Approaching reward: feedback-related negativity and anger

DJ Angus, K Kemkes, E Harmon-Jones

Research output: Contribution to journalMeeting AbstractResearchpeer-review

Abstract

Descriptors: anger, motivation, feedback-related negativityResearch has indicated that an event-related potential sensitive to information about gainsand losses – feedback-related negativity (FRN) – is attenuated by emotional states and traitsassociated with increased withdrawal-related negative affect. In contrast, anger, a negativebut approach-motivated state, may increase the FRN, based on theory and evidence linkinganger with increased reward responsiveness. Male participants (n=100) underwent twomood inductions designed to elicit feelings of neutrality and anger. Induction order wascounterbalanced across participants. After each mood induction, participants completed agambling task, in which they had to decide which of two doors had a reward behind it. On50% of trials, participants received gain feedback (an up arrow), followed by an eroticimage. On the other 50%, participants received loss feedback (a down arrow), followedby a neutral image. FRN amplitude differed as a function of gain-loss but did not differbetween mood inductions. However, FRN after the anger induction was significantlycorrelated with participants’ self-reported attraction to the erotic stimuli. The associationbetween attraction and FRN after the anger induction remained significant after inductionorder, trait anger, FRN after the neutral induction, and perceived performance and agencyduring the gambling task were statistically controlled. These results suggest that FRNamplitude is associated with the perceived appetitive properties of rewarding stimuli,particularly in contexts associated with increased approach motivation.D.J Angus is supported by an Australian Postgraduate Award.
Original languageEnglish
Article numberPoster 1-31
Pages (from-to)S19
JournalPsychophysiology
Volume51
Issue numberS1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Oct 2014
Externally publishedYes

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