Files and links (2)
Gender differences in brain activity when exposed to cyberbullying- Associations between wellbeing and cyberbullying experience using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging2.71 MB
Published VersionCC BY-NC-ND V4.0, Open Access
Journal article
Gender differences in brain activity when exposed to cyberbullying: Associations between wellbeing and cyberbullying experience using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Current Research in Neurobiology, Vol.3, pp.1-8
2022
Appears in Thompson Institute Research Collection
Abstract
The role of gender and the associated brain activation when witnessing cyberbullying requires investigation. The current study aimed to determine whether brain responses to cyberbullying differ according to gender and level of wellbeing. We hypothesised that females and males would activate different regions of the brain when witnessing cyberbullying, and that this would be influenced by wellbeing levels and prior cyberbullying experiences. Blood-oxygenation-level-dependent (BOLD) responses were examined in participants (N = 32, aged 18–25 years; 66% female) whilst observing cyberbullying versus neutral stimuli during a functional MRI. Results revealed significant correlations between BOLD signal and achievement scores among males, but not females, with previous experiences of cyberbullying, in regions including the cerebellum, the superior and inferior frontal gyrus, and the precuneus. Furthermore, males who previously cyberbullied others, with higher scores in achievement (a wellbeing sub-category), activated brain regions associated with executive function, social cognition, and self-evaluation, when viewing the cyberbullying stimuli. In addition, despite gender, BOLD signal in the cingulate gyrus was negatively correlated with cyberbullying scores, and BOLD signal in the left dorsal caudate and the cerebellum was independently and positively correlated with achievement scores. Taken together, these findings provide insights into brain responses to cyberbullying scenarios and emphasize that there are some significant variations according to gender. The overall finding that males activated brain regions linked to varying aspects of cognition, whereas females more often activated regions linked to emotion processing and empathy is important for future research in this area.
Details
- Title
- Gender differences in brain activity when exposed to cyberbullying: Associations between wellbeing and cyberbullying experience using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging
- Authors
- Larisa McLoughlin (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Thompson InstituteZack Shan (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Thompson InstituteAbdalla Z Mohamed (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Thompson InstituteAmanda Boyes (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Thompson InstituteChristina Driver (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Thompson InstituteJim Lagopoulos (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Thompson InstituteDaniel F Hermens (Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Thompson Institute
- Publication details
- Current Research in Neurobiology, Vol.3, pp.1-8
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd, Current Opinion Journals
- Date published
- 2022
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.crneur.2022.100054
- ISSN
- 2665-945X; 0959-4388
- Copyright note
- © 2022 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/bync-nd/4.0/).
- Organisation Unit
- Graduate Research School; University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland; Thompson Institute
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99673697802621
- Output Type
- Journal article
Metrics
149 File views/ downloads
45 Record Views