Fairness Is a Hard-Wired Emotion

Because the areas of the brain involved in such decisions are located deep inside the brain, it suggests they have a role in evolutionary survival function, Knutson said. "They are serving some sort of survival and emotional function," he said.

Knutson noted that many economic theories assume that people use reason to make decisions, but the areas of the brain involved in equity and efficiency are really areas activated by emotion.

"When people see an unfair offer, they actually have a negative emotional reaction to it," Knutson said. "They have a visceral reaction to unfairness."

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To learn more about the human brain, visit the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

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