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Cited by 125Neural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesChild and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional DevelopmentChild and Animal Learning Development

Longitudinal change in the neural bases of adolescent social self-evaluations: effects of age and pubertal development

Open access
Pfeifer, Jennifer H., Kahn, Lauren E., Merchant, Junaid S., Peake, Shannon J., Veroude, Kim, Masten, Carrie L., Lieberman, Matthew D., Mazziotta, John C. +1 more·2013·The Journal of Neuroscience
DOI 10.1523/jneurosci.4074-12.2013PMC PMC3809090
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Abstract

Self-evaluations undergo significant transformation during early adolescence, developing in parallel with the heightened complexity of teenagers' social worlds. Intuitive theories of adolescent development, based in part on animal work, suggest that puberty is associated with neural-level changes that facilitate a “social reorientation” (Nelson et al., 2005). However, direct tests of this hypothesis using neuroimaging are limited in humans. This longitudinal fMRI study examined neurodevelopmental trajectories associated with puberty, self-evaluations, and the presumed social reorientation during the transition from childhood to adolescence. Participants (N= 27, mean age = 10.1 and 13.1 years at time points one and two, respectively) engaged in trait evaluations of two targets (the self and a familiar fictional other), across two domains of competence (social and academic). Responses in ventromedial PFC increased with both age and pubertal development during self-evaluations in the social domain, but not in the academic domain. These results suggest that changes in social self-evaluations are intimately connected with biology, not just peer contexts, and provide important empirical support for the relationship between neurodevelopment, puberty, and social functioning.

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

In a longitudinal fMRI study of 27 youths scanned at mean ages 10.1 and 13.1, ventral mPFC responses during self- versus other-evaluations increased with age, specifically in the social domain. Pubertal development, independent of age, was associated with this social-domain increase, supporting a neural component to adolescent social reorientation.

Key findings

  • Ventral mPFC [-9 45 -12, t = 4.5, k = 14] showed longitudinal increases from age 10 to 13 for self > other evaluations; this was the only region across the whole brain to show such increases.
  • The ventral mPFC increase was significant in the social domain (p = .0001) but marginal in the academic domain (p = .0556).
  • Pubertal development (PDS at age 13 controlling for PDS at age 10, residualized for age) correlated with increased ventral mPFC self > other response in the social domain (r(25) = 0.53, p < .005), but not academic domain (r(25) = 0.11, ns); these correlations differed (z = 2.25, p = .025).
  • Stable main effects: self > other engaged mPFC and ventral striatum; other > self engaged mPPC, lateral PFC, and TPJ.

Methods

  • Longitudinal fMRI with 27 neurotypical participants (18 female), no psychiatric, neurological, or learning disorders, scanned at T1 (M = 10.1, SD = 0.35) and T2 (M = 13.1, SD = 0.33).
  • Participants made trait evaluations of self and a familiar fictional other (Harry Potter) in social and academic domains; pubertal development was measured with the Pubertal Development Scale (PDS).
  • fMRI data acquired on Siemens Allegra 3T and analyzed in SPM8 using random effects; paired t-tests and a 2×2×2 ANOVA with Target (Self/Other), Domain (Social/Academic), and Age (T1/T2); results thresholded at p < .001, k = 10 voxels unless noted.

Limitations

  • Stated: the tight age range may attenuate the PDS-age correlation, and future studies should track both dorsal and ventral mPFC during self-evaluations to determine when each region peaks.
  • Evident: the sample is small (N = 27) and predominantly female (18 female), and pubertal development was self-reported via PDS; no explicit limitations section is included in the paper.

Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1523/jneurosci.4074-12.2013

Cites

39 of 39 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Claims the paper makes

0 of 34 cited sources checked · 0 supported · 0 flagged

  • Findingown data

    At T1, there was no relationship between chronological age and pubertal development.

    “At T1, there was no relationship between chronological age and pubertal development (r(25) = 0.04, ns).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Findingown data

    The increase in ventral mPFC response from age 10 to 13 was marginal in the academic domain.

