title: Electrified emotions: Modulatory effects of transcranial direct stimulation on negative emotional reactions to social exclusion.
abstract: Social exclusion, ostracism, and rejection can be emotionally painful because they thwart the need to belong. Building on studies suggesting that the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (rVLPFC) is associated with regulation of negative emotions, the present experiment tests the hypothesis that decreasing the cortical excitability of the rVLPFC may increase negative emotional reactions to social exclusion. Specifically, we applied cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the rVLPFC and predicted an increment of negative emotional reactions to social exclusion. In Study 1, participants were either socially excluded or included, while cathodal tDCS or sham stimulation was applied over the rVLPFC. Cathodal stimulation of rVLPFC boosted the typical negative emotional reaction caused by social exclusion. No effects emerged from participants in the inclusion condition. To test the specificity of tDCS effects over rVLPFC, in Study 2, participants were socially excluded and received cathodal tDCS or sham stimulation over a control region (i.e., the right posterior parietal cortex). No effects of tDCS stimulation were found. Our results showed that the rVLPFC is specifically involved in emotion regulation and suggest that cathodal stimulation can increase negative emotional responses to social exclusion.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of Milano-Bicocca , Milan , Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Riva
authors.forename: Leonor J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Romero Lauro
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vergallito
authors.forename: C Nathan
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: DeWall
authors.forename: Brad J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Bushman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology*; D012929:Psychological Distance; D065908:Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cathodal stimulation; Hurt feelings; Negative emotions; Social exclusion; Social pain; Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS)