Early Adolescent Aggression and Sexual Behavior Relate to Later Neural Self-other Overlap .

1. Early Adolescent Aggression and Sexual Behavior Relate to Later Neural Self-other Overlap. Casey Brown, Lane Beckes, James A. Coan, & Joseph P. Allen University of Virginia • Introduction • Theories of interpersonal relationships have suggested that overlaps in the representation of self and others may be important predictors of interpersonal phenomena (Aron &Aron, 1996). • Within-subjects correlations of time series data can be used to create an individual differences measure of self-other overlap in the neural response to threat (Beckes & Coan, in press). • Such individual difference measures of self-other overlap in the neural response to threat have been shown to correlate with measures of self-reported empathy, mother supportiveness, and neighborhood quality (Beckes & Coan, in press). • Could interpersonal phenomena in early adolescence (age 13) predict later individual differences in self-other overlap (ages 23-26)? Results Correlations from other brain regions Higher levels of sexual and aggressive behaviors at age 13 correspond with less self-other overlap—a putative neural index of empathy—with both friends and strangers in adulthood. Individual differences in neural self-other empathy: Results in Left orbitofrontal cortex as an exemplar Left orbitofrontal cortex Methods • Participants • 22 participants and their friends • recruited from a community sample, Kliff/ VIDA lab (Allen et al. 2007) • Race: 14 White, 8 African American • Behavioral Measures • Participants completed self-report measures (age 13) assessing • whether or not they’d had sex • the degree to which they’d participated in sex-like activities (making out) • their attitudes toward aggression • crimes they’d committed against other persons. More experience with making out and sexual activity at age 13 is associated withdecreased self-other overlap at ages 23-26. r = -.28 r = -.48* • Threat-of-shock fMRIparadigm (Coan et al., 2006) • 5 blocks of shock trials counterbalanced across subjects • 3 in which the participant themselves received a shock while they were either alone, holding a partner’s hand, or a stranger’s handin the scanner • 1 in which the participant held a stranger’s hand while the stranger was shocked • 1 in which the participant held a friend’shand while the friend was shocked Experience THREAT SAFETY FIXATION END REST Discussion Positive attitudes toward aggression and crimes committed against persons are both associated withdecreased self-other overlap at ages 23-26. • A putative neural measure of empathy—self-other overlap—measured in adulthood negatively correlates with measures obtained in early adolescence of self-reported experiences of making out, having sex, possessing positive attitudes toward aggression, and committing crimes against persons. • Given the orbitofrontal cortex’s role in integrative representations of the self and its evaluative situation (Damasio, 1994), we believe our measure of self-other overlap may represent a neural marker of interpersonal emotional identification akin to empathy (Beckes, Coan, & Allen, Submitted). • It is possible that individuals who lack the ability to identify and empathize with friends may seek out sexual activities as an alternative means of connecting with others in early adolescence. • Adolescents possessing positive attitudes toward aggression may harbor such attitudes because they have a more difficult time understanding the impact that aggression has on others. r = -.28 r = -.46* r = -.36 r = -.66** ROIs were determined using a whole brain corrected cluster analysis, z > 2.3, an p < .05 on the threat-to-self activation maps. To operationalize self-other overlap at the individual level, we correlated BOLD response within ROIs between the threat-to-self threat trials and the threat-to-other threat trials to get a correlation between self and other BOLD response during threat over time. References Allen, J. P., Porter, M., McFarland, C., McElhaney, K. B., & Marsh, P. (2007). The relation of attachment security to adolescents’ paternal and peer relationships, depression, and externalizing behavior. Child Development, 78, 1222-1239. Aron, E. N., &Aron, A. (1996). Love and expansion of the self: The state of the model. Personal Relationships, 3, 45-58. Beckes, L. & Coan, J.A. (in press). Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. Beckes, L., Coan, J. A. & Allen, J. P. (Submitted). Coan et al. (2006). Lending a hand: social regulation of the neural response to threat. PsycholSci, 17, 1032-9. Damasio AR (1994) Descartes' error. New York: Putnam.