T are adaptive (Nelson and Guyer, 2011; Crone and Dahl, 2012). In other words, adolescents might engage in risk taking to impress peers and achieve or maintain higher social status, instead of risk taking resulting from a lack in the ability to regulate their socially induced emotional tendencies. Indeed, the importance of social status, relative to other domains, peaks during early adolescence (LaFontana and Cillessen, 2010). Furthermore, results of a longitudinal study among high school students showed that engaging in smoking behavior in tenth grade led to increased social Necrostatin-1 solubility status over time (Mayeux et al., 2008). Together, these findings suggest that adolescence is a time in development during which individuals engage in risk taking as a form of status-seeking behavior. Moreover, a common (neural) mechanism may underlie the motivation to achieve higher social status and to engage in risk taking (Bhanji and Delgado, 2014). One model for understanding the possible links between status-seeking and risk-taking tendencies in adolescence focuses on pubertal changes in social and affective valuation (Nelson et al., 2005; Forbes and Dahl, 2010; Crone and Dahl, 2012). Specifically, hormonal changes might promote adaptive tendencies for youth to explore ways to enhance status (i.e. to find a niche that provides admiration). Indeed, the rise in testosterone and estradiol during puberty is thought to reorganize the adolescent brain (Sisk and Zehr, 2005; Schulz et al., 2009) andimpact social behaviors (Schulz and Sisk, 2006; Forbes and Dahl, 2010) as well as risk taking (Peper and Dahl, 2013). Previous studies in adults have shown that testosterone is involved in the attainment and maintenance of social status (Eisenegger et al., 2011; Terburg and Van Honk, 2013). For example, a study using a LT-253 web multi-player auction task in young adult men showed that higher levels of testosterone corresponded with a willingness to incur monetary losses by overbidding, for the sake of winning the auction (Van den Bos et al., 2013). Less is known about the role of estradiol in status-seeking behavior, although existing findings in female adults suggest that estradiol leads to behaviors that augment social status, particularly in women who are competing with other women (Knight and Mehta, 2014). Together, these findings suggest that the rise in testosterone and estradiol during puberty may play a role in enhancing status-relevant information, which in turn may increase statusseeking behaviors, such as risk taking, across adolescence. In this study, we set out to investigate the role of pubertal hormones (testosterone and estradiol) in social influences on adolescent risky decisions and associated reward-related brain processes. To maximize the variance of our pubertal measures while keeping age relatively constant, we recruited participants around the onset of puberty. In this early adolescent sample, we tested whether information about one’s social status in the form of social rank performance feedback compared to monetary performance feedback differentially influenced risk taking and/or reward processing. In keeping with current understandings of the neural networks involved in social cognition in adolescence (reviewed in Blakemore, 2008), multiple brain regions might differentiate these feedback conditions. In particular, sensitivity to the presence of social hierarchies engages the dorsal anterior cingulate and insular cortices (reviewed in Chiao, 2010), which, alo.T are adaptive (Nelson and Guyer, 2011; Crone and Dahl, 2012). In other words, adolescents might engage in risk taking to impress peers and achieve or maintain higher social status, instead of risk taking resulting from a lack in the ability to regulate their socially induced emotional tendencies. Indeed, the importance of social status, relative to other domains, peaks during early adolescence (LaFontana and Cillessen, 2010). Furthermore, results of a longitudinal study among high school students showed that engaging in smoking behavior in tenth grade led to increased social status over time (Mayeux et al., 2008). Together, these findings suggest that adolescence is a time in development during which individuals engage in risk taking as a form of status-seeking behavior. Moreover, a common (neural) mechanism may underlie the motivation to achieve higher social status and to engage in risk taking (Bhanji and Delgado, 2014). One model for understanding the possible links between status-seeking and risk-taking tendencies in adolescence focuses on pubertal changes in social and affective valuation (Nelson et al., 2005; Forbes and Dahl, 2010; Crone and Dahl, 2012). Specifically, hormonal changes might promote adaptive tendencies for youth to explore ways to enhance status (i.e. to find a niche that provides admiration). Indeed, the rise in testosterone and estradiol during puberty is thought to reorganize the adolescent brain (Sisk and Zehr, 2005; Schulz et al., 2009) andimpact social behaviors (Schulz and Sisk, 2006; Forbes and Dahl, 2010) as well as risk taking (Peper and Dahl, 2013). Previous studies in adults have shown that testosterone is involved in the attainment and maintenance of social status (Eisenegger et al., 2011; Terburg and Van Honk, 2013). For example, a study using a multi-player auction task in young adult men showed that higher levels of testosterone corresponded with a willingness to incur monetary losses by overbidding, for the sake of winning the auction (Van den Bos et al., 2013). Less is known about the role of estradiol in status-seeking behavior, although existing findings in female adults suggest that estradiol leads to behaviors that augment social status, particularly in women who are competing with other women (Knight and Mehta, 2014). Together, these findings suggest that the rise in testosterone and estradiol during puberty may play a role in enhancing status-relevant information, which in turn may increase statusseeking behaviors, such as risk taking, across adolescence. In this study, we set out to investigate the role of pubertal hormones (testosterone and estradiol) in social influences on adolescent risky decisions and associated reward-related brain processes. To maximize the variance of our pubertal measures while keeping age relatively constant, we recruited participants around the onset of puberty. In this early adolescent sample, we tested whether information about one’s social status in the form of social rank performance feedback compared to monetary performance feedback differentially influenced risk taking and/or reward processing. In keeping with current understandings of the neural networks involved in social cognition in adolescence (reviewed in Blakemore, 2008), multiple brain regions might differentiate these feedback conditions. In particular, sensitivity to the presence of social hierarchies engages the dorsal anterior cingulate and insular cortices (reviewed in Chiao, 2010), which, alo.
