Brain Systems that Mediate both Emotion and Cognition

The relationship between spiritual wellbeing, pain catastrophizing, and pain perception: An exploration of pain perception in individuals with chronic pain

Spiritual wellbeing correlates with improved pain perception. We hypothesize that pain catastrophizing, which correlates with worsened pain, partially explains this relationship. In this cross-sectional, human laboratory-based study, 120 US Americans with chronic pain completed self-report measures of spiritual wellbeing, pain catastrophizing, and their subconstructs. A cold pressor task measured pain perception (i.e. pain sensitivity and pain tolerance). Multiple regressions evaluated the relationship between spiritual wellbeing (and its subconstructs) and pain perception with and without the inclusion of pain catastrophizing (and its subconstructs). No direct relationships were found between spiritual wellbeing or its subconstructs and pain sensitivity, although helplessness significantly altered regression coefficients. Spiritual wellbeing, meaning, and peace associated less strongly with pain tolerance controlling for pain catastrophizing, helplessness, and (for peace) magnification. This shows that many of the links between spiritual wellbeing and pain perception are indirect, through pain catastrophizing and especially helplessness.

Jumping to Conclusions: Mechanisms of Cognitive Control in Decision-Making Under Uncertainty

Cognitive control encompasses mental processes that regulate thoughts and actions to achieve specific goals. It is essential in decision-making, facilitating attention management, impulse inhibition, and adaptation to new information-skills critical for rational choices, particularly under uncertainty. In jumping to conclusions (JTC), where individuals make premature decisions based on limited evidence, cognitive control deficits are often implicated. Cognitive stability helps maintain focus and resist distractions but may lead to premature conclusions if excessive. In contrast, cognitive flexibility supports adaptive decision-making by incorporating new information but may foster hasty decisions if insufficient. This study examined JTC and cognitive control mechanisms in 200 university students. Participants completed the Box Task under varied uncertainty conditions, tasks assessing stability (Flanker-Simon Task) and flexibility (Letter-Number Task), and the BIS/BAS questionnaire. Cluster analysis identified three evidence-gathering profiles: minimal, moderate, and extensive. Significant differences were found between clusters in both flexibility and stability, with individuals in the extensive evidence-gathering cluster showing superior cognitive control. However, higher uncertainty amplified the reliance on flexibility, highlighting its role in adapting to challenging conditions, while stability remained unaffected. No significant association emerged between BIS/BAS indices and Box Task performance. These findings emphasize the interplay between uncertainty, cognitive control, and decision-making, underscoring the need for further research to refine interventions targeting decision-making biases.

Neurophysiological effects of altruistically motivated craft activities in occupational therapy: A pilot study using frontal EEG and heart rate variability analysis

Introduction

Occupational therapy utilizes altruistically motivated activities, potentially influencing both frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) associated with approach motivation and autonomic responses. This study examines the effects of altruistically motivated craft activities on FAA and autonomic activity.

Methods

Fifteen rehabilitation students (21.0 ± 0.4 years) performed a netcraft task under altruistic and selfish conditions. EEG and ECG were measured during the craft task, and FAA and autonomic indices were analyzed.

Results

FAA score was significantly higher in the altruistic condition (p = .040, d = 0.59), indicating increased approach motivation. Sympathetic activity was significantly lower in the altruistic condition (p = .018, r = -0.68), indicating reduced sympathetic activity.

Conclusions

Altruistically motivated craft activities increased relative left frontal cortical activity and decreased sympathetic activity, highlighting their potential benefit in occupational therapy. These findings are not only consistent with previous research, but also support the inclusion of altruistic activities in therapeutic interventions to improve mental health and well-being.

The Childhood Opportunity Index 2.0: Factor Structure in 9-10 Year Olds in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study

The built physical and social environments are critical drivers of child neural and cognitive development. This study aimed to identify the factor structure and correlates of 29 environmental, education, and socioeconomic indicators of neighborhood resources as measured by the Child Opportunity Index 2.0 (COI 2.0) in a sample of youths aged 9-10 enrolled in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. This study used the baseline data of the ABCD Study (n = 9767, ages 9-10). We used structural equation modeling to investigate the factor structure of neighborhood variables (e.g., indicators of neighborhood quality including access to early child education, health insurance, walkability). We externally validated these factors with measures of psychopathology, impulsivity, and behavioral activation and inhibition. Exploratory factor analyses identified four factors: Neighborhood Enrichment, Socioeconomic Attainment, Child Education, and Poverty Level. Socioeconomic Attainment and Child Education were associated with overall reduced impulsivity and the behavioral activation system, whereas increased Poverty Level was associated with increased externalizing symptoms, an increased behavioral activation system, and increased aspects of impulsivity. Distinct dimensions of neighborhood opportunity were differentially associated with aspects of psychopathology, impulsivity, and behavioral approach, suggesting that neighborhood opportunity may have a unique impact on neurodevelopment and cognition. This study can help to inform future public health efforts and policy about improving built and natural environmental structures that may aid in supporting emotional development and downstream behaviors.

Increased behavioural inhibition and decreased behavioural activation in whiplash-associated disorders: Associations with health outcomes

BACKGROUND

Motivation can be investigated with the BIS (Behavioural Inhibition System)/BAS (Behavioural Activation System) scale. BAS regulates the motivation to approach goal-oriented outcomes, particularly rewarding stimuli and situations, while BIS regulates escape and avoidance of unpleasant outcomes. Chronic whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) is a heterogenous pain condition with known alterations in motivated behaviour. The study aimed (1) to investigate the relationship between BIS/BAS, and pain and disability with quality of life and psychological measures in chronic WAD; (2) to determine if BIS and/or BAS mediate the relationships between pain, disability, and psychological symptoms and quality of life.

METHODS

254 chronic WAD patients participated in the study. Outcome measures were assessed using self-report questionnaires. BIS/BAS scores were compared to published normative data. Differences in health outcomes for participants within/outside normative 95% confidence intervals were compared and correlations with health measures tested. Mediation models explored bi-directional associations between stress, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress severity, pain catastrophizing, and quality of life with pain and disability.

RESULTS

Participants who exceeded normative 95% confidence intervals for BIS demonstrated higher scores for pain interference, disability and all mental health measures. No mediating role of BIS/BAS on the relation between pain and disability with quality of life and health outcomes could be confirmed.

CONCLUSIONS

A comparatively large proportion of the sample exceeded the 95% confidence interval for BIS and BAS scores with associations of these scores with health outcomes, but altered motivation to approach goal-oriented outcomes appears to play only a subordinate role in chronic WAD.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT

In line with current theories, we found a large proportion (30%-50%) of patients with whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) showing signs of altered function in the Behavioural Inhibition System (BIS) and Behavioural Activation System (BAS) suggesting altered reward processing and motivation in these patients. While such altered functions showed associations with pain interference, disability and all mental health measures, reward processing could no be demonstrated as a pathogenetically relevant factor in chronic WAD patients.

Behavioral Inhibition and Fear: The Moderating Role of Emotional Competence and Gender in Preadolescents

BACKGROUND

The behavioral inhibition system (BIS) is a key motivational system that shapes human emotions and behaviors; specifically, the BIS regulates avoidance behaviors, and it is linked to negative emotions such as fear and anxiety. Previous studies have demonstrated a link between high BIS scores and attentional bias to threat in children, but literature is inconsistent. This may be due to differences in the individual awareness of emotions or in the accuracy of effectively detecting emotions. Moreover, the past literature has also found gender differences in BIS scores, which may suggest differential processes in boys and girls.

METHODS

The present study aims to investigate whether BIS scores were associated with an attentional facilitation index of fear in a sample of preadolescents (n = 264; 52.27% girls; M age = 12.98 years; SD = 0.89 years), considering the potential moderating role of (a) the awareness of others' emotions as assessed by a self-report questionnaire, (b) emotion perception accuracy of fear as assessed by a laboratory task of emotion recognition, and (c) gender.

