Motivated for movement: Beta activation over the motor cortex resulting from intrinsic and extrinsic motivators

Abstract

Past work on motivation has primarily studied dichotomous distinctions of motivation (e.g., extrinsic or intrinsic). However, focusing on the overall motivational intensity may be better at accentuating the unique differences within and between varying motivators as it pertains to the impetus to act. Specifically, motivational intensity influences neural patterns of beta band frequency (13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30) as measured by electroencephalography (EEG) that enable motor-action preparation, a neural correlate of motivated movement. The primary aim of across three experiments was to investigate neural motor-action preparation to modified flanker tasks within achievement (Experiment 1), autonomous (Experiment 2), and extrinsic vs. intrinsic (Experiment 3) motivational contexts. Experiment 1 revealed greater motor-action preparation for challenging trial cues and did not differ in behavioral attentional and performance measures across both trial types.Experiment 2 revealed no significant difference in motor-action preparation, did not differ in behavioral attentional narrowing and had worse behavioral performance in high autonomy relative to low autonomy trials. Experiment 3 revealed greater motor-action preparation for challenging trial cues, did not differ in behavioral attentional narrowing and had a faster performance for reward trials relative to high autonomy trials. These findings suggest motivators of the same category (i.e., intrinsic) may differ in motivational strength, as suggested by a neurophysiological measure of immediate motivated movement planning.

Error‐related brain activity: A time‐domain and time‐frequency investigation in pediatric obsessive–compulsive disorder

“…Also, a beta power decrease on error relative to correct trials was observed across the whole sample. Considering previous work showing that beta band activity is associated with motor processing during a flanker task (Li et al, 2021; Wilhelm et al, 2022), this pattern is consistent with the possibility that beta activity may be related to motor preparation for subsequent trials. Indeed, individuals with greater error‐related beta also had longer RTs on trials that followed the commission of an error (i.e., post‐error trials).…”

“…Unique to the current study, the OCD group was characterized by reduced beta power decrease (i.e., greater power) on error (but not correct) trials, relative to the control group. Based on previous literature (e.g., Li et al, 2021;Wilhelm et al, 2022), this finding could indicate that participants with OCD are characterized by reduced motor preparation following errors (e.g., greater motor inhibition). Consistent with this possibility, enhanced error-related beta was associated with slower post-error RTs, linking increased beta power on error trials to increased behavioral inhibition on subsequent trials.…”

“…A decrease in alpha power following error relative to correct responses has been found, suggesting that error-related alpha increases or decreases may reflect increased attention following error detection (Carp & Compton, 2009;Li et al, 2021). Relatively fewer studies have examined the contributions of the beta frequency band, which is generated in sensorimotor areas (Tzagarakis et al, 2015), and may enable motor-action preparation (Wilhelm et al, 2021(Wilhelm et al, , 2022. Beta oscillations are suppressed during action preparation (McFarland et al, 2000;Pfurtscheller et al, 1994;Yang et al, 2015), while increased beta power reflects inhibition of prepared actions in multiple tasks also related to error monitoring (Li et al, 2021;Rosin et al, 2011;Swann et al, 2012;Wach et al, 2013;Wessel et al, 2016).…”

Utilizing electroencephalography (EEG) to investigate positive affect

“…Positive Affects that occur after a goal has been achieved, tend to be low in approach-motivational intensity. In a recent study, reserachers [15,16] directly tested whether high (pregoal) versus low (postgoal) approachmotivated PA states would differ in beta suppression and relate to cognitive processes that facilitate goal pursuit. Results revealed that beta suppression was highest in pregoal positive states, relative to postgoal positive and neutral states.…”