Neural oscillations related to self-evaluation in social comparison context: an EEG study
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1
Peking University, Department of Psychology, China
From a theory of social comparison, establishing self-evaluation is not only based on objective world, but also calls for comparing with others (Festinger, 1954). Although social comparison is a critical social process that helps us to construct the self schema, whether it could influence the underlying dynamic neural mechanisms of self-evaluation is still obscure. Here, we address this issue by recording 62-channel electroencephalograph (EEG) from sixteen subjects while they performed self- and other- related trait judgments in the two contexts: comparative and non-comparative context. First, the results of phase-locked evoked potentials showed stronger comparison-context modulations for self- than other-judgment in the frontal regions at 350-450 ms. Using the wavelet time-frequency analysis, we calculated non-phase-locked event-related desynchronization/synchronization (ERD/ERS) induced by the self and other-judgment in the two contexts at the delta (2-4 Hz), theta (5-7 Hz), alpha1 (8-10Hz), alpha2 (11-13 Hz), beta (14-26 Hz) and gamma (28-40 Hz) rhythms. Spectra power analyses showed that compared to other-judgment, the self condition consistently induced stronger ERD around 400 ms at the alpha2, beta and gamma bands as a common neural event regardless of the context type. More importantly, context could modulate early (100-200 ms) gamma ERD related to self- and other-judgment in a distinct way, which is showed by less ERD for the self but more ERD for other-evaluation in the comparative than non-comparative context. In conclusion, both the phase-locked and non-phase-locked activities related to self-evaluation can be modulated by social-comparison context.
Acknowledgements
Chinese Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Project 2011M500171)
Keywords:
EEG,
Self evaluation,
social comparison,
Neural oscillations,
time-frequency analysis
Conference:
ACNS-2012 Australasian Cognitive Neuroscience Conference, Brisbane, Australia, 29 Nov - 2 Dec, 2012.
Presentation Type:
Oral Presentation
Topic:
Emotion and Social
Citation:
Mu
Y
(2012). Neural oscillations related to self-evaluation in social comparison context: an EEG study.
Conference Abstract:
ACNS-2012 Australasian Cognitive Neuroscience Conference.
doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2012.208.00070
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Received:
25 Oct 2012;
Published Online:
07 Nov 2012.
*
Correspondence:
Dr. Yan Mu, Peking University, Department of Psychology, Beijing, 100871, China, jellytt.mu@gmail.com