A Comparative Event-Related Potential Study

The phenomenon of social exclusion can be investigated by using a virtual ball-tossing game called Cyberball. In neuroimaging studies, structures have been identified which are activated during social exclusion. But to date the underlying mechanisms are not fully disclosed. In previous electrophysiological studies it was shown that the P3 complex is sensitive to exclusion manipulations in the Cyberball paradigm and that there is a correlation between P3 amplitude and self-reported social pain. Since this posterior event-related potential (ERP) was widely investigated using the oddball paradigm, we directly compared the ERP effects elicited by the target (Cyberball: “ball possession”) and non-target (Cyberball: “ball possession of a co-player) events in both paradigms. Analyses mainly focused on the effect of altered stimulus probabilities of the target and non-target events between two consecutive blocks of the tasks. In the first block, the probability of the target and non-target event was 33% (Cyberball: inclusion), in the second block target probability was reduced to 17%, and accordingly, non-target probability was increased to 66% (Cyberball: exclusion). Our results indicate that ERP amplitude differences between inclusion and exclusion are comparable to ERP amplitude effects in a visual oddball task. We therefore suggest that ERP effects–especially in the P3 range–in the Oddball and Cyberball paradigm rely on similar mechanisms, namely the probability of target and non-target events. Since the simulation of social exclusion (Cyberball) did not trigger a unique ERP response, the idea of an exclusion-specific neural alarm system is not supported. The limitations of an ERP-based approach will be discussed

Bürgerwissenschaftliche Forschungsansätze in Medizin und Gesundheitsforschung: ausgewählte Begriffe mit Fokus auf den Beteiligungsgrad

In den Bürgerwissenschaften, auch bekannt unter dem englischen Begriff Citizen Science, existiert eine Vielzahl an Forschungsansätzen und Methoden. Während diese in vielen wissenschaftlichen Disziplinen gut etabliert sind, finden sich augenscheinlich relativ wenige davon in der medizinischen und Gesundheitsforschung. Allerdings zeigt ein Blick in die Praxis, dass bürgerwissenschaftliche Ansätze in der Medizin und Gesundheitsforschung durchaus praktiziert werden, jedoch häufig unter anderen Namen. Der Artikel bietet aus interdisziplinärer Perspektive einen (selektiven) Überblick über Begriffe, reflektiert diese und die dahinterstehenden Methoden und diskutiert sie vergleichend. Im Fokus steht dabei der Grad der Beteiligung der Bürger*innen bzw. Patient*innen an wissenschaftlicher Forschung.In citizen science, a variety of research approaches and methods exist. While these are well established in many scientific disciplines, there are apparently relatively few of them in medical and health research. However, a glance at practice shows that citizen science approaches are indeed practiced in medical and health research, but often under different names. The paper therefore provides a (selective) overview of these terms, reflects on them and the methods behind them, and discusses them comparatively from an interdisciplinary perspective. The focus is on the degree of active participation of citizens and patients in research

Electrophysiological correlates of social exclusion and inclusion in the Cyberball paradigm

Das Paradigma, das am häufigsten genutzt wird, um die Effekte von sozialem Ausschluss unter experimentellen Bedingungen zu untersuchen, ist ein virtuelles Ballspiel namens „Cyberball“. Verglichen mit einer Einschlusssituation werden durch den Ausschluss vier fundamentale soziale Bedürfnisse (Zugehörigkeit, Selbstwert, Sinn der eigenen Existenz und Kontrolle) bedroht (Williams, 2007). Diese Reaktion wird im Rahmen des Need- Threat-Modells für sozialen Ausschluss als reflexiv beschrieben und soll den Charakter eines Frühwarnsystems haben, das auch neuronal implementiert sein soll. Ziel der Arbeit war es, in einer Reihe von Experimenten die beteiligten Prozesse durch die Erfassung ereigniskorrelierter Hirnpotenziale zu identifizieren, die bei der Verarbeitung von sozialem Ein- und Ausschluss im Cyberball-Paradigma aktiviert werden. Mithilfe eines partiellen Ausschlusses wurde die Verarbeitung des Ballerhalts in verschiedenen Situationen untersucht. Als einzige Komponente, die reliabel auf sozialen Ein- oder Ausschluss reagiert, konnte die P3-Komponente identifiziert werden. Durch einen direkten Vergleich des Cyberball- und Oddball-Paradigmas wurde nachgewiesen, dass in beiden Paradigmen ähnliche Prozesse aktiviert werden und die elektrophysiologischen Effekte unabhängig von der wahrgenommenen Bedürfnisbedrohung auftraten. Auch wurden sie weitestgehend nicht davon beeinflusst, ob eine Situation als sozial wahrgenommen wurde oder nicht. Desweiteren konnte durch eine experimentelle Trennung der Wahrscheinlichkeit des Ballerhalts von der Erwartung auf den Ballerhalt gezeigt werden, dass die Verletzung von Erwartungshaltungen sowohl die Effekte auf der Ebene der P3 als auch das wahrgenommene Ausschlussgefühl im Cyberball-Paradigma erklären kann. Es wird vorgeschlagen, diesen Mechanismus in das Need-Threat-Modell mit aufzunehmen, um die neurowissenschaftlichen und sozialpsychologischen Befunde integrieren zu können.The most widely used paradigm to study the effects of social exclusion in an experimentally controlled environment is a virtual ball-tossing game called “Cyberball”. According to the need-threat model (Williams, 2007) four fundamental social needs (belonging, self-esteem, meaningful existence, and control) are threatened after social exclusion compared to inclusion. The model states that this reflexive response serves as an early detection system for social exclusion. It proposes that there is a specific neural basis for the perception of social need threat. The aim of the present work was to identify electrophysiological correlates of social inclusion and exclusion in the Cyberball paradigm, and to reveal the underlying mechanisms inducing these effects. In a series of experiments a partial exclusion condition was used to analyze the processing of ball reception under various conditions. The P3 component was the only event-related brain potential which was reliably affected by social exclusion or inclusion. By directly comparing the Cyberball and oddball paradigm it was shown that similar processes are elicited in both tasks. The electrophysiological effects obtained during Cyberball were largely independent from the appraisal of a situation as social or non-social or from a feeling of exclusion. In another experiment the probability of ball reception was separated from the expectancy for ball reception. Evidence was provided that the violation of expectancy for social involvement can explain the effects on the P3 amplitude, and on perceived social exclusion. Therefore it was proposed to include the processing of expectancy violations in the need-threat model for social exclusion to integrate the findings of different fields of psychological research, like social psychology and neuroscience

