self-referential processing

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

Neural and cognitive processes by which the brain generates and evaluates representations of the self; associated with activity in the default mode network and the medial prefrontal cortex; considered central to autobiographical memory, self-knowledge, and the narrative sense of personal identity

History and origin

From psychology of self and cognitive neuroscience; the default mode network was identified by Marcus Raichle et al. in 2001 and linked to self-referential processing

Examples

• Self-referential processing in the medial prefrontal cortex is reduced under general anaesthesia and in certain disorders of consciousness.
• Mindfulness meditation appears to modulate self-referential processing by changing the habitual mode of relating to thoughts about the self.

Synonyms: self-processing, self-reflection, default mode activity