Attenuated Self-serving Bias in People with Internet Gaming Disorder is Related to Altered Neural Activity in Subcortical-Cortical Midline Structures

Abstract

Background To protect and maintain the positivity of self-concept, normal people usually show a self-serving bias (internal attribution of positive events and external attribution of negative events) by the motives of self-enhancement and self-protection. And self-serving assessments predominantly activate the subcortical-cortical midline structures (CMS) in healthy individuals. However, little is known about the self-serving bias and its underlying neural correlates among people with Internet gaming disorder (IGD). Methods Twenty-four IGD and 25 recreational internet gaming users (RGU) were scanned while attributing causes of positive/negative self- and other-related events that could happen in both game world and real world contexts. Regions of interest (within CMS) analysis and parametric analysis were performed to investigate the neural correlates of self-serving bias in IGD. Results Behaviorally, the IGD participants attributed more negative and less positive events to themselves than RGU in both contexts. Neurally, during attributions of negative events, the IGD participants exhibited increased ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) activation in both contexts compared to RGU. Higher vmPFC activation was associated with weaker self-protective motivation in IGD group. Meanwhile, during attributions of positive events, the IGD participants exhibited decreased precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex activation in real world compared to RGU. Parametric analysis showed reduced positive correlation between precuneus activation and self-attribution ratings of positive events in real world in IGD group relative to RGU group. Conclusion These results suggest that the IGD individuals show an attenuated self-serving bias and altered activations within CMS regions involved in self-attribution, providing evidence for the negative self-concept and weakened abilities in both self-enhancement and self-protection in IGD.