To study the if significant depressive illnesses have different patterns of behaviour when it comes to social decision-making

Abstract

Making social decisions is a difficult process since it involves choosing the best choice with the best outcome in a social setting. Social decision-making necessitates a strong emotional brain system because of the human relationships involved. Mood has a significant impact on social interaction inside the system. Research has begun looking at the link between depression and social decision making due to the fact that depression is defined as a stable low mood state. There hasn't been much study done yet on how depression affects social decision-making. Furthermore, the neurological underpinnings of the links between low mood and distorted social interactions remain a mystery. Two research are included in this thesis to better understand how depression affects people's behavior and neurological foundations when they're making social decisions.

Study one looked at how depressed individuals' decision-making abilities changed as they interacted with others (MDD). The behavioral differences between 50 female MDD patients and 49 healthy matched controls were measured using a modified trust game (social interaction context). When the payback proportion was large and the danger was low, MDD patients made fewer and lower ratios of misleading judgments than controls. When the payback proportion was low or medium, they responded less frequently with benevolence than healthy people. Patients with MDD tended to avoid risks and did not alter their reactions even when the danger was little, according to these results