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Huang J, Wu H, Sun X, Qi S. The impact of threat of shock-induced anxiety on alerting, orienting, and executive function in women: an ERP study. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2023; 23:1513-1533. [PMID: 37853300 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-023-01133-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
The present study used a combination of the Threat-of-Shock paradigm and the Attention Network Test (ANT) to investigate how induced anxiety affects alerting, orienting, and executive control and whether individual differences in threat sensitivity moderate these effects. Forty-two female subjects completed the ANT task in alternation under shock-threat and no-shock ("safe") conditions while event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded. The results showed that anxiety induced by the threat of shock had a significant impact on alerting and executive control functions at the neural level. Specifically, alerting-related N1 and stimulus-preceding negativity (SPN) differences between double cue and no cue conditions were greater in the threat versus safe state, suggesting that the induced anxiety promoted the early perception of cues and preparation for the target. Moreover, executive control-related P3 and sustained potential (SP) differences between incongruent and congruent trials were greater in the threat versus safe state, indicating that the induced anxiety might improve the attentional allocation efficiency and stimulate subjects to recruit more cognitive resources to resolve conflicts. However, orienting-related ERPs were not affected by the threat of shock, but the threat of shock promoted the processing efficiency of spatial-cue at the behavioral level. Analysis of individual differences revealed that trait anxiety moderated the attentional allocation efficiency when performing executive control related tasks in the threat versus safe state. Our findings demonstrate the adaptive significance of the threat of shock-induced anxiety in that being in an anxious state can enhance individuals' alerting, orienting, and executive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junjie Huang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, China
| | - Huimin Wu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, China
| | - Xinyan Sun
- MOE Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, China
| | - Senqing Qi
- MOE Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062, China.
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Gorka AX, Philips RT, Torrisi S, Claudino L, Foray K, Grillon C, Ernst M. The Posterior Cingulate Cortex Reflects the Impact of Anxiety on Drift Rates During Cognitive Processing. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2023; 8:445-451. [PMID: 35381405 PMCID: PMC9526763 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2022.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Generally, anxiety is thought to impair ongoing cognitive operations. Surprisingly, however, anxiety has been shown to improve performance during the Go/NoGo task. Understanding how anxiety can facilitate task performance may shed light on avenues to address the cognitive deficits commonly associated with anxiety. METHODS A total of 39 participants (mean age ± SD = 27.5 ± 7.22 years; 18 women) performed a Go/NoGo task during periods of safety and periods of experimental anxiety, induced using the unpredictable delivery of aversive stimuli. Computational analysis and ultrahigh field (7T) functional magnetic resonance imaging were used to determine how induced anxiety affected computational processes and blood oxygen level-dependent responses during the task. RESULTS Induced anxiety improved accuracy during the Go/NoGo task. Induced anxiety was associated with an amplified drift rate process, which is thought to reflect increased informational uptake. In addition, changes in drift rate during the anxiety condition were associated with enhanced blood oxygen level-dependent responses within the posterior cingulate cortex during Go trials. CONCLUSIONS These results may reflect the impact of induced anxiety on the activity of neurons within the posterior cingulate cortex, whose activity patterns mimic the buildup of evidence accumulation. Collectively, these results shed light on the mechanisms underlying facilitated task performance and suggest that anxiety can improve cognitive processing by enhancing information uptake and increasing activity within the posterior cingulate cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam X Gorka
- Section on the Neurobiology of Fear and Anxiety, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
| | - Ryan T Philips
- Section on the Neurobiology of Fear and Anxiety, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Salvatore Torrisi
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California; Advanced MRI Technologies LLC, Sebastopol, California
| | - Leonardo Claudino
- Section on the Neurobiology of Fear and Anxiety, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Katherine Foray
- Section on the Neurobiology of Fear and Anxiety, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Christian Grillon
- Section on the Neurobiology of Fear and Anxiety, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Monique Ernst
- Section on the Neurobiology of Fear and Anxiety, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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Ribes-Guardiola P, Ventura-Bort C, Poy R, Segarra P, Branchadell V, Moltó J. Attention-affect interactions and triarchic psychopathy: New electrophysiological insights from the late positive potential. Psychophysiology 2023; 60:e14222. [PMID: 36416527 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Revised: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