    “These analyses demonstrated that the increase in ventral mPFC response was significant in the social domain (p = .0001), but marginal in the academic domain (p = .0556).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Findingown data

    There were no significant gender differences in PDS scores at either timepoint.

    “Because there were no significant gender differences in PDS scores at either timepoint (female Ms = 1.66 and 2.66, male Ms = 1.60 and 2.40, ns), analyses collapsed across gender to increase statistical power”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Findingown data

    The correlations between pubertal development and ventral mPFC response during self vs other in social vs academic domains were significantly different.

    “and these two correlations were significantly different (z = 2.25, p = .025).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Findingown data

    The three clusters reported in Table 1 to survive FWE correction (mPFC and VS for self > other, mPPC for other > self) were responsive at both timepoints.

    “This confirmed that the three clusters reported in Table 1 to survive FWE correction (mPFC and VS for self > other, mPPC for other > self) were indeed responsive at both timepoints.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. 18
  • May combine two claims. 11

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    At T2, chronological age and pubertal development were moderately correlated in the expected direction, although this was only a trend.

    “At T2, chronological age and pubertal development were moderately correlated in the expected direction, although this was only a trend (r(25) = 0.29, one-tailed p = .07).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Premisecitation

    Puberty is associated with neural-level changes that facilitate a "social reorientation".

    “Intuitive theories of adolescent development, based in part on animal work, suggest that puberty is associated with neural-level changes that facilitate a “social reorientation” (Nelson, Leibenluft, McClure, and Pine, 2005).”
    • Also stated in: § Introduction · hedged
      “For example, pubertal development is thought to fuel a “social reorientation” (Nelson et al., 2005) that heightens the salience of peer relations.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Nelson et al., 2005

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Social self-concepts might be in a state of considerable flux and sensitivity.

    “As a result, social self-concepts (evaluative self-knowledge pertaining to the peer domain) might be in a state of considerable flux and sensitivity.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Premisenone given

    We know very little about how changes in brain function relate to adolescent self-development, and lack information about longitudinal changes in neural correlates of self-evaluations across social and academic domains.

    “Yet we know very little about how changes in brain function relate to adolescent self-development, and in particular we lack information about longitudinal changes in the neural correlates of self-evaluations across social and academic domains.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    In Goddings et al. (2012), levels of sex steroid hormones positively correlated with responses in left temporal pole during social emotion processing, and age negatively correlated with activity in dorsal mPFC.

    “In this study, levels of sex steroid hormones positively correlated with responses in left temporal pole during social emotion processing (embarrassment and guilt, as compared with basic emotion processing of fear and disgust). Meanwhile, age (controlling for pubertal development) negatively correlated with activity in dorsal (but not ventral) mPFC, making the findings complementary.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Goddings et al., 2012

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Prior studies linked pubertal development either with structural metrics, or with responses elicited by socioemotional or rewarding stimuli.

    “Prior studies also linked pubertal development either with structural metrics (Bramen et al., 2011; Peper, Pol, Crone, and Van Honk, 2011), or with responses elicited by socioemotional or rewarding stimuli (Forbes et al., 2010; Forbes et al., 2011; Moore et al., 2012; Op de Macks et al., 2011).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites Bramen et al., 2011

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites Peper, Pol, Crone, and Van Honk, 2011

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites Forbes et al., 2010

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Reviews of neural systems supporting adult self-evaluations have converged on critical regions, predominantly cortical midline structures: mPFC (including rostral ACC) and mPPC.

    “Reviews of the neural systems supporting adult self-evaluations have converged on a set of critical regions, predominantly focusing on cortical midline structures (CMS): medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC, including rostral anterior cingulate cortex, ACC) and medial posterior parietal cortex (mPPC; Northoff, Qin, and Feinberg, 2011; Van Overwalle, 2009).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites Northoff, Qin, and Feinberg, 2011

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites Van Overwalle, 2009

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationown data

    While dorsal mPFC may be more engaged in late childhood during self-evaluations, ventral mPFC may be increasingly recruited in early adolescence.

    “Thus, while dorsal mPFC may be more engaged in late childhood during self-evaluations, ventral mPFC may be increasingly recruited in early adolescence.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    This same region of ventral mPFC differentiates between self and others in neurotypical adults, but fails to do so in adults and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders.