RESULTS

Our results showed that, only in males, higher scores of the BIS were associated with a lower attentional facilitation index of fear in the conditions of low levels of emotional competence (i.e., low levels of self-reported awareness of other emotions or low levels of accuracy recognition of fearful faces).

CONCLUSIONS

Results were discussed in light of both theories of emotional development and practical clinical implications, with special attention to the emerged gender difference.

The effect of swearing on error-related negativity as an indicator for state disinhibition

Swearing has been linked to increased strength performance, and state disinhibition may be the mechanism linking swearing and strength. Error-related negativity (ERN) is a neural signal associated with response monitoring. Its reduction has been proposed as neural marker for state disinhibition, and therefore, we predicted that swearing would lead to a decreased ERN compared with neutral word repetition, indicating state disinhibition. The study (N = 52) used a within-subjects experimental design with two conditions. Participants repeated either a swear or neutral word aloud for 10 s before engaging in an arrowhead flanker task, a grip strength task, and several questionnaires. ERN was measured continually using electroencephalography (EEG). The study replicated previously found effects of swearing on strength, humour, positive emotion, and distraction. In addition, swearing was found to have a significant effect on state behavioural activation (BAS drive). However, results indicated no significant difference between conditions on ERN amplitude. This pre-registered study has confirmed that, relative to a neutral word, repeating a swear word leads to increased performance on a grip strength task while also confirming effects of swearing on positive emotion, humour, and distraction. Its novel contribution is confirming that swearing raises state behavioural activation. This supports application of Hirsh et al.'s state disinhibition theory to swearing to some extent, although the absence of any effect of swearing on ERN limits this interpretation.

A Mixture Modeling of the Behavioral Activation System and Problematic Internet Use in Adolescents: The Role of Metacognition, Online Dissociation, and Insomnia

Due to the rapidly developing technological advancements, the overuse of the Internet has led to the emergence of problematic Internet use, which has become a part of our daily lives. This study aims to investigate the relationships between problematic Internet use, Behavioral Activation System (BAS), metacognition, online dissociative experiences, and insomnia. Participants were 341 Turkish adolescents aged between 15 and 19 years (Mean = 15.49, SD = 1.03), of whom 63% were female. Participants responded to the Behavioral Inhibition/Behavioral Activation System Scale, Metacognition Questionnaire, Van Online Dissociative Experiences Schedule, Insomnia Severity Index, and Chen Internet Addiction Scale. The mixture structural equation modeling approach was used to analyze the data. We found a positive relationship between BAS and metacognition, as well as insomnia, and a negative relationship with online dissociation. Furthermore, BAS was indirectly related to problematic Internet use via metacognition, online dissociation, and insomnia. The mixture analysis grouped participants into two latent classes. The first class (76%) had low levels of metacognition, online dissociation, insomnia, and problematic Internet use and high levels of behavioral activation while the second class (24%) had low levels of behavioral activation and high levels of metacognition, online dissociation, insomnia, and problematic Internet use. These findings indicate that individuals with high impulsivity, a tendency toward fun-seeking, and reward sensitivity are predisposed to excessively use the Internet and that metacognition, online dissociative experiences, and insomnia play a determining role in this behavior.

What's in a Message? Effects of Mental Fatigue and Message Framing on Motivation for Physical Activity

Many adults worldwide do not meet current physical activity (PA) guidelines. Mental fatigue decreases the likelihood of choosing to engage in PA. Message framing may enhance PA motivation when fatigued. We examined the effects of mental fatigue and message framing on PA motivation with additional focus on the messaging "congruency effect." Three hundred and twenty undergraduates completed measures of dispositional motivational orientation and were exposed to either gain-framed or loss-framed messages before completing an effort discounting questionnaire. Results showed lower motivation to engage in PA of higher intensities and longer durations. Direct effects of message framing on PA motivation were not significant. Interaction effects revealed that participants receiving messages congruent with their dominant motivational orientation showed increased motivation for light-intensity PA and decreased motivation for vigorous-intensity PA as mental fatigue increased. Findings suggest that providing messages congruent with one's dominant motivational orientation may increase motivation for engaging in light-intensity PA when fatigued.

Relations Among Multiple Dimensions of Self-Reported Listening Effort in Response to an Auditory Psychomotor Vigilance Task

PURPOSE

Listening effort is a broad construct, and there is no consensus on how to subdivide listening effort into dimensions. This project focuses on the subjective experience of effortful listening and tests if cognitive workload, mental fatigue, and mood are interrelated dimensions.

METHOD

Two online studies tested young adults (n = 74 and n = 195) and measured subjective workload, fatigue (subscales of fatigue and energy), and mood (subscales of positive and negative mood) before and after a challenging listening task. In the listening effort task, participants responded to intermittent 1-kHz target tones in continuous white noise for approximately 12 min.

RESULTS

Correlations and principal component analysis showed that fatigue and mood were distinct but interrelated constructs that weakly correlated with workload. Effortful listening provoked increased fatigue and decreased energy and positive mood yet did not influence negative mood or workload.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that self-reported listening effort has multiple dimensions that can have different responses to the same effortful listening episode. The results can help guide evidence-based development of clinical listening effort tests and may reveal mechanisms for how listening effort relates to quality of life in those with hearing impairment.

SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIAL

https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.26418976.

The impact of accent stigma on self-efficacy and acculturation strategy among international students in the United States

Introduction

This paper aimed to understand international students' experience of accent stigma during interpersonal interactions, and how it affected their self-efficacy and acculturation strategy during intercultural adjustment.

Methods

Study 1 conducted in-depth interviews with 15 international students (60% female, 21.6 years old on average), asking for narratives on how they perceived accent stigma was enacted in everyday scenarios. Study 2 distributed a survey to 132 international students (53.5% female, 25.52 years old on average) with scales measuring perceived accent stigma, perceived discrimination, perceived hate, fear, self-efficacy, and integration into the host culture.

Results

Based on thematic analysis, Study 1 identified verbal disapproval, verbal avoidance, nonverbal disapproval, and nonverbal avoidance as four behavioral markers that signal the enactment of accent stigma during interpersonal interactions. Study 2 assessed a path model and found that accent stigma was associated with more perceived discrimination, perceived hate, and fear. Accent stigma also had negative impacts on self-efficacy, which in turn, resulted in poor integration into the host culture.

Conclusion

This study examined the negative consequences of accent stigma on international students and highlighted the role of self-efficacy during international students' intercultural adjustment. Findings had important theoretical and practical implications in terms of better supporting and serving international students during their stressful transitional period in a new culture.

Temperament and Offending Behaviors in Male Adolescents

The aim of the current paper was to examine temperament profiles and temperament dimensions as risk factors for persistent criminal behavior in juveniles who offended (JOs). A sample of 137 male adolescents from a Swiss detention center and 137 age and sex matched community controls were included in the present study. Temperament was measured with the Junior Temperament and Character Inventory (JTCI). Using Latent Profile Analysis (LPA), three temperament profiles were found, a "moderate," an "adventurous-disinhibited" (higher levels of novelty seeking, lower levels of harm avoidance, reward dependence, and persistence), and a "worried-passive" profile (higher levels of harm avoidance, low persistence). None of the profiles and dimensions were associated with detention sample (i.e., JO) status. In JOs, the "novelty seeking" scale predicted recidivism after release from detention even when controlling for other covariates. Further research should address temperament profiles and temperament dimensions in larger samples of JOs to elaborate their relation to previous and future offending behavior.

Sensitivity to rewards and punishments in karate athletes: an examination of the temperamental characteristics and profile of karate competitors according to the revised reinforcement sensitivity theory

BACKGROUND

The revised Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (rRST) assumes the existence of three systems controlling motivation and behavior: the behavioral activation system (BAS), the behavioral inhibition system (BIS), and the fight-flight-freeze system (FFFS). This study aims to examine for the first time the features of BAS, BIS, and FFFS among karate players in comparison with athletes representing other sports disciplines (physical education students) and physically inactive people. The specific configuration of temperament traits and profiles characterizing karate players will also be found.

