Self-Affirmation Activates the Ventral Striatum: A Possible Reward-Related Mechanism for Self-Affirmation. (April 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Dutcher, Janine M.; Creswell, J. David; Pacilio, Laura E.; Harris, Peter R.; Klein, William M. P.; Levine, John M.; Bower, Julienne E.; Muscatell, Keely A.; Eisenberger, Naomi I.
• Is Part Of: Psychological science. Volume 27:Number 4(2016:Apr.)
• Page Start: 455
• Page End: 466
• Publication Date: 2016-04
• Subjects: self-affirmation -- ventral striatum -- neural reward regions; Psychology -- Periodicals; 150.5
• DOI: 10.1177/0956797615625989
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0956-7976

Abstract

Self-affirmation (reflecting on important personal values) has been shown to have a range of positive effects; however, the neural basis of self-affirmation is not known. Building on studies showing that thinking about self-preferences activates neural reward pathways, we hypothesized that self-affirmation would activate brain reward circuitry during functional MRI (fMRI) studies. In Study 1, with college students, making judgments about important personal values during self-affirmation activated neural reward regions (i.e., ventral striatum), whereas making preference judgments that were not self-relevant did not. Study 2 replicated these results in a community sample, again showing that self-affirmation activated the ventral striatum. These are among the first fMRI studies to identify neural processes during self-affirmation. The findings extend theory by showing that self-affirmation may be rewarding and may provide a first step toward identifying a neural mechanism by which self-affirmation may produce a wide range of beneficial effects.