Gut Check: Your Gut Microbiome May Influence Decision-Making

We all have made a decision or two by trusting our gut or instincts. Now, a recent study is suggesting that the gut microbiome could influence decision-making, particularly the way we treat others or our sensitivity to fairness. Changes in the gut microbiome, according to the study, could alter people’s decisions in a typical social dilemma.

What the study involves

To find out how the composition of the microbiome affects decision-making, researchers from the business school INSEAD, Fontainebleau, France; the Brain Institute; and the University of Bonn, Bonn conducted a study. It involved 101 healthy men; women were not included because of the hormonal factors needed in decision-making. 

Half of the male participants received a mixture of prebiotics and probiotics while the other received a placebo for seven weeks. Then, the researchers analyzed their gut microbiome at the start and end of the study, as well as conducted behavioral tests. The findings are published in the PNAS Nexus.

The behavioral test and altruistic punishment

The male subjects were then asked to participate in the behavioral tests before and after receiving supplementation. This includes the “ultimatum game” a test in which a player is given a sum of money that he must divide (fairly or not) with a second player. 

The second player can accept the offer or reject it if deemed unfair or insufficient. In the latter case, no one receives any money. Refusing money is called altruistic punishment, which refers to individuals shouldering a punishment even though it costs them and has no material gain. Second players forgo their share of money as a way to punish the other player’s lack of fairness.

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