Amygdala reactivity as a marker of differential susceptibility to socioeconomic resources during early adulthood

Bibliographic Data

ID9789708
AuthorsArianna M Gard (0000-0001-5770-8972, corresponding author), Daniel S Shaw (0000-0001-9111-9258, Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition), Erika E Forbes (0000-0003-0659-7744, University of Pittsburgh), Luke W Hyde (0000-0002-5947-7896)
Year2018
Volume54
Issue12
Pages2341-2355
Publication date2018-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueDevelopmental Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0012-1649 • E-ISSN: 1939-0599
PublisherAmerican Psychological Association (APA) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1037/dev0000600
PMID30359060
OpenAlexW2898494660
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited10

Models of differential susceptibility hypothesize that neural function may be a marker of differential susceptibility to context, but no studies have tested this hypothesis. Using a sample of 310 young men from low-income urban neighborhoods, this study investigated amygdala reactivity to facial expressions as a moderator of the relations between socioeconomic resources and later antisocial behavior (AB) and income. For individuals with high amygdala reactivity, greater socioeconomic resources at age 20 predicted less AB and greater income at age 22. For young men with low amygdala reactivity, however, socioeconomic resources at age 20 did not predict later outcomes. Amygdala reactivity to fearful facial expressions, key to the etiology of AB, moderated links between resources and AB. In contrast, amygdala reactivity more generally to multiple facial expressions moderated the effects of resources on later income attainment. Both interactions met rigorous quantitative criteria for patterns of differential susceptibility rather than diathesis stress or vantage sensitivity. Moreover, these associations remained significant after inclusion of socioeconomic resources during earlier developmental periods. These results suggest that greater amygdala reactivity to facial expressions is a marker of greater susceptibility to context, for better or for worse, during the transition to adulthood. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved)

Amygdala · Context (archaeology · Developmental psychology · Moderation · Population · Reactivity (psychology · Socioeconomic status · Young adult · Clinical Psychology · Cognitive Abilities and Testing · Demography · Identity, Memory, and Therapy · Medicine · Mental Health Research Topics · Neuroscience · Psychology · Social Psychology

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