The study shows that exploration of key questions about human nature can lead to important insights into diagnosis and treatment of social dysfunctions.

Co-principal investigator and assistant professor at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, Ming Hsu, believes that drugs that act on the social function could one day be used for the treatment of mental diseases and conditions such as schizophrenia or addiction.

Study participants during its practical implementation received two types of pill - false with the placebo effect and real with tolcapone, a drug that prolongs the effect of dopamine (a chemical that is associated with feelings of reward and motivation) in the prefrontal cortex of the brain.

After consuming the pill, the participants had to share the money with an anonymous person. Those who received tolcapone, shared the money with a stranger more equitable than those who received placebo.

"Our study shows that the sense of righteousness in humans can be stimulated by a drug which affects certain parts of the brain," concludes professor Hsu.