Self-referential processing in adolescents: Stability of behavioral and ERP markers

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• The self-referential encoding task (SRET) is an implicit measure of self-schema, frequently used to investigate cognitive biases in depression, particularly in adolescents.
• Limited research exists on the temporal stability of behavioral and electrocortical (ERPs) effects elicited by the SRET.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the stability of behavioral markers and event-related potentials (ERPs) from the SRET over a three-month period in healthy, female adolescents.
• To determine the reliability of the SRET as a tool for probing self-referential processing in this demographic.

Main Methods:

• Thirty-one healthy, female adolescents completed a diagnostic interview and depression self-report at baseline.
• Participants underwent the SRET with 128-channel electroencephalography (EEG) recording to measure early (P1) and late positive potential (LPP) ERPs.
• The SRET and ERPs were re-administered after a three-month interval, along with a depression self-report measure.

Main Results:

• Healthy adolescents consistently endorsed, recalled, and recognized more positive than negative words, with stable effects over time (rs = .44–.83).
• Faster reaction times were observed for endorsing self-relevant positive words compared to negative words at both assessments (r = .82).
• ERPs showed stable and reliable patterns over time, with potentiated P1 and LPP positivity for positive versus negative words (rs = .56–.83; internal reliability rs = .52–.80).

Conclusions:

• The SRET demonstrates robust behavioral and neural stability in healthy female adolescents over a three-month period.
• These findings support the SRET's utility as a reliable tool for assessing self-referential processing and associated cognitive biases in adolescent research.