METHODS

The cross-sectional study was performed among male karate athletes and control groups (physically active and inactive men). The study used the modified Reinforcement Sensitivity Questionnaire (rRSQ) to measure BAS, BIS, and FFFS.

RESULTS

The ANOVA showed that both karate competitors KS and KK scored significantly higher in BAS than the sample of PI participants. In addition, KK athletes scored significantly lower in Freeze than in PI and KS groups. Research also suggests that KK athletes presented significantly lower overall scores in FFFS than PI individuals. Furthermore, the results of K-means cluster analysis indicated the existence of two distinct patterns of temperamental traits: (1) Cluster 1 suggests avoidance tendencies (high Flight and Freeze, and low BAS, BIS, and Fight levels); while (2) the Cluster 2 describes approach tendencies (high BIS, BAS and Fight scores, and low levels of Flight and Freeze). Significantly more KK athletes were included in Cluster 2 than in Cluster 1, compared to PI, PA, and KS samples.

CONCLUSIONS

The research indicates that individuals engaged in karate, particularly those practicing Kyokushin karate, tend to exhibit a heightened sensitivity to rewards (high BAS). This finding holds significance for coaches and sports instructors, suggesting that motivating karate athletes through incentives is more effective, while the use of punishment should be minimized during training. Additionally, the study proposes that the practice of Kyokushin karate has the potential to significantly diminish the freezing response in threatening situations and enhance overall fear management by reducing levels of the Fight-Flight-Freeze System (FFFS). Consequently, the Kyokushin karate style may be considered more advantageous than the Karate Shotokan (KS) style in these aspects, despite both styles contributing to the improvement of BAS. Given that a higher BAS is linked to positive emotions, optimism, and happiness, karate training emerges as a form of health intervention, acting as a preventive measure against mental disorders and promoting overall well-being.

Dynamic Norms and Vaping: A Test of Four Mediators

Background: The prevalence of vaping among young people is a public health crisis. Social norms can contribute to the problem, but also to the solution. Objective: The current study examined young adults' responses to anti-vaping messages that varied on two features: social norms and behavioral framing. Methods: College students (N = 270) were randomly assigned to one of five conditions in a 2 (social norm: dynamic norm, static norm) X 2 (behavioral framing: vaping, not vaping) between-subjects factorial design with a no message control condition (n range = 49-58 in each condition). Results: Independent samples t-test, univariate analysis of variance, and structural equation modeling were used to test hypotheses and answer research questions. Results showed main effects of social norm, such that the dynamic (vs. static) norm message led to higher preconformity (p <.001) and self-efficacy (p = .012), and lower freedom threat (p = .040) and reactance (p < .001). There was also an indirect effect of dynamic norm on attitude as mediated by self-efficacy (p = .040). No main effect of behavioral framing was observed. Few interactions between social norm and behavioral framing were observed on preconformity (p < .001), anger (p < .001), and negative cognitions (p = .003). Conclusion: Overall, findings suggest a persuasive advantage for a dynamic norm relative to a static norm. Theoretically, these findings add to the literature suggesting the persuasiveness of dynamic norms. Practically, these results imply anti-vaping campaigns targeting young populations should communicate the changing (dynamic) norms in regard to (not) vaping.

Measuring Pain-related Behavioral Inhibition and Behavioral Activation System Responses: Further Validity Evidence for the Pain Responses Scale

OBJECTIVES

The Pain Responses Scale and its Short Form (PRS-SF) were recently developed to assess the affective, behavioral, and cognitive responses to pain based on the behavioral inhibition system (BIS) and behavioral activation system (BAS) model of chronic pain. The purpose of this study was to provide additional tests of the psychometric properties of the PRS-SF in a new sample of individuals with chronic pain.

METHODS

A sample of Spanish adults (N = 190) with chronic non-cancer pain completed a translated version of the PRS-SF and a battery of questionnaires measuring validity criteria hypothesized the be associated with BIS and BAS activation, including measures of sensitivity to punishment, sensitivity to reward, pain intensity, pain interference, catastrophizing, and pain acceptance.

RESULTS

Confirmatory factor analysis supported a 4-factor structure for the PRS-SF assessing despondent, escape, approach, and relaxation responses (S-B χ 2 [5] = 1.49, Comparative Fit Index = 0.99, Non-Normed Fit Index = 0.99, root-mean-square error of approximation = 0.051, Akaike Information Criterion = 4113.66), with marginal internal consistency for 1 scale (relaxation) and adequate to good internal consistency for the others. The pattern of associations found between the PRS-SF Scale scores and the validity criterion supports the validity of the instrument.

CONCLUSION

The results provide additional support for the validity of the 4 PRS-SF Scale scores, and the reliability of 3 of the scales. If these findings are replicated in future research, investigators may wish to administer more items from the original Relaxation Scale when assessing this domain to ensure adequate reliability for this scale. The other items from the PRS-SF assessing despondent, escape, and approach responses appear to provide at least adequate reliability. When used in this way, the PRS-SF may be used to measure BIS and BAS responses to pain to: (1) provide further tests of the BIS-BAS model of chronic pain and/or (2) understand the potential mediating effects of BIS and BAS responses on the effects of psychological pain treatments to help determine which specific responses are most responsible for the benefits of treatment, and, therefore, which responses should be specifically targeted to enhance treatment response.

The effect of approach and avoidance motivation on self-perception

This work addresses the link between motivation and self-perception by systematically studying visual self-representations. We propose that the way individuals perceive themselves may be associated with dispositional and situationally induced approach and avoidance motivation. First, we investigate how dispositional differences in approach/avoidance motivation and self-esteem relate to self-perception. Second, we investigate how state differences in approach/avoidance motivation relate to self-perception. Based on motivation literature, we predicted that self-perception would reflect psychological equanimity at the dispositional level (seeing the self in a favorable light), and motivational flexibility at the situational level (situational avoidance motivation results in a more realistic view of one's qualities). We use up-to-date face modeling methods to measure individuals' self-perceptions in a systematic, nuanced, and implicit way: Participants are repeatedly asked to indicate which of two portrait versions better represents themselves. Then we relate distortions in self-perceptions to agency and communion dimensions. We demonstrate that (1) participants low in self-esteem show more communion enhancement than participants high in self-esteem; (2) participants in an avoidance state show less agency enhancement (i.e., more realistic self-perceptions) than participants in an approach state. This research is first to demonstrate regularities in visual self-perception that are linked to approach and avoidance motivation.

A multi-study investigation assessing the potential redundancy among the Dark Tetrad using a narrowband trait approach

We investigated the putative redundancy of the Dark Tetrad (specifically, Machiavellianism-psychopathy and sadism-psychopathy) through an examination of the differences between correlations with self-reported narrowband personality traits. In addition to measures of the Dark Tetrad, participants in four studies completed measures of various narrowband traits assessing general personality, aggression, impulsivity, Mimicry Deception Theory, and Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory. Results generally supported empirical distinctions between Machiavellianism and psychopathy, and between sadism and psychopathy. Machiavellianism significantly differed from psychopathy across correlations for nine of 10 traits (Study 1), 8 of 25 facets (Study 2), aggression (Study 3), 12 of 25 facets (Study 3), four of five facets (Study 4), impulsivity (Study 4), and five of six facets (Study 4). Sadism significantly differed from psychopathy across correlations with five of 10 traits (Study 1), eight of 25 facets (Study 2), reactive aggression (Study 3), 10 of 25 facets (Study 3), three of six facets (Study 4), impulsivity (Study 4), and three of six facets (Study 4). Our findings challenge the claims that Machiavellianism and psychopathy, as well as sadism and psychopathy, as currently measured, are redundant.

