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Neural correlates underlying change in state self-esteem

Authors :
Eri Nakagawa
Norihiro Sadato
Hiroaki Kawamichi
Sho K. Sugawara
Yuki H. Hamano
Takanori Kochiyama
Ryo Kitada
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Source :
Scientific Reports, Scientific Reports, Vol 8, Iss 1, Pp 1-14 (2018)
Publication Year :
2018
Publisher :
Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2018.

Abstract

State self-esteem, the momentary feeling of self-worth, functions as a sociometer involved in maintenance of interpersonal relations. How others’ appraisal is subjectively interpreted to change state self-esteem is unknown, and the neural underpinnings of this process remain to be elucidated. We hypothesized that changes in state self-esteem are represented by the mentalizing network, which is modulated by interactions with regions involved in the subjective interpretation of others’ appraisal. To test this hypothesis, we conducted task-based and resting-state fMRI. Participants were repeatedly presented with their reputations, and then rated their pleasantness and reported their state self-esteem. To evaluate the individual sensitivity of the change in state self-esteem based on pleasantness (i.e., the subjective interpretation of reputation), we calculated evaluation sensitivity as the rate of change in state self-esteem per unit pleasantness. Evaluation sensitivity varied across participants, and was positively correlated with precuneus activity evoked by reputation rating. Resting-state fMRI revealed that evaluation sensitivity was positively correlated with functional connectivity of the precuneus with areas activated by negative reputation, but negatively correlated with areas activated by positive reputation. Thus, the precuneus, as the part of the mentalizing system, serves as a gateway for translating the subjective interpretation of reputation into state self-esteem.

Details

ISSN :
20452322
Volume :
8
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Scientific Reports
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....d5564c9d34a3e5bfe279332398a67037
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-20074-0