One of the most prominent characteristics of psychopathy is a reduced processing of emotionally relevant information. However, it is still unclear how attentional mechanisms may modulate this deficit. The current study aimed to examine the impact of attentional focus on emotion processing in relation to the triarchic constructs of boldness, meanness, and disinhibition. Participants performed two tasks in which pleasant, neutral, and unpleasant framed pictures were presented. In the first task, participants were required to indicate the color of the frame (alternative-focus task), whereas in the second task they were instructed to indicate the emotional category of the image (affect-focus task). The Late Positive Potential (LPP) was used as an index of sustained engagement of attention to affective material. Confirming a successful task manipulation, we observed reduced LPP amplitudes, particularly for affective relevant material, in the alternative-focus task compared to the affect-focus task. Most interestingly, our results evidenced that trait meanness scores were associated with blunted elaborative processing of affective material (both appetitive and aversive) when this information was task-relevant (affect-focus task), but not when it was task-irrelevant (alternative-focus task). These findings indicate that high mean individuals are characterized by blunted elaborative processing of affective stimuli when their motivational relevance is determined in a top-down manner (i.e., when it is task-relevant). Our results highlight the need for further studying of the bottom-up and top-down dynamics of emotional attention in psychopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Ribes-Guardiola
- Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Basic and Clinical Psychology, and Psychobiology, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló, Spain
| | - Carlos Ventura-Bort
- Department of Biological Psychology and Affective Science, Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Rosario Poy
- Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Basic and Clinical Psychology, and Psychobiology, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló, Spain
| | - Pilar Segarra
- Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Basic and Clinical Psychology, and Psychobiology, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló, Spain
| | - Victoria Branchadell
- Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Basic and Clinical Psychology, and Psychobiology, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló, Spain
| | - Javier Moltó
- Affective Neuroscience Lab, Department of Basic and Clinical Psychology, and Psychobiology, Universitat Jaume I, Castelló, Spain
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Wang J, Sun D, Jiang J, Wang H, Cheng X, Ruan Q, Wang Y. The effect of courage on stress: The mediating mechanism of behavioral inhibition and behavioral activation in high-risk occupations. Front Psychol 2022; 13:961387. [PMID: 36059774 PMCID: PMC9434112 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.961387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Employees in high-risk occupations are exposed to tremendous work acute stress or prolonged stress disorders that are likely to undermine the health and organizational effectiveness. Based on positive psychology, courage which refers to behavioral approach despite the experience of fear could buffer the negative effects on stress. However, there is little known about the mechanisms by which courage decreases the risk of stress. Motivational systems may play an underlying role in this process, as behavioral inhibition system (BIS) is inhibited and behavioral activation system (BAS) is evoked by risk or threat. The current study aimed to examine the mediating effects of behavioral inhibition and activation on the relationship between courage and stress in the high-risk occupations. This study recruited 1,761 high-risk employees aged from 18 to 27 (M = 19.32; SD = 4.14) with a cluster sampling method who completed Courage Measure (CM), the BIS/BAS Scales and the Psychological Stress Evaluation Test (PSET). The correlation and mediation analyses examined the inter-variable correlations as well as the underlying mechanism between courage and stress. The results support the hypothesis and reveal that the behavioral inhibition mediates the association between courage and stress (Bindirect = −0.02, p < 0. 01, 95%CI = −0.03 to −0.003). The behavioral activation of fun seeking mediates the association between courage and stress as well (Bindirect = −0.04, p < 0. 01, 95%CI = −0.058 to −0.029). These findings suggest that behavioral inhibition and activation of fun seeking play imperative mechanism underpinning the buffering effect of courage on stress. Other theoretical and applied implications for desensitizing stress in the high-risk occupations are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Wang
- Department of Developmental Psychology of Armyman, School of Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Dingyu Sun
- College of Basic Medicine, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Juan Jiang
- School of Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Huizhong Wang
- School of Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiaotong Cheng
- Unit 32298 of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, Weifang, China
| | - Qianying Ruan
- Department of Blood Transfusion, The First Affiliated Hospital of Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yichao Wang
- Graduate School, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
- *Correspondence: Yichao Wang,
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Wang J, Wang H, Jiang J, Cheng X, Xu K, Xia F, Chang L, Ji Y, Feng Z. The Validity of Virtual Courage for Trainees in High-Risk Occupations. Psychol Res Behav Manag 2022; 15:1783-1796. [PMID: 35860202 PMCID: PMC9292066 DOI: 10.2147/prbm.s371653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Employees in high-risk occupations are exposed to tremendous work stress that hinders organizational effectiveness and personal mental health. Based on positive psychology, courage can be considered a protective factor that buffers the adverse effect of high-risk surroundings on employees. However, little is known about the way courage is simulated or evaluated in response to safety concerns. Virtual reality (VR) is an accessible tool for courage simulation due to its immersive qualities, presence and interactive features and may provide a promising pathway to achieve a scientific, accurate