    “Furthermore, this same region of ventral mPFC differentiates between self and others in neurotypical adults, but fails to do so in adults and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD; Lombardo et al., 2010; Pfeifer et al., 2013).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites Lombardo et al., 2010

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites Pfeifer et al., 2013

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductown data

    Excluding the two participants who regressed on PDS from correlational analyses relating to pubertal development did not change the results.

    “Furthermore, excluding these two participants from correlational analyses relating to pubertal development did not change the results.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Existing animal work demonstrates that puberty affects neurodevelopment of structures and transmitters strongly implicated in social behavior.

    “Existing animal work demonstrates that puberty affects neurodevelopment of structures and transmitters strongly implicated in social behavior (Ahmed et al., 2008; Romeo 2003; Schulz et al., 2009; Sisk and Zehr, 2005), but studies directly testing the theorized associations between neural, pubertal, and social changes in adolescent humans are still few in number.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites Ahmed et al., 2008

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites Romeo 2003

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites Schulz et al., 2009

      Not checked in the free run.

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationreasoning

    Other-evaluations engage executive functions, memory, and perspective-taking.

    “This suggests executive functions, memory, and perspective-taking are implicated in other-evaluations.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Ventral mPFC is associated with self-referential processing and reward and valuation processes.

    “Ventral mPFC is not only associated with self-referential processing (Northoff et al., 2011; Van Overwalle, 2009), but also with reward and valuation processes (Chib, Rangel, Shimojo, and O’Doherty, 2009; Hare, Camerer, and Rangel, 2009; Rangel, Camerer, and Montague, 2008).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites Northoff et al., 2011

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites Van Overwalle, 2009

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites Chib, Rangel, Shimojo, and O’Doherty, 2009

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Interpretationcitation

    Academic self-evaluations may change due to contextual factors like school transitions.

    “In other words, while academic self-evaluations may change due to contextual factors like school transitions (Eccles et al., 1993), social self-evaluative change is intimately connected with biology and not just interpersonal contexts.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Eccles et al., 1993

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductown data

    Participants demonstrated <5% of images with bad slices detected and fixed by ARTrepair, and <0.5 mm mean image-to-image motion or <5 mm max image-to-image motion.

    “In each run, participants demonstrated < 5% of images with bad slices detected and fixed by ARTrepair, and < 0.5 mm mean image-to-image motion or < 5 mm max (single) image-to-image motion.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Premisenone given

    Direct tests of the hypothesis that puberty is associated with neural-level changes facilitating social reorientation using neuroimaging are limited in humans.

    “However, direct tests of this hypothesis using neuroimaging are limited in humans.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Transitioning from elementary to middle school significantly impacts academic self-concepts; they become more negative overall, and academic engagement decreases.

    “Transitioning from elementary to middle school, meanwhile, is known to significantly impact academic self-concepts (Eccles, Wigfield, Harold, and Blumenfield, 1993) – they become more negative overall, and academic engagement decreases.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Eccles, Wigfield, Harold, and Blumenfield, 1993

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable). May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    The academic domain is comparatively much less social and more objective by definition.

    “In the present study, assessing evaluative processing in an academic domain (which is comparatively much less social and more objective by definition; Denissen, Zarrett, and Eccles, 2007; Hymel et al., 1999) likewise allowed us to conduct an empirical test that provided strong support – at the neural level – for the “social reorientation” teenagers are proposed to experience (Nelson et al., 2005).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites Denissen, Zarrett, and Eccles, 2007

      Not checked in the free run.

    • cites Hymel et al., 1999

      Not checked in the free run.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductreasoning

    Results were the same whether correlations between ventromedial PFC activity were conducted using raw or residualized PDS scores.

    “Results were also the same whether correlations between ventromedial PFC activity were conducted using raw or residualized PDS scores, perhaps due to the borderline moderate correlation between PDS and age at T2 only.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductown data

    Variability in knowledge across timepoints was not significantly correlated with brain activity extracted from the region of ventral mPFC that demonstrated longitudinal increases during self > other evaluations.

