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Neural Correlates of Direct and Reflected Self‐Appraisals in Adolescents and Adults: When Social Perspective‐Taking Informs Self‐Perception
Author(s) -
Pfeifer Jennifer H.,
Masten Carrie L.,
Borofsky Larissa A.,
Dapretto Mirella,
Fuligni Andrew J.,
Lieberman Matthew D.
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2009.01314.x
Subject(s) - psychology , perception , perspective (graphical) , functional magnetic resonance imaging , developmental psychology , cognition , self , social cognition , social perception , theory of mind , superior temporal sulcus , prefrontal cortex , posterior parietal cortex , cognitive psychology , neuroscience , social psychology , artificial intelligence , computer science
Classic theories of self‐development suggest people define themselves in part through internalized perceptions of other people’s beliefs about them, known as reflected self‐appraisals. This study uses functional magnetic resonance imaging to compare the neural correlates of direct and reflected self‐appraisals in adolescence ( N = 12, ages 11–14 years) and adulthood ( N = 12, ages 23–30 years). During direct self‐reflection, adolescents demonstrated greater activity than adults in networks relevant to self‐perception (medial prefrontal and parietal cortices) and social‐cognition (dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, temporal–parietal junction, and posterior superior temporal sulcus), suggesting adolescent self‐construals may rely more heavily on others’ perspectives about the self. Activity in the medial fronto‐parietal network was also enhanced when adolescents took the perspective of someone more relevant to a given domain.