and ecologically valid evaluation of high-risk employees. Methods The sample consisted of 51 high-risk employees who were recruited voluntarily. Before and after experiencing the VR courage scenarios, the participants completed the VR features questionnaire, the Physical Courage at Work Scale (PCWS), the Courage Measure (CM), and the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS). During the process of watching the VR courage scenarios, the participants’ heart rate and skin conductance at resting-state baseline and during virtual courage scenarios were recorded through HTC VIVE Pro Eye and BioGraph Infiniti 8. Results The results support the hypothesis and reveal that the interaction, immersion and presence scores of the scenarios were all significantly higher than the median 4 points. The score for the CM in the posttest was significantly higher than that in the pretest. The scared and afraid scores for the posttest were significantly higher than those for the pretest. The heart rate and skin conductance of each scenario showed an increase compared with the baseline. The Pearson’s correlation between physiological indicators and the score of the PCWS was 0.28~0.54. Conclusion This study developed virtual courage for high-risk occupations based on well-established theory and VR technology. Experimental data revealed that the paradigm conformed to the requirements of VR features and was able to activate fear and evoke the quality of courage. Thus, the virtual courage paradigms have good validity in simulating scenarios for high-risk employees, which might accelerate organizational effectiveness while buffering working stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Wang
- Department of Developmental Psychology of Armyman, School of Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Huizhong Wang
- School of Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Juan Jiang
- School of Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaotong Cheng
- Unit 32298 of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Weifang, People's Republic of China
| | - Ke Xu
- Shigatse Branch, Xinqiao Hospital, Army 953 Hospital, Army Medical University, Shigatse, People's Republic of China
| | - Fan Xia
- School of Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Le Chang
- School of Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yede Ji
- Army Engineering University, Xuzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhengzhi Feng
- Department of Developmental Psychology of Armyman, School of Psychology, Army Medical University, Chongqing, People's Republic of China
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Perkins ER, King BT, Sörman K, Patrick CJ. Trait boldness and emotion regulation: An event-related potential investigation. Int J Psychophysiol 2022; 176:1-13. [PMID: 35301027 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2022.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The present study sought to extend knowledge of the role of boldness, a transdiagnostic bipolar trait dimension involving low sensitivity to threat, in emotional reactivity and regulation using physiological and report-based measures. One prior study found that boldness was associated with reduced late positive potential (LPP) while passively viewing aversive images, but not during emotion regulation; a disconnect between LPP and self-reported reactivity was also observed. Here, participants (N = 63) completed an emotion regulation task in which they either passively viewed or effortfully up- or downregulated their emotional reactivity to pleasant, unpleasant, and neutral pictures while EEG activity was recorded; they later retrospectively rated the success of their regulation efforts. ANOVAs examining the interactive effects of regulation instruction and boldness on LPP amplitude revealed that lower boldness (higher trait fearfulness) was associated with paradoxical increases in LPP to threat photos during instructed downregulation, relative to passive viewing, along with lower reported regulation success on these trials. Unexpectedly, similar LPP effects were observed for affective images overall, and especially nurturance photos. Although subject to certain limitations, these results suggest that individual differences in boldness play a role not only in general reactivity to aversive stimuli, as evidenced by prior work, but in the ability to effortfully downregulate emotional response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily R Perkins
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA.
| | - Brittany T King
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA; Partial Hospitalization Program, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
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Edens JF, Smith ST, Sörman K, Kelley SE, Rulseh A, Mowle EN. Can the Comprehensive Assessment of Psychopathic Personality Be Used to Measure the Triarchic Model Constructs of Boldness, Meanness, and Disinhibition? A Scale Derivation Study. J Pers Disord 2021; 35:1-S8. [PMID: 33107808 DOI: 10.1521/pedi_2020_34_493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Can the components of the triarchic model of psychopathy (i.e., boldness, meanness, disinhibition) be operationalized using the item pool comprising the Comprehensive Assessment of Psychopathic Personality (CAPP) model? To address this question, the authors first derived CAPP-based triarchic scales using standard item-selection procedures and then examined the external correlates of these provisional scales in three archival data sets: (a) U.S. jail inmates administered the institutional rating scale version of the CAPP and (b and c) prototypicality ratings of the CAPP traits provided by Swedish forensic mental health professionals and U.S. probation officers. Although most research on triarchic constructs has relied exclusively on self-report inventories, the results suggest that the CAPP model can be reorganized to reflect boldness, meanness, and disinhibition and that its institutional rating scale items can effectively quantify these constructs using interview and file review data. Implications for future research on the measurement and assessment of psychopathic traits are discussed.
