Reassessing the Neural Correlates of Social Exclusion: A Replication Study of the Cyberball Paradigm Using Arterial Spin Labeling

Background/Objectives: The cyberball paradigm has been used in numerous neuroimaging studies to elicit activation in neural substrates of social exclusion, which have been interpreted in terms of activity associated with "social pain". The objectives of the study were to assess not only the replicability but also the specificity of the areas activated by this paradigm. Methods: Functional imaging with arterial spin labeling, an approach to image longer mental states. Results: We replicated findings of previous meta-analyses of this paradigm in the inferior frontal gyrus and ventral cingular cortex. However, these areas were also active in a watch condition (in which participants were not excluded), although less so. Conclusions: These findings relativize a simple and specific interpretation of these areas as the neural substrates of social exclusion and social pain, as in previous studies. In a broader experimental context, similar activations have been reported by neuroimaging studies when semantic disambiguation and evaluation of action goals are required, an interpretation that may also apply to the effects elicited by this paradigm.