Self-esteem modulates dorsal anterior cingulate cortical response in self-referential processing
Abstract
Self-esteem can be defined as evaluations that individuals make about their worth as human beings. These evaluations are in part based on how we evaluate ourselves on our abilities, values, opinions, etc. compared with others or our past or ideal self; and they are also influenced by a thought that what others may think about us. Studies to date investigating the neural mechanisms underlying individual differences in self-esteem have focused mostly on the latter process (i.e. on how self-esteem is associated with neural correlates of processing feedback from others). However, given that people spend a lot of time thinking about themselves and evaluating their worth, we aimed to investigate neural mechanism underlying the association between levels of self-esteem and processing of self-relevant information. Seventeen participants completed a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scan during which they were asked to evaluate whether a given statement is true about them (Self), an acquaintance of theirs (Other), or about general knowledge (Semantic). A whole brain correlational analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between levels of self-esteem and changes in activation of dorsal anterior cingulate gyrus (dACC, BA32) in response to evaluating self-relevant information (Self versus Other contrast). This result extends previous findings implicating this region in the association between processing evaluative feedback and levels of self-esteem and suggests that activity in this region is affected by self-esteem levels also when individuals are engaged in self-referencing and self-evaluation. Future studies should investigate whether these associations are affected differently based on valence of self-evaluations.
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The medial prefrontal cortex has been shown to be engaged during tasks which require making specific judgments about both one's own traits and those of others.
“The mPFC has been shown to be engaged during tasks which require making specific judgments about both one's own traits and those of others' [Cikara et al., 2014;Kim andJohnson, 2012, 2014;Yang et al., 2012].”
From Oxytocin blurs the self-other distinction during trait judgments and reduces medial prefrontal cortex responses: Oxytocin Blurs Self-Other Distinction (2016) · cites this paper as Yang et al., 2012
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“Similarly, the amPFC and PCC are robustly activated when participants simulate assumed future events related to themselves (Andrews-Hanna et al., 2010; Schacter et al., 2008), especially in a naturalistic context which had previously been experienced (Szpunar et al., 2009).”
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- Authors
- Yang, J., Dedovic, K., Chen, W., & Zhang, Q.
- Affiliations
- Southwest University (CN)
- University of California, Los Angeles (US)
- Corresponding author
- Yang, Juan
- Venue
- Neuropsychologia
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2012-06
- Volume
- 50
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 1267-1270
- ISSN
- 0028-3932 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2069315375
- Cited by
- 38
- References
- 16
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2023: 4 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 2 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 2 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 1.14
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Neuropsychologia (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China (30900397)
- Natural Science Foundation Project of CQ CSTC (2010BB5001)
- Key Discipline Fund of National 211 Project, China (NSKD11017)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Keywords
- self-esteem, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, self-referential processing, self-assessment, individual differences, self-relevant information
- MeSH terms
- Analysis of Variance, Brain Mapping, Female, Gyrus Cinguli, Humans, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Oxygen, Surveys and Questionnaires, Self-Assessment, Young Adult
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