Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-19-2022
Journal / Book Title
Brain Sciences
Abstract
Self-enhancement (SE) is often overlooked as a fundamental cognitive ability mediated via the Prefrontal Cortex (PFC). Here, we present research that establishes the relationship between the PFC, SE, and the potential evolved beneficial mechanisms. Specifically, we believe there is now enough evidence to speculate that SE exists to provide significant benefits and should be considered a normal aspect of the self. Whatever the metabolic or social cost, the upside of SE is great enough that it is a core and fundamental psychological construct. Furthermore, though entirely theoretical, we suggest that a critical reason the PFC has evolved so significantly in Homo sapiens is to, in part, sustain SE. We, therefore, elaborate on its proximate and ultimate mechanisms.
DOI
10.3390/brainsci12081103
Montclair State University Digital Commons Citation
Yasin, Saeed; Fierst, Anjel; Keenan, Harper; Knapp, Amelia; Gallione, Katrina; Westlund, Tessa; Kirschner, Sydney; Vaidya, Sahana; Qiu, Christina; Rougebec, Audrey; Morss, Elodie; Lebiedzinski, Jack; Dejean, Maya; and Keenan, Julian Paul, "Self-Enhancement and the Medial Prefrontal Cortex: The Convergence of Clinical and Experimental Findings" (2022). Department of Biology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works. 585.
https://digitalcommons.montclair.edu/biology-facpubs/585
Rights
© 2022 by the authors. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Published Citation
Yasin, S., Fierst, A., Keenan, H., Knapp, A., Gallione, K., Westlund, T., Kirschner, S., Vaidya, S., Qiu, C., Rougebec, A., Morss, E., Lebiedzinski, J., Dejean, M., & Keenan, J. P. (2022). Self-Enhancement and the Medial Prefrontal Cortex: The Convergence of Clinical and Experimental Findings. Brain Sciences, 12(8), 1103. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12081103