The Neural Sociometer: Brain Mechanisms Underlying State Self-esteem

Abstract

On the basis of the importance of social connection for survival, humans may have evolved a "sociometer"-a mechanism that translates perceptions of rejection or acceptance into state self-esteem. Here, we explored the neural underpinnings of the sociometer by examining whether neural regions responsive to rejection or acceptance were associated with state self-esteem. Participants underwent fMRI while viewing feedback words ("interesting," "boring") ostensibly chosen by another individual (confederate) to describe the participant's previously recorded interview. Participants rated their state self-esteem in response to each feedback word. Results demonstrated that greater activity in rejection-related neural regions (dorsal ACC, anterior insula) and mentalizing regions was associated with lower-state self-esteem. Additionally, participants whose self-esteem decreased from prescan to postscan versus those whose self-esteem did not showed greater medial prefrontal cortical activity, previously associated with self-referential processing, in response to negative feedback. Together, the results inform our understanding of the origin and nature of our feelings about ourselves.

Social Pain and the Brain: Controversies, Questions, and Where to Go from Here

“…Moreover, greater reports of social distress (feeling rejected, meaningless) were associated with greater activity in the dACC. Since that initial study, several other studies have shown that other forms of socially painful experience, such as experiencing the threat of negative social evaluation (Eisenberger et al 2011a, Takahashi et al 2009, Wager et al 2009), viewing rejection-related images (Kross et al 2007), reliving a romantic rejection (Fisher et al 2010, Kross et al 2011, or being reminded of a lost loved one (Gündel et al 2003, Kersting et al 2009, O'Connor et al 2008, activate these neural regions as well. In addition, one study demonstrated that participants showed overlapping neural activity in both affective (dACC, AI) and sensory (PI, S2) regions in response to a physical pain task and a social pain task (Kross et al 2011).…”

The role of expectancy and proactive control in stress regulation: A neurocognitive framework for regulation expectation

“…The relationship between expectancy and self-esteem is nicely illustrated in an fMRI study in which participants received feedback words that they had no possibility to control (Eisenberger, Inagaki, Muscatell, Haltom, & Leary, 2011). The words (e.g., shallow, boring, friendly) were ostensibly chosen by another individual who had listened to the participant's previously recorded interview.…”

Differential activation of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex between male and female givers of social reputation

“…Previous studies highlighted the role of the dmPFC in the processing of one's own reputation (Amodio and Frith, 2006;Eisenberger et al, 2011;Frith and Frith, 2008;Izuma, 2012;Izuma et al, 2008Izuma et al, , 2010bKawamichi et al, 2013). Furthermore, the dmPFC has been shown to be involved in both positive (Izuma et al, 2008) and negative reputation (Eisenberger et al, 2011). Future studies are required to explore whether and how the dmPFC is associated with self-referential processes and whether the activity of the dmPFC is modulated by arousal.…”

“…A growing body of research has accumulated abundant evidence of how social information from other individuals modulates brain activity and affects human behavior (Edelson et al, 2011;Eisenberger et al, 2011;Garbarini et al, 2014;Ito et al, 2011;Izuma, 2012;Izuma and Adolphs, 2013;Izuma et al, 2008Izuma et al, , 2010aKing-Casas et al, 2005;Meshi et al, 2013;Zaki et al, 2011). For example, we are strongly influenced by the presence of others (Izuma et al, 2010a,b) and show a strong tendency to conform to others' opinions, even when those opinions are erroneous (Edelson et al, 2011).…”

“…Among attitudes of and opinions from others, social reputation (mainly expressed by verbal appraisal) received from others has been investigated in several neuroimaging studies (Eisenberger et al, 2011;Garbarini et al, 2014;Ito et al, 2011;Izuma et al, 2008;Kawamichi et al, 2013;Kim et al, 2008;Meshi et al, 2013). Regarding the neural correlates of the processing of positive reputation, Izuma et al (2008) reported that positive social reputation, as well as monetary reward, has positive reward value and activates reward-related regions, including the ventral striatum.…”