Other research examined the economic behavior of punishing jerks.82 In one study subjects played a game where player B could screw over player A for a profit. Depending on the round, player A could either (a) do nothing, (b) punish player B by having some of player B’s money taken (at no cost to player A), or (c) pay one unit of money to have two units taken from player B. Punishment activated the dopamine system, especially when subjects had to pay to punish; the greater the dopamine increase during no-cost punishment, the more willing someone was to pay to punish. Punishing norm violations
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