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Examining the Effects of Social Exclusion on Neural and Behavioral Indices of Self-Regulatory Action Monitoring
Research funded by a grant from NSF. (2013)
  • Jason R. Themanson, Illinois Wesleyan University
  • Aaron B. Ball, University of Chicago
  • Stephanie M. Khatcherian, Illinois Wesleyan University
  • Peter J. Rosen, Washington State University
Abstract

Being the target of social exclusion produces a number of negative consequences, including deficits in cognitive functioning related to self-regulation and general cognition. While such effects have been acknowledged, there is a lack of literature examining the influence of social exclusion on both neural and behavioral indices of self-regulatory action monitoring processes during task performance. Accordingly, the current study utilized event-related brain potentials (ERPs) to investigate the influence of social exclusion, created through the use of the Cyberball paradigm, on neural and behavioral indices of self-regulatory action monitoring processes implemented during the execution of a modified flanker task. Specifically, the study examined the error-related negativity (ERN), a neural index of self-regulation following performance errors, and post-error response accuracy, a behavioral indicator of the ability to correct behavior. Results indicated that participants who were excluded during the Cyberball paradigm showed subsequent decreases in both ERN amplitude and post-error response accuracy following social exclusion. Conversely, participants who were not excluded during Cyberball evidenced greater ERN amplitude and improved post-error response accuracy following the Cyberball interaction. These findings suggest that self-regulatory action monitoring processes, including the ability to effectively detect and correct performance errors during task execution, are compromised following the experience of being excluded from a social interaction.

Disciplines
Publication Date
2013
Citation Information
Jason R. Themanson, Aaron B. Ball, Stephanie M. Khatcherian and Peter J. Rosen. "Examining the Effects of Social Exclusion on Neural and Behavioral Indices of Self-Regulatory Action Monitoring" Research funded by a grant from NSF. (2013)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/jason_themanson/19/