Guts and fairness: How bacteria may influence your behaviour

EVERY day, we make many decisions that affect not just ourselves, but also the people around us.

A few examples: navigating different opinions at a team meeting, tipping wait staff at a restaurant, picking a weekend activity with friends, or choosing between conventional and sustainable but more expensive products.

Traditionally, researchers have focused on self-interest, social norms and cognitive processes to explain how we make decisions in social contexts. A new study by my colleagues* and I suggests another piece of the puzzle may literally reside in our gut.