A premium for positive social interest and attractive voices in the acceptability of unfair offers? An ERP study

Although the attractiveness of voices plays an important role in social interactions, it is unclear how voice attractiveness and social interest influence social decision-making. Here, we combined the ultimatum game with recording event-related brain potentials (ERPs) and examined the effect of attractive versus unattractive voices of the proposers, expressing positive versus negative social interest ("I like you" vs. "I don't like you"), on the acceptance of the proposal. Overall, fair offers were accepted at significantly higher rates than unfair offers, and high voice attractiveness increased acceptance rates for all proposals. In ERPs in response to the voices, their attractiveness and expressed social interests yielded early additive effects in the N1 component, followed by interactions in the subsequent P2, P3 and N400 components. More importantly, unfair offers elicited a larger Medial Frontal Negativity (MFN) than fair offers but only when the proposer's voice was unattractive or when the voice carried positive social interest. These results suggest that both voice attractiveness and social interest moderate social decision-making and there is a similar "beauty premium" for voices as for faces.

Parental sensitivity and intrusiveness with mothers and fathers: Associations between parental behavioral activation/inhibition and infant temperament

Understanding the factors contributing to sensitive parenting is crucial to optimize infant social and emotional functioning. Research has supported the association between parents' personality and parenting quality, but findings are inconsistent when examining various global personality measures. Further, it is likely that the interaction between parent-level (e.g., personality) and infant-level characteristics (e.g., temperament) are more strongly associated with caregiving quality. Most studies examining predictors of parenting quality have only included mothers, compared to fathers. The current study examined the interaction between parental personality and infant temperament and associations with parental sensitivity and intrusiveness with mothers and fathers. The participants included families (n = 102) when the infants were 4, 6, and 8 months old. Using parent report measures and a face-to-face play task, significant main effects of maternal behavioral inhibition on parenting behaviors were observed for mothers. A Behavioral Activation X Infant Negative Reactivity interaction predicted both maternal sensitivity and intrusiveness, whereas a Behavioral Inhibition X Infant Surgency predicted paternal intrusiveness. In summary, the results revealed support for the goodness-of-fit perspective between parents' personality and infant temperament.

The relationship between boredom proneness, the behavioral inhibition system, and anxiety in college students: variable-centered and person-centered analytic approaches

Objective

To explore the relationship among boredom proneness, the behavioral inhibition system, and anxiety among college students based on variable-centered and person-centered analytic approaches.

Methods

A questionnaire survey was conducted on 1,102 college students from a university in Hebei Province using the Boredom Proneness Questionnaire (BPQ) for College Students, the Behavioral Inhibition System Scale (BIS), and the General Anxiety Disorder-7 scale (GAD-7).

Results

The results reveal that boredom proneness was negatively correlated with scores on the behavioral inhibition system (r = -0.100, p < 0.01), and positively correlated with anxiety (r = 0.457, p < 0.001), while the behavioral inhibition system was positively correlated with anxiety (r = 0.086, p < 0.01). In the variable-centered analyses study, it was found that the behavioral inhibition system partially mediated the association between boredom proneness and anxiety. In the person-centered analyses study, three subtypes were identified: the high boredom-low inhibition group (9.35%), the moderate boredom-inhibition group (66.70%), and the low boredom-high inhibition group (23.95%). Individuals in these subtypes showed significant differences in anxiety scores (F = 4.538, p < 0.05), with the low boredom-high inhibition group scoring the highest.

Conclusion

The results showed that the behavioral inhibition system partially mediates the relationship between boredom proneness and anxiety in college students; boredom proneness and the behavioral inhibition system exhibit group heterogeneity, with distinct classification features closely related to anxiety.

Motivated with joy or anxiety: Does approach-avoidance goal framing elicit differential reward-network activation in the brain?

Psychological research on human motivation repeatedly observed that approach goals (i.e., goals to attain success) increase task enjoyment and intrinsic motivation more strongly than avoidance goals (i.e., goals to avoid failure). The present study sought to address how the reward network in the brain-including the striatum and ventromedial prefrontal cortex-is involved when individuals engage in the same task with a focus on approach or avoidance goals. Participants reported stronger positive emotions when they focused on approach goals, but stronger anxiety and disappointment when they focused on avoidance goals. The fMRI analyses revealed that the reward network in the brain showed similar levels of activity to cues predictive of approach and avoidance goals. In contrast, the two goal states were associated with different patterns of activity in the visual cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum during success and failure outcomes. Representation similarity analysis further revealed shared and different representations within the striatum and vmPFC between the approach and avoidance goal states, suggesting both the similarity and uniqueness of the mechanisms behind the two goal states. In addition, the distinct patterns of activation in the striatum were associated with distinct subjective experiences participants reported between the approach and the avoidance conditions. These results suggest the importance of examining the pattern of striatal activity in understanding the mechanisms behind different motivational states in humans.

Influence of Age and Message Frame on COVID-19 Vaccination Willingness Early in the Pandemic

Objective: This study examined whether age would moderate the association between a brief message frame intervention and COVID-19 vaccine willingness. Methods: Data were collected in Australia between 25 June and 5 July 2021. Participants (N = 187) aged 18-85 years had not yet received a dose of COVID-19 vaccine. After random assignment to a gain- or loss-framed message, participants reported COVID-19 vaccine willingness, general anti-vaccine attitudes, approach and avoidance motivation, and COVID-19 illness risk perception. Results: Message frame did not influence COVID-19 vaccine willingness. However, greater COVID-19 illness risk perception and older age increased the odds of Pfizer vaccine willingness, while lower avoidance motivation increased the odds of AstraZeneca vaccine willingness. Greater anti-vaccine ideology decreased the odds of willingness to receive either of the COVID-19 vaccines. Conclusions: A brief message frame intervention did not influence COVID-19 vaccine willingness across the adult lifespan.

Pulling the lever in a hurry: the influence of impulsivity and sensitivity to reward on moral decision-making under time pressure

BACKGROUND

Making timely moral decisions can save a life. However, literature on how moral decisions are made under time pressure reports conflicting results. Moreover, it is unclear whether and how moral choices under time pressure may be influenced by personality traits like impulsivity and sensitivity to reward and punishment.

METHODS

To address these gaps, in this study we employed a moral dilemma task, manipulating decision time between participants: one group (N = 25) was subjected to time pressure (TP), with 8 s maximum time for response (including the reading time), the other (N = 28) was left free to take all the time to respond (noTP). We measured type of choice (utilitarian vs. non-utilitarian), decision times, self-reported unpleasantness and arousal during decision-making, and participants' impulsivity and BIS-BAS sensitivity.

RESULTS

We found no group effect on the type of choice, suggesting that time pressure per se did not influence moral decisions. However, impulsivity affected the impact of time pressure, in that individuals with higher cognitive instability showed slower response times under no time constraint. In addition, higher sensitivity to reward predicted a higher proportion of utilitarian choices regardless of the time available for decision.

CONCLUSIONS

Results are discussed within the dual-process theory of moral judgement, revealing that the impact of time pressure on moral decision-making might be more complex and multifaceted than expected, potentially interacting with a specific facet of attentional impulsivity.

An evaluation of the behavioural inhibition system and behavioural activation system (BIS-BAS) model of pain in athletes

This study examined coping and pain responses using a behavioural inhibition (BIS) - behavioural activation (BAS) framework in 489 student athletes (M(age) = 20, SD = 4; 69% female). Two samples of athletes (226 pain-free athletes and 232 athletes with current pain) completed surveys assessing BIS- and BAS-related cognitions, emotions, and behaviours. Distinct groupings of BAS-related variables were identified in both samples, evidenced by significant positive correlations within BAS-related variables (positive affect, pain openness, approach thoughts and behaviours). Most BIS-related variables (depression, anxiety, harm beliefs, pain catastrophizing and avoidance behaviours) were also correlated in the sample of athletes with pain; however, this was not observed in pain-free athletes. In athletes with pain, BIS-related variables were significantly associated with pain variables, with this association stronger than that found for BAS-related variables. Regression analyses highlighted the pivotal role of pain catastrophizing as a predictor of pain unpleasantness and intensity. Findings shed light on the factors shaping athletes' coping, pain perception and decisions as to whether to pause or push through. Future investigations to explore these dynamics in more depth may aid in the development of targeted interventions that enhance athletes' ability to cope and to manage pain more effectively.

