Exclusion and micro-rejection: event-related potential response predicts mitigated distress.
We studied time-based neural activity with event-related potentials (ERPs) in young adults during a computer-simulated ball-toss game. Experiencing fair play initially, participants were ultimately excluded by other players. Dense-array ERPs showed time-dependent associations between slow-wave activity (580-900 ms) in left prefrontal/medial frontal cortical regions for exclusion events and self-reported distress. More subtle 'micro-rejections' during fair play showed a similar distress to ERP association (420-580 ms). In both cases, greater positive amplitude neural activity was associated with less post-exclusion distress. Findings suggest that rapidly occurring neural responses to social exclusion events are linked to individual differences in ostracism-related distress. Relations emerged even during fair play, providing a window into the neural basis of more subtle social-cognitive perceptual processes.
Crowley
Michael J
MJ
Yale Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06473, USA. michael.crowley@yale.edu
Wu
Jia
J
McCarty
Erika R
ER
David
Daryn H
DH
Bailey
Christopher A
CA
Mayes
Linda C
LC
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D001245:Association Learning / Q000502:physiology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003210:Concept Formation; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D012059:Rejection, Psychology; D012934:Social Isolation / Q000523:psychology*; D012938:Social Perception; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult