NEW JERSEY – Rutgers researchers are using advanced brain imaging to better understand how employees respond when they witness toxic behavior in the workplace.
In a collaboration between Rutgers Business School and the Center for Advanced Human Brain Imaging Research at the Rutgers Brain Health Institute, researchers used MRI scans to track real-time emotional and moral reactions of people observing abusive supervision.
The study focuses on third-party observers — coworkers who witness mistreatment and must decide whether to intervene, support a colleague or remain silent.
“We often think of workplace abuse as something that affects only the target,” said Nguyen Pham, a doctoral candidate in organizational management. “What this collaboration allowed us to do was actually see what happens in the brains of the people watching abuse unfold.”
Using functional MRI, participants were shown video scenarios depicting verbal abuse in academic, sports and business settings while their brain activity was monitored.
Researchers found that witnessing abusive behavior first triggers emotional responses in brain regions associated with anger and alarm. As individuals process the situation, activity shifts to areas linked to empathy, social understanding and moral reasoning.
Pham said the imaging provided new insight into how people decide whether to act.
Functional MRI “gave us a sort of window into the potential emotional and moral processes that shape whether someone might stand up to abusers or stand down,” Pham said.
The study found empathy to be the strongest predictor of constructive responses, such as offering support or speaking out against abusive behavior. While anger also prompted action, empathy was more consistently linked to positive intervention.
Researchers said the findings could help organizations foster healthier workplace cultures by emphasizing empathy rather than relying solely on policies or punitive measures.
“By providing scanner access, technical guidance for integrating behavioral tasks into imaging protocols, analysis support and pilot funding, CAHBIR helped make this project feasible,” said David H. Zald, a Henry Rutgers Professor of Psychiatry and director of the imaging center.
“The work reflects BHI’s vision: When state-of-the-art brain imaging is accessible across disciplines, unexpected, high-impact breakthroughs emerge, connecting neuroscience to pressing real-world issues like fostering ethical workplaces,” said Zald.
The study was presented at the 2025 Academy of Management conference and highlights how interdisciplinary research can expand the use of brain imaging beyond traditional medical and neuroscience applications.
