Neural responses to exclusion predict susceptibility to social influence

Abstract

Purpose: Social influence is prominent across the lifespan, but sensitivity to influence is especially high during adolescence and is often associated with increased risk taking. Such risk taking can have dire consequences. For example, in American adolescents, traffic-related crashes are leading causes of nonfatal injury and death. Neural measures may be especially useful in understanding the basic mechanisms of adolescents' vulnerability to peer influence.

Methods: We examined neural responses to social exclusion as potential predictors of risk taking in the presence of peers in recently licensed adolescent drivers. Risk taking was assessed in a driving simulator session occurring approximately 1 week after the neuroimaging session.

Results: Increased activity in neural systems associated with the distress of social exclusion and mentalizing during an exclusion episode predicted increased risk taking in the presence of a peer (controlling for solo risk behavior) during a driving simulator session outside the neuroimaging laboratory 1 week later. These neural measures predicted risky driving behavior above and beyond self-reports of susceptibility to peer pressure and distress during exclusion.

Conclusions: These results address the neural bases of social influence and risk taking; contribute to our understanding of social and emotional function in the adolescent brain; and link neural activity in specific, hypothesized, regions to risk-relevant outcomes beyond the neuroimaging laboratory. Results of this investigation are discussed in terms of the mechanisms underlying risk taking in adolescents and the public health implications for adolescent driving.

Keywords: Adolescent behavior; Driving; Mentalizing; Neuroimaging; Peer influence; Risk taking; Social exclusion; Social influence; Social pain; fMRI.

Figure 1. Overview of study protocol

First, participants completed an fMRI scanning session in which neural activity was recorded during an exclusion episode. Next, approximately one week later, driving behavior was recorded in a driving simulator, while participants drove alone, and in the presence of a peer (confederate).

Figure 2. Driving Simulator

During the driving session, participants drove in a fixed-base, partial cab driving simulator.

Figure 3

3a. Anatomical regions of Interest (ROIs) comprising the putative social pain system. Primary results averaged activity in anterior insula (AI) and subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (subACC). Additional results also computed including the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC). 3b) Scatter plot of residualized parameter estimates (percent signal change for exclusion > inclusion) extracted from the combined ROIs during Cyberball predicting risk taking during the passenger drive, controlling for drive order, passenger type and solo drive behavior.

Figure 4

4a. Functional regions of interest (fROIs) were identified within the anatomical ROIs pictured in Figure 3, during exclusion compared to inclusion (thresholded at p<.005, k=10). 4b) Scatter plot of residualized parameter estimates (percent signal change for exclusion > inclusion) during Cyberball within the identified clusters, predicting risk taking during the passenger drive, controlling for drive order, passenger type and solo drive behavior.

Figure 5

5a. Anatomical regions of Interest (ROIs) comprising the mentalizing system. Primary results averaged activity in dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC), right temporal parietal junction (right TPJ), and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). 5b) Scatter plot of residualized parameter estimates (percent signal change for exclusion > inclusion) extracted from the combined ROIs during Cyberball predicting risk taking during the passenger drive, controlling for drive order, passenger type and solo drive behavior.

Figure 6

6a. Functional regions of interest (fROIs) were identified within the anatomical ROIs pictured in Figure 5, during exclusion compared to inclusion (thresholded at p<.005, k=10). 6b) Scatter plot of residualized parameter estimates (percent signal change for exclusion > inclusion) during Cyberball within the identified clusters, predicting risk taking during the passenger drive, controlling for drive order, passenger type and solo drive behavior.