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When we act morally, are we controlling unwanted impulses or attempting to avoid harming others? Serotonin, by decreasing violent impulses and reactions to provocation and increasing harm aversion, may be involved in both mechanisms. Researchers have found that tryptophan depletion increases perceptions of unfairness. In placebo-controlled, double-blind, cross-over experiments, the same researchers have now compared harm aversion and fairness perception in 24 healthy volunteers with elevated levels of serotonin (from the SSRI citalopram) or norepinephrine (from atomoxetine, a reuptake inhibitor of this neurotransmitter). Subjects were rated for trait empathy.
Harm aversion was tested by the presentation of dilemmas with different degrees of …