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Lowman KL, Patrick CJ, Perkins ER, Bottesi G, Caruso M, Giulini P, Sica C. Evaluating the validity of brief prototype-based informant ratings of triarchic psychopathy traits in prisoners. BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES & THE LAW 2021; 39:641-662. [PMID: 34658071 PMCID: PMC9297945 DOI: 10.1002/bsl.2542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The validity of self-report psychopathy assessment has been questioned, especially in forensic settings where clinical evaluations influence critical decision-making (e.g., institutional placement, parole eligibility). Informant-based assessment offers a potentially valuable supplement to self-report but is challenging to acquire in under-resourced forensic contexts. The current study evaluated, within an incarcerated sample (n = 322), the extent to which brief prototype-based informant ratings of psychopathic traits as described by the triarchic model (boldness, meanness, disinhibition; Patrick et al., 2009) converge with self-report trait scores and show incremental validity in predicting criterion measures. Self/informant convergence was robust for traits of boldness and disinhibition, but weaker for meanness. Informant-rated traits showed incremental predictive validity over self-report traits, both within and across assessment domains. These findings indicate that simple prototype-based informant ratings of the triarchic traits can provide a useful supplement to self-report in assessing psychopathy within forensic-clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey L. Lowman
- Department of PsychologyFlorida State UniversityTallahasseeFloridaUSA
| | | | - Emily R. Perkins
- Department of PsychologyFlorida State UniversityTallahasseeFloridaUSA
| | - Gioia Bottesi
- Department of General PsychologyUniversity of PadovaPadovaItaly
| | - Maria Caruso
- Department of Health SciencesPsychology SectionUniversity of FirenzeFirenzeItaly
| | - Paolo Giulini
- Department of Health SciencesPsychology SectionUniversity of FirenzeFirenzeItaly
| | - Claudio Sica
- Department of Health SciencesPsychology SectionUniversity of FirenzeFirenzeItaly
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Sica C, Perkins ER, Latzman RD, Caudek C, Colpizzi I, Bottesi G, Caruso M, Giulini P, Cerea S, Patrick CJ. Psychopathy and COVID-19: Triarchic model traits as predictors of disease-risk perceptions and emotional well-being during a global pandemic. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2021; 176:110770. [PMID: 33612905 PMCID: PMC7879152 DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2021.110770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2020] [Revised: 01/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
This study extended recent research showing that perceptions of disease risk are associated with emotional well-being during COVID-19 by examining how psychopathic traits of boldness, meanness, and disinhibition influence these perceptions and psychological outcomes. During the Italian national lockdown, a large community sample (M age = 31.3 years) completed online questionnaire measures of the triarchic psychopathic traits, perceptions of disease susceptibility and danger, and recent well-being. Path analyses revealed differing roles for the triarchic traits: boldness and meanness predicted greater well-being (lower stress, higher positive affect) and disinhibition predicted lower well-being. Further, boldness and meanness were linked to well-being through distinct indirect pathways of low perceived susceptibility to infection (boldness) and low perceived dangerousness of COVID-19 (boldness and meanness). Findings speak to the triarchic model's utility in explaining socioemotional phenomena during times of crisis and support the distinct biobehavioral conceptualizations of boldness as low threat sensitivity, meanness as low affiliative capacity, and disinhibition as deficient affective and behavioral control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Sica
- Department of Health Sciences, Psychology Section, University of Firenze, Via San Salvi, 12 Firenze, Italy
| | - Emily R Perkins
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, 1107 W. Call St., Tallahassee, FL, United States
| | - Robert D Latzman
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, 140 Decatur St., Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Corrado Caudek
- Department of Neurosciences, Psychology, Drug Research, and Child Health, University of Firenze, Via San Salvi, 12 Firenze, Italy
| | - Ilaria Colpizzi
- Department of Neurosciences, Psychology, Drug Research, and Child Health, University of Firenze, Via San Salvi, 12 Firenze, Italy
| | - Gioia Bottesi
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia, 8 Padova, Italy
| | - Maria Caruso
- Department of Health Sciences, Psychology Section, University of Firenze, Via San Salvi, 12 Firenze, Italy
| | - Paolo Giulini
- Department of Health Sciences, Psychology Section, University of Firenze, Via San Salvi, 12 Firenze, Italy
| | - Silvia Cerea
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia, 8 Padova, Italy
| | - Christopher J Patrick
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, 1107 W. Call St., Tallahassee, FL, United States
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