The Effects of Peer Competition-Induced Anxiety on Massive Open Online Course Learning: The Mediating Role of the Behavioral Inhibition System

With the increased emphasis on competition in academic settings, anxiety is becoming more common, which inevitably has some impact on students' learning processes and results. This study aimed to explore how competition-induced anxiety influences students' subjective cognitive load (SCL), attention levels, and test scores. We also investigated the mediating role of the behavioral inhibition system/behavioral activation system (BIS/BAS) in those factors. A total of 101 college students were recruited in Study 1 to learn from five micro-lectures from massive open online courses (MOOCs) under competitive and non-competitive conditions. The results showed that participants' state anxiety (SA) scores were higher after the experiment, participants under the competition condition had higher test scores, and the relationship between SA/ trait anxiety (TA) and SCL could be mediated by the BIS. To obtain more objective data on learning processes (attention levels), we conducted Study 2, which collected behavioral and EEG data from 42 college students during the online learning. The results showed that the competition group had higher SA, lower attention levels, and worse test scores, and the relationship between SA/TA and attention levels could be mediated through the BIS. The present study not only expands previous research by finding that BIS functioning plays an important role in the effects of anxiety on cognitive load and attention but also offers implications for using competitive strategies to motivate students according to their aptitudes.

Personality systems interactions theory: an integrative framework complementing the study of the motivational and volitional dynamics underlying adjustment to chronic pain

In the endeavor to advance our understanding of interindividual differences in dealing with chronic pain, numerous motivational theories have been invoked in the past decade. As they focus on relevant, yet different aspects of the dynamic, multilevel processes involved in human voluntary action control, research findings seem fragmented and inconsistent. Here we present Personality Systems Interactions theory as an integrative meta-framework elucidating how different motivational and volitional processes work in concert under varying contextual conditions. PSI theory explains experience and behavior by the relative activation of four cognitive systems that take over different psychological functions during goal pursuit. In this way, it may complement existing content-related explanations of clinical phenomena by introducing a functional, third-person perspective on flexible goal management, pain acceptance and goal maintenance despite pain. In line with emerging evidence on the central role of emotion regulation in chronic pain, PSI theory delineates how the self-regulation of positive and negative affect impacts whether behavior is determined by rigid stimulus-response associations (i.e., habits) or by more abstract motives and values which afford more behavioral flexibility. Along with testable hypotheses, multimodal interventions expected to address intuitive emotion regulation as a central process mediating successful adaptation to chronic pain are discussed.

Affective neuroscience: applications for sexual medicine research and clinical practice

INTRODUCTION

Affective neuroscience is the study of the brain substrates of emotional, embodied experiences. Affective neuroscience theory (ANT) is based on experimental evidence that all mammals are hardwired with 7 primary subcortical emotional operating systems, or "core emotions," that have overlapping but distinct circuits buried in the deep, ancient parts of the brain. Imbalances in the 7 core emotions can affect multiple aspects of the individual's psychosocial well-being (eg, depression, anxiety, substance abuse). Here, we propose that core emotions can also influence sexual function and, specifically, that imbalances in core emotions are the bridge connecting psychiatric symptoms (eg, anhedonia) to sexual dysfunction (eg, anorgasmia).

OBJECTIVES

In this targeted review and commentary, we outline potential connections between ANT and sexual medicine research and clinical practice. We summarize ANT by defining the 3-level BrainMind and core emotions; examining how they relate to personality, behavior, and mental health; and determining the implications for sexual health research and clinical practice.

METHODS

A targeted literature review was conducted. Case studies were adapted from client files and clinician interviews and then anonymized.

RESULTS

We propose a novel organizational schema for implementing affective balance therapies for sexual dysfunction, which integrate psychoeducational, somatic, and cognitive therapeutic approaches under the ANT framework. We provide 3 patient case studies (anorgasmia, hypersexuality, spinal cord injury) outlining the implementation of this approach and patient outcomes.

CONCLUSION

ANT has practical translational applications in sexual health research and clinical practice. By integrating our understanding of the role of core emotions in human sexuality, clinicians can better tailor treatments to address sexual dysfunction.

Gender differences in the relationship between neuroticism and odor memory

Given the indications on the relationship between neuroticism and various olfactory functions as well as the emotionality of odor memory, it is surprising that no research so far has investigated whether neuroticism corresponds with odor memory performance. Thus, the purpose of our study was to address this question in the context of gender differences. Participants (73 men) completed the 60-items NEO Five Factor Inventory and participated in 32-items "Test for odor memory". In the separate analyses conducted for men and women, we demonstrated that women outperformed men regarding the number of correct odor recognitions in the odor memory test and had higher neuroticism level than men. Spearman correlation showed further that neuroticism was positively associated with D-prime (R = 0.3, p = .021) and the number of correct odor recognitions in women (R = 0.32, p = .014). This effect was, respectively, moderately (B10 = 5.2) and strongly confirmed using the Bayesian approach (B10 = 8). However, Bonferroni post-hoc correction for multiple comparisons further revealed that in case of neuroticism and the number of hits, as well as D-prime, alpha level was below significance, indicated by p = .006. The correlation between neuroticism level and odor memory performance was significantly higher in women compared to men (Z = 1.8, p = .038), while in case of neuroticism and D-prime, it was on a trend level (Z = 1.5, p = .074). Overall, the present results indicate that neuroticism might be linked to conscious odors' remembering for women, which can be explained by the warning role of odor memory and its connection to limbic structures, as well as by the higher level of neuroticism and odor memory performance in women compared to men.

The relationship of personality, alexithymia, anxiety symptoms, and odor awareness: a mediation analysis

OBJECTIVE

Personality, emotions, and olfaction exhibit partial anatomical overlap in the limbic system structure, establishing potential mechanisms between personality, affective disorders, and olfactory-related aspects. Thus, this study aims to investigate the associations among the Big Five personality traits, alexithymia, anxiety symptoms, and odor awareness.

METHODS

A total of 863 college participants were recruited for this study. All participants completed the Chinese Big Five Personality Inventory-15, the Odor Awareness Scale (OAS), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Screener-7. Structural equation modeling was employed to examine the hypothesized mediated model.

RESULTS

The findings revealed the majority of significant intercorrelations among the dimensions of the Big Five personality traits, alexithymia, anxiety symptoms, and OAS (|r| = 0.072-0.567, p < 0.05). Alexithymia and anxiety symptoms exhibited a serial mediation effect between neuroticism and OAS (95%CI[0.001, 0.014]), conscientiousness and OAS (95%CI[-0.008, -0.001]), and extraversion and OAS (95%CI[-0.006, -0.001]). Anxiety symptoms mediated the relationship between agreeableness and OAS (95%CI[-0.023, -0.001]) and between openness and OAS (95%CI [0.004, 0.024]).

CONCLUSION

The mediating roles of alexithymia and anxiety symptoms between the Big Five personality traits and odor awareness support the idea of a certain level of association among personality, emotions, and olfaction, with the underlying role of the limbic system structure. This enhances our understanding of personality, emotions, and olfaction and provides insights for future intervention measures for affective disorders and olfactory dysfunctions.

Power and Gambling: Dispositional Power Predicts Persistence on a Computerized Scratchcard Task

In gambling contexts, near-misses tend to be perceived as more aversive yet elicit greater motivation to continue playing than clear losses. The current research aimed to examine these effects in the context of situational and dispositional social power. In a pre-registered online study, Hong Kong Chinese undergraduate students (N = 238) with varying levels of gambling involvement completed a measure assessing their general beliefs about their ability to influence others and were then randomly assigned to imagine themselves in a position of high or low power. Participants subsequently played a computerized scratchcard task that delivered wins, near-misses, and clear losses and took trial-by-trial ratings of valence, arousal, and motivation. Following a mandatory phase, persistence was measured via the number of additional scratchcards participants chose to purchase. The results generally corroborated previous findings of different subjective appraisals to near-misses vs. clear losses, but surprisingly found that near-misses were considered to be more pleasant than clear losses. Situational power did not differentially modify these responses. Nevertheless, a main effect of dispositional power emerged in that participants who felt chronically high in power were twice as likely to purchase additional scratchcards compared to their low dispositional power counterparts. This study suggests that a generalized sense of power but not situational power triggers approach motivation in the form of prolonged gambling play.

