Is there a study indicating a neurological reward for agreeing with group beliefs?

Question

I know a study in 2011 showed activation on the ventromedial PFC (part of the reward system that lights up when we see something we want, like chocolate) when opinions of others were shown. I'm assuming it activated upon learning the opinions of the others because it anticipated a reward following agreement with the group. I know Matz and Wood (2005) published a study showing cognitive dissonance following differing opinions from group members, motivating a change of beliefs to resolve it. Do you know of any studies showing a neurological reward following agreement with others? I'm probably searching using the wrong keywords, but I can't seem to find anything. I'd assume there is at least research showing a neurological reward when social media posts get likes or supportive comments.

Answer 1

Here’s a start - I spotted this on Science Daily.com:  “Researchers at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging at UCL (University College London) in collaboration with Aarhus University in Denmark have found that the 'reward' area of the brain is activated when people agree with our opinions. The study, published June 17 in the journal Current Biology, suggests that scientists may be able to predict how much people can be influenced by the opinions of others on the basis of the level of activity in the reward area.” To continue reading the article gohttps://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/06/100617120712.htm