Neuroanatomy of complex social emotion dysregulation in adolescent offenders

Abstract

Social emotions require the correct integration of emotional, cognitive, and social processes and are critical for complex social interactions. Adolescent criminal offenders (AOs) show abnormalities in the experience of basic emotions. However, most research has focused solely on basic emotions, neglecting complex social emotions that could be critical for social reintegration. The purpose of this study was to investigate the behavioral and neural correlates of social emotions (envy and Schadenfreude) in AOs. We explored the experience of complex social emotions, as well as their anatomical correlates, in AOs (n = 19) and a nonoffenders control group (NOs, n = 20). Additionally, we assessed the relationship between social emotions, executive functions (EFs), and fluid intelligence (FI). Structural brain imaging was obtained in all participants. The results showed that AOs had significantly lower envy and Schadenfreude ratings and exhibited lower performance in EFs compared with NOs. The measurement of EFs relied on the INECO frontal screening (IFS). Experiencing fewer social emotions was associated with diminished EFs but not with FI. Moreover, in AOs, reduced levels of envy and Schadenfreude were linked with reduced gray matter volumes in regions subserving mentalizing abilities (inferior parietal lobe and precuneus) and socioemotional processing (inferior and middle temporal regions), as well as key hubs of the executive frontoparietal network (inferior parietal lobule, orbital and rectus gyri). Additional analysis on the AOs revealed no associations between the type of crime and our variables of interest (EFs, FI and social emotions). Our findings are the first to provide evidence on abnormalities in the experience of social emotions in AOs that are associated with neurocognitive markers of social cognition and EFs. Understanding social emotions and their abnormalities (under-experience) as complex intertwined processes may have important future translational implications, including risk prediction for social adaptation/reintegration, sociocognitive targeted interventions, and skill training for social emotions in vulnerable populations.

The Effect of Malicious Envy on Schadenfreude When Schadenfreude Is Elicited Through Social Comparisons

“…In addition, recent evidence pointed out that malicious social-moral emotion resulted in the appearance and/or maintenance of pathological behaviors (e.g., dishonest, criminal, and antisocial behaviors; e.g., Panasiti and Ponsi, 2017 ; Franco-O’Byrne et al, 2021 ). Consistent with the evidence, our findings (at least at loss-associated precise social comparisons) and several other studies (e.g., Van Dijk et al, 2006 ; Takahashi et al, 2009 ; Cikara and Fiske, 2013 ; Feather et al, 2013 ; Baez et al, 2016 , 2018 ; Santamaría-García et al, 2017 ) also showed that malicious social emotions (e.g., malicious envy) increased other pathological emotions (e.g., schadenfreude).…”

“…Therefore, we speculate that social emotions involving extrinsic goals might be an important factor in eliciting pathological behaviors and emotions. This might also explain why individuals who have experiences in extremely pathological behaviors might have abnormal processes in social emotions and relationships (e.g., Jankowski and Takahashi, 2014 ), for example, offenders experienced reduced feelings of envy and schadenfreude ( Franco-O’Byrne et al, 2021 ).…”

Overactivation of posterior insular, postcentral and temporal regions during preserved experience of envy in autism

“…We employed a modified and fMRI adapted version of a well‐validated envy task (Baez et al, 2016, 2018, 2020; Franco‐O'Byrne et al, 2021; Gómez‐Carvajal et al, 2020; Migeot et al, 2022; Santamaría‐García et al, 2017) developed based on Takahashi et al (2009). Before the scanning session, each participant was shown a real‐life photograph and a description of two target characters representing the protagonists of a series of fictional events.…”

“…Participants were asked to rate the intensity of their experience of envy in terms of displeasure as this is the standard procedure for this task (Baez et al, 2016, 2018, 2020; Franco‐O'Byrne et al, 2021; Gómez‐Carvajal et al, 2020; Migeot et al, 2022; Santamaría‐García et al, 2017). Displeasure is the main overarching state elicited by envy (Smith & Kim, 2007; Tai et al, 2012; Takahashi et al, 2009).…”

“…In this study, we used an fMRI version of a well‐validated task (Baez et al, 2016, 2018, 2020; Franco‐O'Byrne et al, 2021; Gómez‐Carvajal et al, 2020; Migeot et al, 2022; Santamaría‐García et al, 2017) to investigate the subjective experience of envy and its neural correlates in adults with ASD relative to NT controls. We hypothesize that participants with ASD will show difficulties in their experience of envy, reflected either at the behavioural level (as lower self‐report) or at the neural level (as overactivation of related brain regions) in the case of comparable performance to NT controls.…”