Differences in Approach and Avoidance Motivation Sensitivities Predicting Participation and Performance in Strength Sport

ABSTRACT

Cusimano, K, Freeman, P, Moran, J, and Yamaguchi, M. Differences in approach and avoidance motivation sensitivities predicting participation and performance in strength sport. J Strength Cond Res 38(1): 180-184, 2024-Gray's Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory proposes that individual differences in behavior are due to the sensitivity to 2 brain systems: the behavioral inhibition system (BIS), which regulates aversive emotions to threatening stimuli, and the behavioral approach system (BAS), which regulates positive emotions toward rewarding or nonpunishing stimuli. The current study investigated whether BIS and BAS sensitivity predicts participation and performance in strength sports. A sample of 177 competitive strength athletes (male = 148; female = 29; mean age = 28.68; SD = 6.24 years) and 178 control participants (male = 89; female = 89; mean age = 29.39; SD = 7.42) completed the BIS/BAS scale, with strength athletes also providing their Wilks scores as a measure of sporting performance. Independent t tests showed significantly higher BIS (MD = 2.37, p = 0.003, 95% CI [0.79, 3.94], d = 0.31) and total BAS (MD = 11.71, p < 0.001, 95% CI [9.26, 14.15], d = 1.00) sensitivity in strength athletes than individuals in the control group. A 3-step hierarchical regression analysis revealed that the number of training years (β = 0.506, p < 0 .001), BIS (β = -203, p = 0.005) and BAS drive (β = 0.188, p = 0.012) made significant unique contributions to predicting the Wilks score, with no significant contributions of age, sex, BAS fun seeking, and BAS reward responsiveness. The findings indicate that the overall reward sensitivity (total BAS score) and reward seeking (BAS drive) are associated positively with participation and performance in strength sports, respectively. Given the association of these brain systems to addiction and other psychiatric disorders, the findings could have implications in psychiatric treatment and sporting recruitment.

Examining Behavioral Approach and Inhibition to Further Characterize Youth With Impulsive Aggression

Objective

Impulsive aggression in youth is a significant clinical and public health concern, spanning multiple diagnostic categories and causing significant psychosocial impairment. To advance its assessment and treatment, recent research has focused on developing an empirically derived nosology that can distinguish impulsive aggression from other common childhood problems. The current study is a secondary analysis examining the associations between this empirically defined form of impulsive aggression, other psychiatric symptom dimensions, and behavioral approach and inhibition motivation of youth.

Method

Participants were 636 youth (61% male; 69% Black/African American; mean age = 11.10) who presented for treatment to a community mental health center or an academic medical center. Dimensions of psychopathology were based on a prior principal component analysis that yielded 5 components: aggression-impulsive/reactive (AIR), mania, depression, self-harm, and rule-breaking. All parents and a subset of youth (n = 363) rated behavioral approach and inhibition motivation of youth.

Results

After controlling for demographic factors (age, sex, race) and other dimensions of psychopathology (mania, depression, self-harm, rule-breaking behavior), AIR was uniquely and positively associated with parent- and adolescent-reported behavioral approach motivation and negatively associated with parent-reported behavioral inhibition.

Conclusion

The results help to further characterize AIR, a clinically relevant and empirically defined construct of impulsive aggression, by showing that AIR is associated with high approach and low inhibition motivational dispositions above and beyond the effects of rule-breaking behavior and mood symptoms. These findings add to a growing literature that shows promise in improving assessment and treatment outcomes for this highly impairing clinical concern.

Two subtypes of compulsive sexual behavior disorder

Models explaining addictive behaviors such as the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) model emphasize the importance of reinforcement mechanisms for developing and maintaining these behaviors, including compulsive sexual behavior disorder (CSBD) as well as personal characteristics as vulnerability factors. This study aimed to determine whether there are CSBD subtypes distinguished by reinforcement sensitivity. We hypothesize that one subtype is sensitive to positive reinforcement (C+subtype) and one is sensitive to negative reinforcement (Ȼ-subtype). We calculated a cluster analysis with data from 62 patients with CSBD and tested differences between the identified clusters by t-test. The sample consisted only of men. Cluster variables were: the sensitivity to the Behavioral Inhibition and Approach System (BIS/BAS), the severity of depressive symptoms (BDI-II), the severity of Trait Anxiety (STAI-T), Sexual Sensation Seeking (SSSS), Thrill- and Adventure-Seeking (SSS-V subscale), Disinhibition (SSS-V subscale), Experience Seeking (SSS-V subscale), and Boredom Susceptibility (SSS-V subscale). Between-cluster differences were analyzed for Trait Sexual Motivation (TSMQ) and Sexual Compulsivity (SCS). The results showed a two-cluster solution with cluster 1 representing patients sensitive to negative reinforcement (Ȼ-subtype) and cluster 2 representing patients sensitive to positive reinforcement (C+subtype). No significant difference in symptom severity of Sexual Compulsivity between clusters was found. Cluster 2 showed higher Importance of Sex and a higher motivation to seek sexual encounters than cluster 2. We found a two-cluster solution regarding reinforcement sensitivity in patients with CSBD. This may have clinical implications regarding individual therapy by focusing on the underlying maintenance mechanisms.

Predicting Support for COVID-19 Policies with Partisan Media Use and Negative Emotion: Evidence from the U.S. and South Korea

While prior scholarship on preventive health behaviors has focused on identifying their cognitive predictors, emerging literature suggests that emotion may also be an important determinant of health behaviors. Drawing from appraisal theory and the discrete-emotions models of affect, the current study establishes emotional pathways to support for COVID-19 policies and social distancing behavior. Analyses of survey data collected in the U.S. and South Korea demonstrate that negative emotion experienced following partisan media use increases support for COVID-19 policies and social distancing behavior. Particularly, fear and anxiety toward the pandemic emerged as strong mediators in both countries while sadness also mediated the pathways in the U.S.

Comparison of behavioral activation/inhibition systems, emotional regulation difficulties, and selective attention in adolescents with and without parents

Existing literature has established a relationship between adverse childhood experiences and negative outcomes in cognitive and affective functioning. However, further research is needed to thoroughly understand and validate these findings. In this regard, the current study aimed to compare behavioral activation/inhibition systems, emotional regulation difficulties, and selective attention in adolescents with and without parents. A sample of 70 adolescents (M age = 16.36, SD = 1.09, 48.57% female) with caretakers from schools and 55 parentless adolescents (M age = 16.58, SD = 1.28, 52.00% female) from orphanage centers in Tehran were recruited and completed the measures tapping behavioral activation/inhibition systems, emotion dysregulation difficulties, and selective attention. The results revealed that parentless adolescents exhibited significantly higher levels of behavioral activation/inhibition scores, emotion regulation difficulties, and impaired selective attention. These findings suggest that the absence of parents during the early years of life may have detrimental effects on behavioral inhibition and activation systems, emotional regulation abilities, and selective attention capabilities. The implications of these findings are further discussed.

