---
type: source
id: rosenthal-von-der-putten-2019-vmpfc
title: Neural mechanisms for accepting and rejecting artificial social partners in the uncanny valley
authors:
- Astrid M. Rosenthal-von der Pütten
- Nicole C. Krämer
- Stefan Maderwald
- Matthias Brand
- Fabian Grabenhorst
year: 2019
venue: Journal of Neuroscience
volume: 39(33)
pages: 6555-6570
doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2956-18.2019
peer_review: peer-reviewed-journal
evidence_tier: B
design: '7T fMRI over six sessions; rating task (72 trials: likability, familiarity, humanlikeness) and choice task (108 trials: choose which of two agents receives a personal gift)'
modality:
- image
- robot
- android
stimuli: 'Six categories: humans, humans with impairments, artificial humans, androids, humanoid robots, mechanoid robots'
n_participants: 21
n_note: 26 recruited; 4 excluded
topics:
- uncanny-valley
- neural
- decision-making
summary: vmPFC encoded likability as a non-linear function of humanlikeness with selectively low likability for highly humanlike agents; behavioural valley in 18 of 21 participants; DMPFC encoded choices about artificial agents and an amygdala signal predicted their rejection.
results:
- metric: Behavioural valley (artificial humans below linear trend)
  value: significant in 18 of 21 individuals
  note: ''
  source_location: null
- metric: vmPFC
  value: non-linear likability (valley) signal
  note: approximated by multiplicative combination of TPJ, DMPFC, fusiform signals
  source_location: null
- metric: TPJ
  value: linear humanlikeness code
  note: ''
  source_location: null
- metric: DMPFC, fusiform
  value: non-linear human/non-human distinction
  note: ''
  source_location: null
- metric: Choice decision variable
  value: vmPFC for human choices; DMPFC for artificial-agent choices
  note: ''
  source_location: null
- metric: Amygdala
  value: predicted rejection of artificial agents
  note: ''
  source_location: null
moderators: []
limitations:
- N=21
- Static images
mechanism_supported:
- valuation
verification:
  status: verified-fulltext
  confidence: high
  checked: 2026-10-07
  via: jneurosci.org article page
url: null
pmid: null
pmcid: null
arxiv_id: null
openalex_id: null
oa_url: null
cited_in:
- MR-0002
updated: '2026-10-07'
---

# Neural mechanisms for accepting and rejecting artificial social partners in the uncanny valley

> **Source record** `rosenthal-von-der-putten-2019-vmpfc` · 2019 · Journal of Neuroscience  
> **Evidence tier:** B (peer-reviewed-journal) · **Verification:** verified-fulltext  
> **Bottom line:** vmPFC encoded likability as a non-linear function of humanlikeness with selectively low likability for highly humanlike agents; behavioural valley in 18 of 21 participants; DMPFC encoded choices about artificial agents and an amygdala signal predicted their rejection.

## Citation {#citation}

Astrid M. Rosenthal-von der Pütten, Nicole C. Krämer, Stefan Maderwald, Matthias Brand, Fabian Grabenhorst (2019). Neural mechanisms for accepting and rejecting artificial social partners in the uncanny valley. *Journal of Neuroscience*, 39(33), 6555-6570. https://doi.org/10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2956-18.2019

Verification entry (identifiers, resolvers, claims with source locations): [/data/citations.json#rosenthal-von-der-putten-2019-vmpfc](/data/citations.json#rosenthal-von-der-putten-2019-vmpfc)

## Study design {#design}

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Design | 7T fMRI over six sessions; rating task (72 trials: likability, familiarity, humanlikeness) and choice task (108 trials: choose which of two agents receives a personal gift) |
| Modality | image, robot, android |
| Stimuli | Six categories: humans, humans with impairments, artificial humans, androids, humanoid robots, mechanoid robots |
| Participants (N) | 21 |
| N detail | 26 recruited; 4 excluded |
| Topics | uncanny-valley, neural, decision-making |

## Results {#results}

| Metric | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Behavioural valley (artificial humans below linear trend) | significant in 18 of 21 individuals |  |
| vmPFC | non-linear likability (valley) signal | approximated by multiplicative combination of TPJ, DMPFC, fusiform signals |
| TPJ | linear humanlikeness code |  |
| DMPFC, fusiform | non-linear human/non-human distinction |  |
| Choice decision variable | vmPFC for human choices; DMPFC for artificial-agent choices |  |
| Amygdala | predicted rejection of artificial agents |  |

## Mechanism relevance {#mechanism}

`valuation`

## Limitations {#limitations}

- N=21
- Static images

## Cited in {#cited-in}

- [MR-0002](/metareports/uncanny-valley-and-synthetic-faces.md): The Uncanny Valley and Synthetic Media: Does It Exist, What Causes It, and Have Deepfakes Crossed It?

## Verification {#verification}

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Status | `verified-fulltext` |
| Compiler confidence | high |
| Checked on | 2026-10-07 |
| Via | jneurosci.org article page |