When Being Different Becomes an Asset or a Burden: The Interaction Effect between Cultural Estrangement and Self-Esteem on Default Mode Network Activity

The study examines how cultural estrangement—feeling different from one's culture—interacts with self-esteem to affect brain activity in the default mode network (DMN), a set of brain regions linked to self-referential thought. Among individuals with low self-esteem, higher cultural estrangement was associated with greater DMN activity, suggesting a burden. Conversely, for those with high self-esteem, higher cultural estrangement corresponded to reduced DMN activity, indicating it may function as an asset. The findings indicate that the psychological impact of feeling culturally different depends on one's level of self-esteem, with the DMN reflecting this interaction.

Study at a glance

Abstract

When Being Different Becomes an Asset or a Burden: The Interaction Effect between Cultural Estrangement and Self-Esteem on Default Mode Network Activity