How is self-defeating humor associated with perceptions of the physical self? A large-sample resting-state fMRI study

Abstract

Self-defeating humor (SDH), characterized by self-ridicule to gain social approval, has been consistently linked to the body-image disturbance. However, its neural underpinnings remain poorly understood. The present study investigated the neural mechanisms linking SDH to negative physical self-perceptions in a large sample ( N = 1668). Participants completed measures of humor style and negative physical self, and resting-state functional MRI. Behaviorally, SDH was positively correlated with all dimensions of negative physical self. Whole-brain fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations analyses revealed that SDH was associated with decreased activity in the right parahippocampal gyrus, left caudate, right posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), and right precuneus (PCUN), but increased activity in the right postcentral gyrus (PoCG). Resting-state functional connectivity analyses showed SDH was negatively associated with caudate–occipital and PCC–PCUN connectivity but positively associated with PCC–occipital and PCUN–occipital connectivity. Mediation analyses identified a negative indirect effect through PoCG activity, and a positive indirect effect through PCUN activity in the associations of SDH with negative evaluations of general appearance and fatness, respectively. These findings highlight the role of brain regions involved in self–other information processing in linking SDH to maladaptive self-perceptions, thereby advancing our understanding of the neural pathways through which humor styles influence psychological health.