Longing for belonging: Feeling loved (or not) and why it matters

Abstract Objective This study tested the hypothesis that adults who report having been unloved/rejected in childhood are likely to show greater activation in specific brain regions than adults who report a history of parental love/acceptance. Background Interpersonal acceptance‐rejection theory (IPARTheory) argues that a specific set of effects of perceived parental acceptance and rejection appear with such near invariance across populations worldwide that it is likely that they are related to humankind's common biocultural evolution. If this is true, specific brain mechanisms are likely to differentially characterize responses to parental acceptance versus rejection. Method Using fMRI, the study experimentally manipulated rejection during a computer‐based ball‐toss game among 40 young adults. One group reported having been loved/accepted by both parents in childhood and self‐reported being psychologically well‐adjusted (AcceptedAdjusted, n = 20). The other group reported having been unloved/rejected by both parents in childhood and self‐reported being psychologically maladjusted (RejectedMaladjusted, n = 20). Results Members of the RejectedMaladjusted group—as compared to members of the AcceptedAdjusted group—had increased activation in the posterior cingulate cortex and anterior cingulate cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, medial prefrontal cortex, insula, cuneus, precuneus, and amygdala. These brain regions critically support emotion processing. Conclusion This study provides a foundation for understanding neural mechanisms underlying emotion processing, as influenced by adults' memories of parental love or lack of love (acceptance‐rejection) in childhood. Implications Findings may help clinicians and practitioners design therapeutic interventions that can lead to structural and functional changes in brain areas associated with emotion regulation, possibly counteracting some of the negative effects of early emotional trauma.