Schedule of Events | Symposia

Comparing event-related potentials and frontal midline theta to motivationally relevant stimuli as markers of approach and avoidance tendencies.

Poster Session D - Monday, March 31, 2025, 8:00 – 10:00 am EDT, Back Bay Ballroom/Republic Ballroom

Taehoon Kang¹ (langtaehoon@naver.com), Madison Risner², Natalie Ceballos³, Reiko Graham⁴; ¹Texas State University

Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory proposes that the Behavioral Inhibition and Activation Systems (BIS/BAS) coordinate motivational processes to regulate avoidance and approach behaviors (Gray, 1987). BIS/BAS activation may be detectable in electroencephalographic indices, especially the frontocentral N2 ERP component (attention/cognitive control) and possibly frontal midline theta (FMT), which may be a manifestation of FMT elicited by motivationally-relevant stimuli (Cavanaugh & Shackman, 2016). However, evidence of this relationship is inconsistent, especially with respect to the BIS/BAS. To investigate this, 28 undergraduates (mean age = 19.6 years) completed the BIS/BAS and then viewed images of snakes, snarling dogs, puppies, and kittens, indicating whether they would approach or avoid them. ERPs to the 2 different classes of stimuli were derived, which were also subjected to Morlet wavelet analysis. The N2 was enhanced for snakes and dogs but unrelated to the BIS/BAS. For approach stimuli, N2 amplitudes were positively correlated with BAS scores. FMT peaked during the same time frame with the same distribution as the N2 but did not differentiate between approach- and avoidance-related stimuli. However, follow up regressions indicated that as approach-FMT increased, approach-N2 amplitudes were decreased. Approach-FMT was positively associated with BIS, suggesting that the BIS also moderates responses to approach-related stimuli. Similarly, avoidance-FMT was negatively associated with avoidance-N2 amplitudes, while BIS was marginally and positively related to avoidance-FMT. These results do not support the notion that the N2 is a manifestation of FMT, although the two are not completely dissociable. Findings will be discussed in the context of Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory.  

Topic Area: EMOTION & SOCIAL: Other