    “Variability in knowledge across timepoints was not significantly correlated with brain activity extracted from the region of ventral mPFC that demonstrated longitudinal increases during self > other evaluations.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductown data

    All participants reported reading at least one book, or watching at least three movies, from the Harry Potter series.

    “Objectively, each participant reported reading at least one book, or watching at least three movies, from the series.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductown data

    The other target was a fictional character, Harry Potter, about whom participants all had substantial knowledge.

    “The other target was a fictional character, Harry Potter, about whom participants all had substantial knowledge (as indicated via questionnaire).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    The presence and proportion of "regressions" in this sample is highly consistent with that reported in other longitudinal research using the PDS.

    “It should be noted that two participants (one girl and one boy) each “regressed” by less than one point on average in their self-reports of pubertal development, but the presence and proportion of “regressions” in this sample is highly consistent with that reported in other longitudinal research using the PDS (e.g., Petersen et al., 1988).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Petersen et al., 1988

      Not checked in the free run.

23 of 23

Claims other papers make about this one

Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?

  • Ventromedial PFC and medial OFC activation likely reflects engagement in social cognitive processes, consistent with past research associating these regions with social and self-relevant evaluative processes.

    “Also falling within our medial cluster of activation, ventromedial PFC and medial OFC activation likely reflects engagement in social cognitive processes, consistent with past research that has associated these regions with social and self-relevant evaluative processes (Burnett et al., 2011; Pfeifer et al., 2013; 2011).”

    From Neural correlates of social exclusion across ages: A coordinate-based meta-analysis of functional MRI studies (2017) · cites this paper as Pfeifer et al., 2013

Statistics recomputed

Every reported test result, recomputed from its test statistic and degrees of freedom. A result shows as not adding up only once an independent check has confirmed it.

  • Consistentr(25) = 0.04reported n.s. · recomputed p = .843

    “r(25) = 0.04, ns”

  • Consistentr(25) = 0.53reported p < .005 · recomputed p = .004

    “r(25) = 0.53, p < .005”

  • Consistentr(25) = 0.11reported n.s. · recomputed p = .585

    “r(25) = 0.11, ns”

  • Consistentz = 2.25reported p = .025 · recomputed p = .024

    “(z = 2.25, p = .025”

4 of 4

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.

  • Task blocks and rest exceed the reported scan duration

    Minor

    Four 75-second blocks plus three 21-second rest intervals total 363 seconds (6 minutes 3 seconds). That exceeds the reported functional-scan duration of 4 minutes 54 seconds, even before allowing for instructions at the start of each block.

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Authors
Pfeifer, J. H., Kahn, L. E., Merchant, J. S., Peake, S. J., Veroude, K., Masten, C. L., Lieberman, M. D., Mazziotta, J. C., & Dapretto, M.
Affiliations
  • University of Oregon (US)
  • Vanderbilt University (US)
  • University of California, Los Angeles (US)
ORCID
Venue
The Journal of Neuroscience
Publisher
Society for Neuroscience
Published
2013-04-24
Volume
33
Issue
17
Pages
7415-7419
ISSN
  • 0270-6474 (ISSN-L)
  • 1529-2401
DOI
10.1523/jneurosci.4074-12.2013
PMC
PMC3809090
OpenAlex
W2111384114
Semantic Scholar
806a68425132229cf6a4f65bdeb386f8655cf67d
Cited by
125
References
39
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 13 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 16 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 6 · 2013: 2
FWCI
4.57
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Journal of Neuroscience (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • VU Research Portal (publishedVersion)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (RR12169, RR13642)
  • National Institute of Mental Health (L40MH087356, F31MH075299)
  • National Center for Research Resources (P41RR013642, RR12169, RR 13642, RR00865, M01RR000865, C06RR012169)
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (L40HD059442)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Child and Animal Learning Development
Keywords
pubertal development, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, neural development, transition from childhood to adolescence, trait evaluation, social competence, academic competence, age effects
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Brain, Child, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Photic Stimulation, Puberty, Self-Assessment, Adolescent Development

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Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

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