Abstract

Developmental research has demonstrated the harmful effects of peer rejection during adolescence; however, the neural mechanisms responsible for this salience remain unexplored. In this study, 23 adolescents were excluded during a ball-tossing game in which they believed they were playing with two other adolescents during an fMRI scan; in reality, participants played with a preset computer program. Afterwards, participants reported their exclusion-related distress and rejection sensitivity, and parents reported participants’ interpersonal competence. Similar to findings in adults, during social exclusion adolescents displayed insular activity that was positively related to self-reported distress, and right ventrolateral prefrontal activity that was negatively related to self-reported distress. Findings unique to adolescents indicated that activity in the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (subACC) related to greater distress, and that activity in the ventral striatum related to less distress and appeared to play a role in regulating activity in the subACC and other regions involved in emotional distress. Finally, adolescents with higher rejection sensitivity and interpersonal competence scores displayed greater neural evidence of emotional distress, and adolescents with higher interpersonal competence scores also displayed greater neural evidence of regulation, perhaps suggesting that adolescents who are vigilant regarding peer acceptance may be most sensitive to rejection experiences.

Details

Title
Neural correlates of social exclusion during adolescence: understanding the distress of peer rejection
Author
Masten, Carrie L 1 ; Eisenberger, Naomi I 2 ; Borofsky, Larissa A 1 ; Pfeifer, Jennifer H 2 ; McNealy, Kristin 1 ; Mazziotta, John C 3 ; Dapretto, Mirella 4 

 Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, 2 Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, 3 Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, 4 Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, 5 Department of Neuroscience, University of California, Los Angeles, 6 University of California, Los Angeles Center for Culture, Brain and Development, 7 Brain Research Institute, 8 Department of Neurology, Department of Pharmacology, & Department of Radiological Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine and 9 Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, 2 Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, 3 Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, 4 Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, 5 Department of Neuroscience, University of California, Los Angeles, 6 University of California, Los Angeles Center for Culture, Brain and Development, 7 Brain Research Institute, 8 Department of Neurology, Department of Pharmacology, & Department of Radiological Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine and 9 Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA 
 Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, 2 Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, 3 Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, 4 Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, 5 Department of Neuroscience, University of California, Los Angeles, 6 University of California, Los Angeles Center for Culture, Brain and Development, 7 Brain Research Institute, 8 Department of Neurology, Department of Pharmacology, & Department of Radiological Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine and 9 Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA 
 Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, 2 Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, 3 Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, 4 Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, 5 Department of Neuroscience, University of California, Los Angeles, 6 University of California, Los Angeles Center for Culture, Brain and Development, 7 Brain Research Institute, 8 Department of Neurology, Department of Pharmacology, & Department of Radiological Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine and 9 Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, 2 Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, 3 Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, 4 Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, 5 Department of Neuroscience, University of California, Los Angeles, 6 University of California, Los Angeles Center for Culture, Brain and Development, 7 Brain Research Institute, 8 Department of Neurology, Department of Pharmacology, & Department of Radiological Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine and 9 Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, 2 Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, 3 Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, 4 Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, 5 Department of Neuroscience, University of California, Los Angeles, 6 University of California, Los Angeles Center for Culture, Brain and Development, 7 Brain Research Institute, 8 Department of Neurology, Department of Pharmacology, & Department of Radiological Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine and 9 Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, 2 Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, 3 Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, 4 Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, 5 Department of Neuroscience, University of California, Los Angeles, 6 University of California, Los Angeles Center for Culture, Brain and Development, 7 Brain Research Institute, 8 Department of Neurology, Department of Pharmacology, & Department of Radiological Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine and 9 Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, 2 Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, 3 Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, 4 Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, 5 Department of Neuroscience, University of California, Los Angeles, 6 University of California, Los Angeles Center for Culture, Brain and Development, 7 Brain Research Institute, 8 Department of Neurology, Department of Pharmacology, & Department of Radiological Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine and 9 Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA 
 Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, 2 Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, 3 Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, 4 Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, 5 Department of Neuroscience, University of California, Los Angeles, 6 University of California, Los Angeles Center for Culture, Brain and Development, 7 Brain Research Institute, 8 Department of Neurology, Department of Pharmacology, & Department of Radiological Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine and 9 Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, 2 Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, 3 Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, 4 Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, 5 Department of Neuroscience, University of California, Los Angeles, 6 University of California, Los Angeles Center for Culture, Brain and Development, 7 Brain Research Institute, 8 Department of Neurology, Department of Pharmacology, & Department of Radiological Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine and 9 Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, 2 Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, 3 Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, 4 Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, 5 Department of Neuroscience, University of California, Los Angeles, 6 University of California, Los Angeles Center for Culture, Brain and Development, 7 Brain Research Institute, 8 Department of Neurology, Department of Pharmacology, & Department of Radiological Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine and 9 Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, 2 Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, 3 Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, 4 Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, 5 Department of Neuroscience, University of California, Los Angeles, 6 University of California, Los Angeles Center for Culture, Brain and Development, 7 Brain Research Institute, 8 Department of Neurology, Department of Pharmacology, & Department of Radiological Sciences, David Geffen School of Medicine and 9 Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA 
Pages
143-157
Publication year
2009
Publication date
Jun 2009
Publisher
Oxford University Press
ISSN
17495016
e-ISSN
17495024
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3171551534
Copyright
© The Author(s) (2009). Published by Oxford University Press. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.