Dynamic adjustments of cognitive control during economic decision making

• Ultimatum game measures conflicts between fairness and selfishness.
• We tested for conflict adaptation effects in the Ultimatum game.
• Focus on self-interest was increased following conflicts.
• Cognitive control resolves conflicts between fairness and self-interest.

Decision making in the Ultimatum game requires the resolution of conflicts between economic self-interest and fairness intuitions. Since cognitive control processes play an important role in conflict resolution, the present study examined how control processes that are triggered by conflicts between fairness and self-interest in unfair offers affect subsequent decisions in the Ultimatum game. Our results revealed that more unfair offers were accepted following previously unfair, compared to previously fair offers. Interestingly, the magnitude of this conflict adaptation effect correlated with the individual subjects' focus on economic self-interest. We concluded that conflicts between fairness and self-interest trigger cognitive control processes, which reinforce the focus on the current task goal.