Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Shimane University, 89-1, Enyacho, Izumo, 693-8501, Japan.
Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci. 2010 Dec;5(4):385-91. doi: 10.1093/scan/nsq002. Epub 2010 Feb 9.
According to sociometer theory, self-esteem serves as a barometer of the extent to which individuals are socially included or excluded by others. We hypothesized that trait self-esteem would be related to social pain responsiveness, and we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to experimentally investigate this potential relationship. Participants (n = 26) performed a cyberball task, a computerized game of catch during which the participants were excluded from the game. Participants then rated the degree of social pain experienced during both inclusion in and exclusion from the game. Individuals with lower trait self-esteem reported increased social pain relative to individuals with higher trait self-esteem, and such individuals also demonstrated a greater degree of dorsal anterior cingulate cortex activation. A psychophysiological interaction analysis revealed a positive connectivity between the dorsal anterior cingulate and prefrontal cortices for the lower trait self-esteem group, and a corresponding negative connectivity for the higher trait self-esteem group. Heightened dorsal anterior cortex activity and a corresponding connection with the prefrontal cortex might be one possible explanation for the greater levels of social pain observed experienced by individuals with low trait self-esteem.
根据社会计量理论，自尊是衡量个体被他人社会接纳或排斥程度的晴雨表。我们假设特质自尊与社会疼痛反应有关，并使用功能磁共振成像实验研究这种潜在的关系。参与者（n=26）进行了一个“抛球游戏”（Cyberball）任务，这是一个在电脑上进行的接球游戏，参与者在游戏中被排除在外。参与者随后对游戏中被包括和排除时经历的社会痛苦程度进行了评分。与具有较高特质自尊的个体相比，具有较低特质自尊的个体报告的社会痛苦程度更高，而这些个体的背侧前扣带皮层的激活程度也更高。心理生理交互分析显示，对于低特质自尊组，背侧前扣带皮层和前额叶皮层之间存在正连接，而对于高特质自尊组则存在负连接。背侧前扣带皮层活动增加以及与前额叶皮层的相应连接，可能是低特质自尊个体经历更高水平社会痛苦的一个可能解释。