Weschke Niedeggen 2016 Comparing the Cyberball and Oddball paradigm Plos One questionnaire and ERP data

Weschke, S. & Niedeggen, M. (2016). Target and non-target processing during Oddball and Cyberball: a comparative event-related potential study.<br> <br>ERP and questionnaire data (.sav, .xls)<br

The effect of the physical presence of co-players on perceived ostracism and event-related brain potentials in the cyberball paradigm.

The affective and cognitive mechanisms elicited by the experience of social exclusion-or ostracism-have recently been explored using behavioral and neurocognitive methods. Most of the studies took advantage of the Cyberball paradigm, a virtual ball tossing game with presumed co-players connected via the internet. Consistent behavioral findings indicate that exclusion obviously threatens fundamental social needs (belonging, self-esteem, meaningful existence, and control) and lowers mood. In this study, we followed the question whether the credibility of the setting affects the processing of social exclusion. In contrast to a control group (standard Cyberball setup), co-players were physically present in an experimental group. Although the credibility of the virtual ball tossing game was significantly enhanced in the experimental group, self-reported negative mood and need threat were not enhanced compared to the control group. Event-related brain potentials (ERPs), however, indicated a differential processing of social exclusion. The N2 amplitude triggered by occasional ball receptions was significantly reduced in the experimental group. This effect was restricted for an early time range (130-210 ms), and did not extend to the following P3 components. The ERP effect in the N2 time range can be related to a differential social reward processing in ostracism if co-players are physically present. The lack of a corresponding correlate in the behavioral data indicates that some facets of ostracism processing are not covered by questionnaire data

ERP data.

<p>Grand-averaged ERPs for the event “ball possession of the participant” in the <i>Inclusion</i> (dark grey) and <i>Exclusion</i> condition (light grey) recorded from the electrode positions Fz, Cz and Pz. Three time windows are highlighted: 130–210 ms (N2), 240–300 ms (P3a), and 300–410 ms (P3b). (A) Superimposition of the ERP traces in the group <i>Internet</i>: Co-players are assumed to be connected via internet. (B) Superimposition of the ERP traces in the group <i>Presence</i>: Co-players are physically present in the lab.</p

Behavioral data

<p>Behavioral results of the <i>Internet</i> and <i>Presence</i> group for the <i>Inclusion</i> and <i>Exclusion</i> blocks are depicted. Mean values and standard deviations (in brackets) are presented.</p

Electrophysiological data of the Oddball and Cyberball group for the two experimental blocks.

<p>Electrophysiological data of the Oddball and Cyberball group for the two experimental blocks.</p

Experimental setting for the <i>Internet</i> (I) and <i>Presence</i> (II) condition.

<p>The real participant was always sitting at position C. In the <i>Internet</i> group, the two “co-players” were depicted by two photographs. In the <i>Presence</i> group, the confederates “A” and “B” pretended to be involved in the ball tossing game, which was actually possible only in 15 training trials at the beginning of the game. Please note that the photographs of co-players depicted do not refer to real persons, but are morphs of different portraits.</p