The temporal dynamics of brain networks underlying value-modulated self-representation: An ERP microstate study
Boyi Zhang1, Ya Wang1, Xin Wu1
1Department of Psychology, Xinxiang Medical University, Henan 453003, China; Center for Cognition, Emotion, and Body (CCEB), Xinxiang Medical University, Xinxiang, Henan 453003, China.
None:
Understanding how the brain dynamically coordinates large-scale networks to support the flexible self-concept remains a central challenge. This study combined a minimal group paradigm with a Self-Referential Processing of Group-Related Traits task and ERP microstate analysis to investigate the spatiotemporal dynamics underlying value-modulated self-representation. Participants (N = 37) judged whether ingroup/outgroup traits, labeled as highly/low-valued, described themselves. Behaviorally, self-endorsement was higher for ingroup-highly-valued (IGHC) than outgroup-highly-valued (OGHC) traits, with no difference between ingroup-low-valued (IGLC) and outgroup-low-valued (OGLC) traits. Microstate analysis revealed that during late processing (475-900 ms), IGHC traits elicited longer duration and larger area under the curve for Microstate 4 (MS4), but shorter duration and reduced intensity for Microstate 5 (MS5). Source localization traced these effects to increased activation in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex/anterior cingulate and decreased activation in the left insula for IGHC. These findings indicate that value-modulated self-representation involves a dynamic trade-off between late-stage brain networks: MS4 supports alignment with a value-congruent social identity, while MS5 subserves personal self-representation. This provides a mechanistic, network-level account of how social context shapes the neural architecture of the self.
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