Neurofeedback as neuroempowerment technique for affective regulation and interoceptive awareness in adolescence: preliminary considerations applied to a psychogenic pseudosyncope case

Revisions of classical models of acute stress response spectrum and defence cascade process might represent a valuable background for the interpretation of the link between affective reactions, traumatic experiences, and Psychogenic pseudosyncope (PPS) events in childhood and across the lifespan. Indeed, associations between subjective emotional life, early exposure to distressing and/or traumatic events, and PPS have fuelled a debate on potential causes of occurrence and recurrence of such a peculiar clinical manifestation. At the same time, such background suggests that empowering stress management and affective regulation skills could be the target for neurorehabilitation interventions aiming at reducing the severity of symptomatology and/or improving awareness and management of pseudosyncopal spells. Specifically, neuro/biofeedback-based empowerment of self-regulation skills, associated to an increased interoceptive increased awareness, could be a promising complement to classical psychological therapies. Starting from the presentation of a paediatric PPS clinical case, the present work discusses the relevance of assessing affective appraisal and autonomic reactivity in individuals suffering from PPS episodes and introduces a novel potential neuroempowerment protocol aimed at improving self-regulation and stress management skills in adolescence based on a combined neurofeedback and embodied-awareness intervention. By capitalizing available evidence of the effects of neuromodulation and embodied practices on self-awareness/regulation across the life-span, the proposed protocol is based on neurofeedback-supported affective management training, as well as both contemplative and informal awareness exercises devised to be appealing and challenging even for younger patients.

Association of Hypnotizability, Interoception, and Emotion

The present scoping review reports the reciprocal relations between hypnotizability, interoception, and emotion. Brain morpho-functional differences may account for the lower interoceptive accuracy, higher interoceptive sensitivity, and different emotional strategies observed in highly hypnotizable participants with respect to medium-to-low hypnotizables. Since interoception is relevant to both physical and mental health and hypnotizability can predict both interoceptive abilities and the efficacy of interoception-based mental training, this allows for the development of new forms of treatment and rehabilitation.

Sexual Stimuli Cause Behavioral Disinhibition in Both Men and Women, but Even More So in Men

In our society men are considered more impulsive than women, especially in the violent and sexual domain. This correlation of sex and impulsivity might trace back to enhanced male impulsivity in general or a domain specific effect of emotions on impulsivity. The evidence for sex differences in the interaction of emotional or sexual stimuli and impulsivity has been relatively inconclusive so far. In this study, we investigated the effects of various emotional stimuli on responsivity in a Go/No-Go task. Participants had to respond quickly to a visual cue and withhold their response to another visual cue, while different emotional pictures were presented in the background, including sexual stimuli, non-sexual positive stimuli and negative stimuli. Both men (N = 37) and women (N = 38) made most commission errors in the sexual condition, indicating a disinhibiting effect in both genders. On top of this, men made even more commission errors than women, specifically in the sexual condition and not in other conditions. Men rated sexual stimuli as more positive, but did not differ from women in arousal ratings and pupil dilation. These findings may partly indicate increased impulsive behavior under sexual arousal in men, most likely driven by enhanced approach motivation due to more positive value but not higher arousal of sexual stimuli. The results are consistent with the theory of evolutionarily based concealment of sexual interest in women.

Value-based decision-making network functional connectivity correlates with substance use and delay discounting behaviour among young adults

Substance use disorders are characterized by reduced control over the quantity and frequency of psychoactive substance use and impairments in social and occupational functioning. They are associated with poor treatment compliance and high rates of relapse. Identification of neural susceptibility biomarkers that index risk for developing a substance use disorder can facilitate earlier identification and treatment. Here, we aimed to identify the neurobiological correlates of substance use frequency and severity amongst a sample of 1,200 (652 females) participants aged 22-37 years from the Human Connectome Project. Substance use behaviour across eight classes (alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, sedatives, hallucinogens, cocaine, stimulants, opiates) was measured using the Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism. We explored the latent organization of substance use behaviour using a combination of exploratory structural equation modelling, latent class analysis, and factor mixture modelling to reveal a unidimensional continuum of substance use behaviour. Participants could be rank ordered along a unitary severity spectrum encompassing frequency of use of all eight substance classes, with factor score estimates generated to represent each participant's substance use severity. Factor score estimates and delay discounting scores were compared with functional connectivity in 650 participants with imaging data using the Network-based Statistic. This neuroimaging cohort excludes participants aged 31 and over. We identified brain regions and connections correlated with impulsive decision-making and poly-substance use, with the medial orbitofrontal, lateral prefrontal and posterior parietal cortices emerging as key hubs. Functional connectivity of these networks could serve as susceptibility biomarkers for substance use disorders, informing earlier identification and treatment.

Coping as a Moderator of Associations Between Symptoms and Functional and Affective Outcomes in the Daily Lives of Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis

BACKGROUND

Pain and fatigue are highly prevalent in multiple sclerosis (MS) and are associated with adverse physical, social, and psychological outcomes. There is a critical need to identify modifiable factors that can reduce the impact of these symptoms on daily life.

PURPOSE

This study examined the moderating role of dispositional coping in the relationships between daily fluctuations (i.e., deviations from a person's usual level) in pain and fatigue and same-day functional/affective outcomes.

METHODS

Adults with MS (N = 102) completed a self-report measure of dispositional coping (Brief COPE), followed by 7 days of ecological momentary assessment of pain and fatigue and end-of-day diaries assessing same-day pain interference, fatigue impact, social participation, upper extremity and lower extremity functioning, depressive symptoms, and positive affect and well-being (PAWB). Multilevel models tested interactions between daily symptom fluctuations and dispositional coping (avoidant/approach) in predicting same-day outcomes.

RESULTS

Higher approach coping mitigated the same-day association between pain and pain interference, whereas higher avoidant coping augmented this association. Daily PAWB benefits were seen for those who reported high approach coping and low avoidant coping; effects were only observed on days of low pain (for approach coping) and low fatigue (for avoidant coping). Avoidant coping was associated with worse fatigue impact, social participation, lower extremity functioning, and depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

When faced with pain and fatigue, avoidant coping is associated with increased, and approach coping with decreased, functional/affective difficulties in the daily lives of individuals with MS. Altering coping strategy use may reduce the impact of pain and fatigue.

Coping and Conformity Motives Mediate the Joint Effects of the Behavioral Inhibition and Approach Systems on Alcohol Problems in Young Adults

Background: Gray's original Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST) posits that an oversensitive behavioral inhibition system (BIS) may increase risk for negative-reinforcement-motivated drinking, given its role in anxiety. However, existing data provides mixed support for the BIS-alcohol use association. The inconsistent evidence is not surprising, as the revised RST predicts that the behavioral approach system (BAS) should moderate the effect of the BIS on alcohol use. A strong BAS is thought to bring attention to the negatively reinforcing effects of alcohol, leading to problem drinking among those with a strong BIS. While emerging results support this interaction, we still have much to learn about the mechanisms underlying this effect on alcohol use. Accordingly, we examined motives for alcohol use as mediators of the joint associations of the BIS and the BAS on drinking behaviors. Specifically, our central hypothesis was that individuals with a strong BIS and a strong BAS would endorse increased negative reinforcement motives for drinking (coping and conformity motives), which in turn would predict heavy drinking and alcohol problems. Method: Participants (N=346; 195 women) completed study measures as part of the baseline assessment for a larger study. Results: Overall, results partially supported the hypotheses. Mediated moderation analyses showed that the indirect effect of the BIS on alcohol problems, through coping and conformity motives, was strongest at high levels of the BAS. This effect was not supported for alcohol use. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that clinical interventions should target coping and conformity reasons for drinking among anxious, reward responsive, young adults.

Decoding individual differences in expressing and suppressing anger from structural brain networks: A supervised machine learning approach

Anger can be broken down into different elements: a transitory state (state anger), a stable personality feature (trait anger), a tendency to express it (anger-out), or to suppress it (anger-in), and the ability to regulate it (anger control). These elements are characterized by individual differences that vary across a continuum. Among them, the abilities to express and suppress anger are of particular relevance as they determine outcomes and enable successful anger management in daily situations. The aim of this study was to demonstrate that anger suppression and expression can be decoded by patterns of grey matter of specific well-known brain networks. To this aim, a supervised machine learning technique, known as Kernel Ridge Regression, was used to predict anger expression and suppression scores of 212 healthy subjects from the grey matter concentration. Results show that individual differences in anger suppression were predicted by two grey matter patterns associated with the Default-Mode Network and the Salience Network. Additionally, individual differences in anger expression were predicted by a circuit mainly involving subcortical and fronto-temporal regions when considering whole brain grey matter features. These results expand previous findings regarding the neural bases of anger by showing that individual differences in specific anger-related components can be predicted by the grey matter features of specific networks.

