Experiencing and observing social exclusion and inclusion, as well as prosocial behavior, are important aspects of social relationships in childhood. However, it is currently unknown to what extent... Show moreExperiencing and observing social exclusion and inclusion, as well as prosocial behavior, are important aspects of social relationships in childhood. However, it is currently unknown to what extent these processes and their neural correlates differ in heritability. We investigated influences of genetics and environment on experiencing social exclusion and compensating for social exclusion of others with the Prosocial Cyberball Game using fMRI in a twin sample (aged 7–9; N = 500). Neuroimaging analyses (N = 283) revealed that experiencing possible self-exclusion resulted in activity in inferior frontal gyrus and medial prefrontal cortex, which was influenced by genetics and unique environment. Experiencing self-inclusion was associated with activity in anterior cingulate cortex, insula and striatum, but this was not significantly explained by genetics or shared environment. We found that children show prosocial compensating behavior when observing social exclusion. Prosocial compensating behavior was associated with activity in posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus, and showed unique environmental effects or measurement error at both behavioral and neural level. Together, these findings show that in children neural activation for experiencing possible self-exclusion and self-inclusion, and for displaying prosocial compensating behavior, is accounted for by unique environmental factors and measurement error, with a small genetic effect on possible self-exclusion. Show less
Children and adolescents who are chronically rejected by their peers suffer from widespread impairments in daily life, ranging from poor academic achievement and dropping out of school, to... Show moreChildren and adolescents who are chronically rejected by their peers suffer from widespread impairments in daily life, ranging from poor academic achievement and dropping out of school, to delinquency and the development of mental health problems. To gain a better understanding of the developmental processes that give rise to such impairments, the research described in this dissertation examined the neurocognitive underpinnings of processes that play a role in the emergence and maintenance of peer group rejection and acceptance. The first part of this dissertation focuses on neurocognitive processes underlying reactions to social exclusion. The second part concentrates on the neurocognitive processes involved in sharing valuable resources, based on the widely established finding that frequent displays of prosocial behaviors, such as cooperating, helping, and sharing, are associated with both gaining and maintaining acceptance among peers. The empirical work in this dissertation demonstrates that a developmental cognitive neuroscience approach provides unique insights into the emotional, regulatory, and socio-cognitive processes thought to play a role in the emergence and maintenance of peer group acceptance and rejection. Show less
As infants are fully dependent on their parents, correct perception and interpretation of infant signals is crucial for infant survival. It is therefore not surprising that specific brain circuits... Show moreAs infants are fully dependent on their parents, correct perception and interpretation of infant signals is crucial for infant survival. It is therefore not surprising that specific brain circuits and neuroendocrine processes have evolved to perceive infant signals correctly and to respond adequately. However, parents vary in their ability to respond to their infants in a sensitive way and several factors may be involved in parental sensitive responsiveness. One important factor influencing parenting behavior is the neuropeptide oxytocin. Of all the hormones involved in parenting and other social behaviors, oxytocin has received the most interest, as evidenced by the high number of scientific studies over the past decade (Bos, Panksepp, Bluthé, & Honk, 2012; Van IJzendoorn & Bakermans-Kranenburg, 2012). Many studies suggest that oxytocin is related to sensitive parenting (Bakermans-Kranenburg & Van IJzendoorn, 2008; Feldman, Weller, Zagoory-Sharon, & Levine, 2007), although the exact mechanism underlying this positive association is not entirely clear yet. Another factor that influences parenting behavior is adult state of mind with respect to attachment (Van IJzendoorn, 1995). In the current dissertation, the role of oxytocin and adult attachment in parenting is examined with a series of functional magnetic resonance imaging experiments. Show less
