Having a word with yourself: Neural correlates of self-criticism and self-reassurance

Abstract

Self-criticism is strongly correlated with a range of psychopathologies, such as depression, eating disorders and anxiety. In contrast, self-reassurance is inversely associated with such psychopathologies. Despite the importance of self-judgements and evaluations, little is known about the neurophysiology of these internal processes. The current study therefore used a novel fMRI task to investigate the neuronal correlates of selfcriticism and self-reassurance. Participants were presented statements describing two types of scenario, with the instruction to either imagine being self-critical or self-reassuring in that situation. One scenario type focused on a personal setback, mistake or failure, which would elicit negative emotions, whilst the second was of a matched neutral event. Self-criticism was associated with activity in lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC) regions and dorsal anterior cingulate (dAC), therefore linking self-critical thinking to error processing and resolution, and also behavioural inhibition. Self-reassurance was associated with left temporal pole and insula activation, suggesting that efforts to be self-reassuring engage similar regions to expressing compassion and empathy towards others. Additionally, we found a dorsal/ventral PFC divide between an individual's tendency to be self-critical or self-reassuring. Using multiple regression analyses, dorsolateral PFC activity was positively correlated with high levels of self-criticism (assessed via self-report measure), suggesting greater error processing and behavioural inhibition in such individuals. Ventrolateral PFC activity was positively correlated with high self-reassurance. Our findings may have implications for the neural basis of a range of mood disorders that are characterised by a preoccupation with personal mistakes and failures, and a self-critical response to such events.

Joy and Calm: How an Evolutionary Functional Model of Affect Regulation Informs Positive Emotions in Nature

“…This would improve parasympatheticsympathetic balance as indicated by the HRV literature above. Adding support for this argument, it is now well recognized that exercises used within CFT influence brain and bodily responding (see for example Duarte et al, 2015;Longe et al, 2010).…”

The physiological and emotional effects of touch: Assessing a hand-massage intervention with high self-critics

“…For example, individuals higher in self-criticism are more likely to have negative reactions to oxytocin -a neuropeptide associated with supportive relationship interactions (Rockliff et al, 2011). In addition, those higher in self-criticism have been found to demonstrate increased amygdala activity indicative of threat processing, when trying to be self-reassuring in response to a shame event (Longe et al, 2010). Finally, following the introduction of a specific form of affiliative 4 exercise -compassion focused imagery (CFI) -individuals higher in self-criticism have been found to: i) report the initial intervention in a negative light (e.g.…”

« Je ne vaux rien » et autres formes d’auto-critique : état des lieux et interventions thérapeutiques

“…L'imagerie par résonance magnétique fonctionnelle a été utilisée par Longe et ses collaborateurs (Longe et al, 2010) afin de mieux comprendre les circuits neuronaux impliqués dans l'auto-critique. Leurs participants étaient exposés à deux types de scénarios : ceux centrés sur des échecs personnels provoquant des émotions négatives et les scénarios neutres sans contenu émotionnel.…”

“…À la lumière de ces résultats, Longe et ses collaborateurs (2010) décrivent la pensée auto-critique comme une tentative de résolution d'une faute perçue qui précéderait la mise en place de processus d'inhibition. Ceci permettrait ainsi de modérer les préjudices sociaux induits par l'erreur perçue (Longe et al, 2010 ;Powers et Zuroff, 1988).…”

“…Plusieurs auteurs (Longe et al, 2010 ;Whelton et Henkerlman, 2002) mettent également en lumière un rôle de l'auto-critique qui peut être adapté et même porteur pour l'individu. La question est de savoir jusqu'à quel point l'auto-critique permet aux individus de progresser et d'aller de l'avant dans leurs projets, dans leur vie quotidienne.…”