The effect of target-related and target-irrelevant novel stimuli on response behaviour

Novel events catch our attention, which can influence performance of a task. Whether this attentional capture by novelty benefits or impairs performance depends on several factors, such as the relevance of the stimulus, task requirements, and the timing of the event. Additionally, it has been argued that novel stimuli can hold intrinsic reward value, which may directly affect approach motivation, similar to positive valence stimuli. This link between novelty and approach/avoid behaviour has not been investigated directly. Here, we investigated whether stimulus novelty interacts with response behaviour in an approach/avoidance task, and whether these effects depend on the task relevance of novelty and stimulus timing. In experiment 1, participants gave an approach or avoid response dependent on a shape (diamond or square) presented at different stimulus onset asynchronies (SOA) following a novel or familiar scene (target-irrelevant novelty). In experiment 2, participants had to approach or avoid a novel or familiar image depending on the content (indoor/outdoor; target-related novelty). A shape was presented at different SOA. Results of a linear mixed model showed novelty-induced performance costs as demonstrated by longer RT and lower accuracy when novelty was target-relevant, likely due to attentional lingering at novel images. When images were target-irrelevant, approach but not avoid responses were faster for familiar versus novel images at 200 ms SOA only. Thus, novelty had a differentially pronounced detrimental effect on performance. These observations confirm that processing of novel stimuli generally depends on stimulus relevance, and tentatively suggests that differential processing of novel and familiar images is intensified by motivated approach behaviour.

The Power of Negative Affect during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Negative Affect Leverages Need Satisfaction to Foster Work Centrality

The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented disruptions in organizations and people's lives by generating uncertainty, anxiety, and isolation for most employees around the globe. Such disruptive context may have prompted employees to reconsider their identification with their work role, defined as work centrality. As such reconsideration may have deep implications, we reasoned that individuals' affective dispositions would influence work centrality across time during the pandemic. Drawing upon the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions and the met expectations underpinnings of negative affectivity, we predicted that positive and negative affect would foster, albeit for different reasons, work centrality. Based on self-determination theory, we further expected the fulfilment of the needs for autonomy, relatedness, and competence to enhance the effect of positive and negative affectivity. Based on a three-wave study (N = 379) conducted during the COVID-19 lockdown followed by a reopening of the economy in Canada (i.e., May to July 2020), we found negative affectivity, but not positive affectivity, to drive work centrality over time, and found this effect to be enhanced at high levels of the satisfaction of the needs for autonomy and relatedness. The implications of these results for our understanding of the role of trait affectivity in times of crisis are discussed.

Mimicry and affective disorders

Mimicry, the spontaneous imitation of an interaction partner, is an important part of everyday communication, as it has been shown to foster relationships and increase closeness. People with affective disorders often have problems in their interpersonal lives. In this review, we pursue the question if these problems are linked to differences in mimicry behavior. First, we summarize existing evidence on mimicry, depression and mood. Then, based on five theories differing in their core assumptions regarding mechanisms and functionality of mimicry, we derive suggestions on how mimicry might affect people suffering from bipolar disorders, dysthymia or depression. Depending on each theory, a different understanding of affective disorders and mimicry arises, and we show how the evidence fit in with the suggested theories. Previous studies on affective disorders have focused on mimicry behavior of participants watching photos, computer-generated images, or short video sequences. This review sheds light on the fact that evidence on mimicry needs to be broadened systematically for people with affective disorders in interactional settings. Mimicry represents a novel and important yet underestimated source for diagnostic, intervention and evaluation processes in affective disorders.

Predictive signature of static and dynamic functional connectivity for ECT clinical outcomes

Introduction: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) remains one of the most effective approaches for treatment-resistant depressive episodes, despite the potential cognitive impairment associated with this treatment. As a potent stimulator of neuroplasticity, ECT might normalize aberrant depression-related brain function via the brain's reconstruction by forming new neural connections. Multiple lines of evidence have demonstrated that functional connectivity (FC) changes are reliable indicators of antidepressant efficacy and cognitive changes from static and dynamic perspectives. However, no previous studies have directly ascertained whether and how different aspects of FC provide complementary information in terms of neuroimaging-based prediction of clinical outcomes. Methods: In this study, we implemented a fully automated independent component analysis framework to an ECT dataset with subjects (n = 50, age = 65.54 ± 8.92) randomized to three treatment amplitudes (600, 700, or 800 milliamperes [mA]). We extracted the static functional network connectivity (sFNC) and dynamic FNC (dFNC) features and employed a partial least square regression to build predictive models for antidepressant outcomes and cognitive changes. Results: We found that both antidepressant outcomes and memory changes can be robustly predicted by the changes in sFNC (permutation test p < 5.0 × 10-3). More interestingly, by adding dFNC information, the model achieved higher accuracy for predicting changes in the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale 24-item (HDRS24, t = 9.6434, p = 1.5 × 10-21). The predictive maps of clinical outcomes show a weakly negative correlation, indicating that the ECT-induced antidepressant outcomes and cognitive changes might be associated with different functional brain neuroplasticity. Discussion: The overall results reveal that dynamic FC is not redundant but reflects mechanisms of ECT that cannot be captured by its static counterpart, especially for the prediction of antidepressant efficacy. Tracking the predictive signatures of static and dynamic FC will help maximize antidepressant outcomes and cognitive safety with individualized ECT dosing.

VR for Studying the Neuroscience of Emotional Responses

Emotions are frequently considered as the driving force of behavior, and psychopathology is often characterized by aberrant emotional responding. Emotional states are reflected on a cognitive-verbal, physiological-humoral, and motor-behavioral level but to date, human research lacks an experimental protocol for a comprehensive and ecologically valid characterization of such emotional states. Virtual reality (VR) might help to overcome this situation by allowing researchers to study mental processes and behavior in highly controlled but reality-like laboratory settings. In this chapter, we first elucidate the role of presence and immersion as requirements for eliciting emotional states in a virtual environment and discuss different VR methods for emotion induction. We then consider the organization of emotional states on a valence continuum (i.e., from negative to positive) and on this basis discuss the use of VR to study threat processing and avoidance as well as reward processing and approach behavior. Although the potential of VR has not been fully realized in laboratory and clinical settings yet, this technological tool can open up new avenues to better understand the neurobiological mechanisms of emotional responding in healthy and pathological conditions.

A pilot randomized clinical trial of biomedical link with mental health in art therapy intervention programs for alcohol use disorder: Changes in NK cells, addiction biomarkers, electroencephalography, and MMPI-2 profiles

OBJECTIVE

Alcohol intake is a major risk factor for various diseases. Elucidating alcohol use disorder (AUD) is important in preventing diseases and promoting health. We aimed to investigate the effect of art therapy on emotional (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 [MMPI-2]) and physical (natural killer [NK] cell count, expression of stress-associated proteins [SAP], and electroencephalography) changes in patients with AUD.

METHODS

Participants were randomly divided into two groups (n = 35), with the experimental group undergoing art therapy involving weekly 60-min group therapy sessions for 10 weeks. Statistical analysis was performed using Ranked ANCOVA and Wilcoxon's signed rank test. Western blotting was performed to analyze serum SAP levels.

RESULTS

We observed an association between psychological mechanisms and stress proteins. There was an increased number of NK cells in the experimental group after the program. Moreover, compared with the control group, the experimental group showed significant changes in SAP expression. Further, the experimental group showed a positive change in the MMPI-2 profile, as well as a decrease in depression, anxiety, impulsivity, and alcohol dependence.

CONCLUSIONS

Continuous psychological support could be applied as a stress-control program for preventing stress recurrence and post-discharge relapse. Our findings strengthen the link between biomedical science and mental health in rehabilitation treatment for AUD.