Predicting the knowledge–recklessness distinction in the human brain

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dc.contributorVirginia Techen
dc.contributor.authorVilares, Irisen
dc.contributor.authorWesley, Michael J.en
dc.contributor.authorAhn, Woo-Youngen
dc.contributor.authorHoffman, Morrisen
dc.contributor.authorJones, Owen D.en
dc.contributor.authorMorse, Stephen J.en
dc.contributor.authorYaffe, Gideonen
dc.contributor.authorLohrenz, Terryen
dc.contributor.authorMontague, P. Readen
dc.contributor.authorBonnie, Richard J.en
dc.date.accessioned2017-09-07T14:38:18Zen
dc.date.available2017-09-07T14:38:18Zen
dc.date.issued2017-02-09en
dc.description.abstractCriminal convictions require proof that a prohibited act was performed in a statutorily specified mental state. Different legal consequences, including greater punishments, are mandated for those who act in a state of knowledge, compared with a state of recklessness. Existing research, however, suggests people have trouble classifying defendants as knowing, rather than reckless, even when instructed on the relevant legal criteria. We used a machine-learning technique on brain imaging data to predict, with high accuracy, which mental state our participants were in. This predictive ability depended on both the magnitude of the risks and the amount of information about those risks possessed by the participants. Our results provide neural evidence of a detectable difference in the mental state of knowledge in contrast to recklessness and suggest, as a proof of principle, the possibility of inferring from brain data in which legally relevant category a person belongs. Some potential legal implications of this result are discussed.en
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1619385114en
dc.identifier.issue12en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/78819en
dc.identifier.volume114en
dc.language.isoen_USen
dc.publisherNASen
dc.rightsIn Copyrighten
dc.rights.urihttp://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/en
dc.subjectneurolawen
dc.subjectmental statesen
dc.subjectknowledgeen
dc.subjectrecklessnessen
dc.subjectelastic-net modelen
dc.titlePredicting the knowledge–recklessness distinction in the human brainen
dc.title.serialPNASen
dc.typeArticle - Refereeden

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Destination Area: Adaptive Brain and Behavior (ABB)
Scholarly Works, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC