Frontal Alpha Power Asymmetry in Aggressive Children and Adolescents with Mood and Disruptive Behavior Disorders

Rybak, M.; Crayton, John W.; Young, Irving J.; Herba, Edward; Konopka, Lukasz M.

doi:10.1177/155005940603700105

Cited by 46 publications

(38 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…This pattern was later conceptually replicated by Hewig, Hagemann, Seifert, Naumann, and Bartussek (2004) and by Rybak, Crayton, Young, Herba, and Konopka (2006). Harmon-Jones (2004) later confirmed that this pattern is not attributable to any positive feelings about anger among people high in trait anger.…”

Section: Hemispheric Activation Affect and Motivational Directionmentioning

confidence: 64%

Anger is an approach-related affect: Evidence and implications.

Carver¹,

Harmon‐Jones²

2009

Psychological Bulletin

1,374

1,165

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The authors review a range of evidence concerning the motivational underpinnings of anger as an affect, with particular reference to the relationship between anger and anxiety or fear. The evidence supports the view that anger relates to an appetitive or approach motivational system, whereas anxiety relates to an aversive or avoidance motivational system. This evidence appears to have 2 implications. One implication concerns the nature of anterior cortical asymmetry effects. The evidence suggests that such asymmetry reflects direction of motivational engagement (approach vs. withdrawal) rather than affective valence. The other implication concerns the idea that affects form a purely positive dimension and a purely negative dimension, which reflect the operation of appetitive and aversive motivational systems, respectively. The evidence reviewed does not support that view. The evidence is, however, consistent with a discrete-emotions view (which does not rely on dimensionality) and with an alternative dimensional approach.Keywords: anger, approach, appetitive system, avoidance, threat system Recent years have seen a surge of interest in emotional experience (e.g., Barrett, Niedenthal, & Winkielman, 2005;Dalgleish & Power, 1999;Davidson, Scherer, & Goldsmith, 2003;Frijda, 2007; Lane & Nadel, 2000;Lewis & Haviland-Jones, 2000;Ortony, Clore, & Collins, 1988;Panksepp, 1998; Rottenberg & Johnson, 2007; Scherer, Schorr, & Johnstone, 2001). Views of emotion vary considerably, in several respects. As one example, some people view emotions as a set of distinct modular entities, often considered basic emotions (e.g., Ekman, 1992;Izard, 1991;Izard & Ackerman, 2000;Levenson, 1994Levenson, , 1999Panksepp, 1998;Roseman, 1991). Others hold that affects are best understood by reference to underlying dimensions (e.g., Barrett, 2006;Cacioppo, Gardner, & Berntson, 1999;Carver & Scheier, 1998;Davidson, 1998;Gray, 1994a;Lang, Bradley, & Cuthbert, 1992Russell, 2003;Russell & Carroll, 1999a, 1999bWatson, Wiese, Vaidya, & Tellegen, 1999;Yik, Russell, & Barrett, 1999). AngerThis article focuses on one specific affect-anger. Specifically, it addresses the relationship of this affect to broad motivational tendencies of approach and avoidance, and it considers implications of that relationship for two areas of thought and research. We begin with a few words about definitions.Sometimes the terms affect, feeling, and emotion are treated as interchangeable (e.g., Isen, 2000); sometimes they are distinguished from each other (e.g., Fredrickson, 2001;. Affect is generally used to imply a hedonic experience, a sense of valence, a subjective sense of positivity or negativity arising from an event. When many use the word emotion, it is with that sense in mind. As Frijda (2000) put it, "For many theorists, the essence of emotion is feeling, and notably 'affect,' here used in the sense of a feeling of pleasure or pain . . . ." (p. 63). As Ortony et al. (1988) put it, emotions are ". . valenced reactions to events, agents, or objects . ." (p. 13). T...

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Section: Hemispheric Activation Affect and Motivational Directionmentioning

confidence: 64%

Anger is an approach-related affect: Evidence and implications.

Carver¹,

Harmon‐Jones²

2009

Psychological Bulletin

1,374

1,165

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…In addition, a subset of this sample was comprised of adolescents in a psychiatric inpatient unit for impulsive aggression. Even among these individuals, trait anger related positively with greater left than right frontal activity (see also, Rybak, Crayton, Young, Herba, & Konopka, 2006). Asymmetrical activity in other regions did not relate with anger.…”

Section: Trait Angermentioning

confidence: 93%

Incorporating motivational intensity and direction into the study of emotions: implications for brain mechanisms of emotion and cognition-emotion interactions

Harmon‐Jones

Gable

2008

NEJP

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Contemporary dimensional models of emotion regard the positive to negative valence dimension as an important organising principle. This principle has been used to organise empirical observations of the relationship between left vs. right (asymmetrical) frontal cortical activations and positive vs. negative emotional experience and expression. This affective valence organising principle has also been used in research concerned with how emotions affect cognition, and much research has suggested that positive affects have different effects on cognition than negative affects. In this paper, we review recent research that questions the utility of the affective valence dimension in understanding the functions of asymmetrical frontal cortical activity and in understanding the effects of emotions on cognition. We will show that the incorporation of motivational direction as a separate dimension from affective valence will benefit understanding of brain mechanisms involved in emotions as well as emotion-cognition interactions. (Netherlands Journal of Psychology, 64,(132)(133)(134)(135)(136)(137)(138)(139)(140)(141)(142) Keywords: affective valence; cognition; emotion; frontal cortex; lateralisation; motivation Contemporary dimensional models of emotion regard the positive to negative valence dimension as an important organising principle (Lang, 1995;Watson, 2000). Over the last three decades, this principle has been used to organise empirical observations of the relationship between left vs. right (asymmetrical) frontal cortical activations and emotional experience and expression. In this body of research, positive affect has been found to relate to relatively greater left than right frontal cortical activity, whereas negative affect has been found to relate to relatively greater right than left frontal cortical activity. This affective valence organising principle has also been used in research concerned with how emotions affect cognition, and much research has suggested that positive affects have different effects on cognition than negative affects. In this paper, we will review research that questions the utility of the affective valence dimension in understanding the functions of asymmetrical frontal cortical activity and in understanding the effects of emotions on cognition. We will show that the incorporation of motivational direction

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“…For social and personality research, incongruent alpha band activation between the left and right hemispheres of the brain reveal patterns related to motivational direction (Rybak, Crayton, Young, Herba, & Konopka, 2006;Gable & HarmonJones, 2008). Motivation is described as the "energization (i.e., instigation) and direction of behavior (Elliot & Covington, 2001, pp.…”

Section: Social Neurosciencementioning

confidence: 99%

“…For example, approachrelated emotions such as anger and aggression tend to show greater left prefrontal hemispheric activation over right in the infant, adolescent, and adult brain (Harmon-Jones & Sigelman, 2001;Rybak et al, 2006). Emotion-related approach motivation like anger have adaptive functions, in some cases inhibiting fear and increasing one's confidence, possibly contributing energy to act towards some action (i.e., approach motivation) (Harmon-Jones & Allen, 1998).…”

Section: Social Neurosciencementioning

confidence: 99%