Unraveling how the third-party brain under stress responds to injustices

by Masahiko Haruno

How third-party individuals respond to injustices is important for resolving conflict in society. A study in PLOS Biology shows that individuals experiencing acute stress prefer to aid victims over punishing offenders, an opposite pattern to non-stress conditions. How third-party individuals respond to injustices is important for resolving conflict in society. This Primer explores a new study that shows that individuals experiencing acute stress prefer to aid victims over punishing offenders, an opposite pattern to non-stress conditions.