make them respond more like altruists do.

鈥淲e鈥檙e going to leverage their capacity to care for people close to them and try to make it apply to people who are more distant,鈥� Marsh said.

Marsh and her team will perform brain scans on the 鈥渙rdinary鈥� subjects while they are presented with a task involving their willingness to help various others. They hope to determine whether the subjects from the meditation protocol are more willing to help even people they aren鈥檛 close to.

ENRICHING SOCIETY

Earlier this month, Marsh鈥檚 work was recognized by the S&R Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting artists and scientists whose work supports charitable causes that enrich society.

Marsh won the 2017 Kuno Award, a $100,000 grant awarded to a scientist whose research goes toward solving a 21st-century problem.

鈥淚 am honored and thrilled to have been selected as this year鈥檚 recipient of the Kuno Award,鈥� Marsh said. 鈥淲ith its support, my students and I will be able to work toward a more complete understanding of human altruism and to develop better methods for fostering it.鈥