The Effects of Rejection Sensitivity on Attention and Performance Monitoring Event-Related Potentials
Location
Culp Ballroom
Start Date
4-7-2022 9:00 AM
End Date
4-7-2022 12:00 PM
Poster Number
47
Faculty Sponsor’s Department
Psychology
Name of Project's Faculty Sponsor
Eric Sellers
Additional Sponsors
Alyson Chroust, Ginette Blackhart, Meredith Ginley
Competition Type
Competitive
Type
Poster Presentation
Project's Category
Psychology
Abstract or Artist's Statement
Rejection sensitivity (RS) is defined as the tendency to anxiously anticipate, perceive, and overreact to real or perceived rejection and can have significant effects on interpersonal relationships. Previous research has shown the negative social effects of RS, particularly in the context of romantic relationships, but less is known about the cognitive implications of having high levels of RS. Specifically, it is unclear whether a heightened sensitivity to rejection is associated with enhanced error processing or feedback evaluation. The current study used EEG to examine the effect of RS on two event-related potential (ERP) components associated with error monitoring and feedback evaluation, error-related negativity (ERN) and feedback-related negativity (FRN), respectively. Participants completed a Flanker task during which they received either social (faces) or nonsocial (symbols) feedback about their performance. Results showed an increased ERN on error trials for individuals with higher RS. Although the FRN was not influenced by RS, there was an expectancy-valence interaction. FRN amplitude was also sensitive to condition, with correct feedback eliciting significantly more negative FRN in the social condition compared to the nonsocial condition; FRN for unexpected feedback was also greater in the social condition. Overall, the results suggest a relationship between error monitoring and RS, as well as a relationship between social information and feedback processing. Future research should further explore the relationship between rejection sensitivity, attention, and social feedback processing.
The Effects of Rejection Sensitivity on Attention and Performance Monitoring Event-Related Potentials
Culp Ballroom
Rejection sensitivity (RS) is defined as the tendency to anxiously anticipate, perceive, and overreact to real or perceived rejection and can have significant effects on interpersonal relationships. Previous research has shown the negative social effects of RS, particularly in the context of romantic relationships, but less is known about the cognitive implications of having high levels of RS. Specifically, it is unclear whether a heightened sensitivity to rejection is associated with enhanced error processing or feedback evaluation. The current study used EEG to examine the effect of RS on two event-related potential (ERP) components associated with error monitoring and feedback evaluation, error-related negativity (ERN) and feedback-related negativity (FRN), respectively. Participants completed a Flanker task during which they received either social (faces) or nonsocial (symbols) feedback about their performance. Results showed an increased ERN on error trials for individuals with higher RS. Although the FRN was not influenced by RS, there was an expectancy-valence interaction. FRN amplitude was also sensitive to condition, with correct feedback eliciting significantly more negative FRN in the social condition compared to the nonsocial condition; FRN for unexpected feedback was also greater in the social condition. Overall, the results suggest a relationship between error monitoring and RS, as well as a relationship between social information and feedback processing. Future research should further explore the relationship between rejection sensitivity, attention, and social feedback processing.