The neural correlates of reinforcement sensitivity theory: A systematic review of the (f)MRI literature.

Abstract

Objective: Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST) is a theory of motivation, emotion, and learning, that has been translated into an account of personality. RST proposes neural structures that form the basis of systems responsible for reward (behavioral approach system; BAS), punishment (flight–fight–freeze system; FFFS) and conflict processing (behavioral inhibition system; BIS). This systematic review collated studies examining psychometric measures of RST alongside structural and function Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) data to (a) examine how psychometric RST is associated with the proposed neural topologies of RST, (b) identify any common associations between psychometric RST and other brain regions, and (c) provide recommendations for advancing the current literature base. Method: Initial search terms identified 10,952 papers. After processing, 39 papers that investigated the association between RST scales and neural functioning in healthy adult samples were included in this review. Results: There was general support for associations between the BAS and the structure/activity of the prefrontal cortex and ventral striatum with some additional findings for the ventral pallidum and ventral tegmental area. There was also some support for associations between BIS/FFFS and structure/activity of frontal regions, cingulate cortices and the amygdala. Conclusions: Overall, psychometric correlates of RST were associated with activity in proposed neural circuitry, with the most consistent support being found for the BAS; however, psychometric and experimental limitations still hamper the differentiation of the BIS and FFFS systems in their activation of deeper brain networks. Future studies need to include revised RST scales that separate the BIS and FFFS and implement more rigorous tasks that allow for the examination of each system both independently and codependently.

Sensitive caregiving and reward responsivity: A novel mechanism linking parenting and executive functions development in early childhood

“…Another limitation concerns how closely trait‐level differences in reward responsivity, as captured by the BIS/BAS questionnaire, reflects children's actual neural and behavioral responses to rewards or punishments. Some work reports high correlations between trait‐level reward responsivity and behavioral and neural responses to rewards in adults (see Kennis et al., 2013; Standen et al., 2022 for reviews). In addition, recent work examining over 11,000 9‐ to 10‐year‐old children from the National Institutes of Health's Adolescent Brain Cognition Development (ABCD) project found high correlations between trait‐level reward responsivity and gray matter volume in striatal reward regions (Ide et al., 2020).…”

International affect, personality, and embodied brain (APE) network.

“…Reinforcement sensitivity theory, for example, is a neurobiological account of motivation, emotion, and learning, initially developed from animal studies that has been subsequently translated into a human personality framework. Standen et al (2022) systematically review functional MRI studies which partially corroborate the This document is copyrighted by the American Psychological Association or one of its allied publishers.…”

An examination of how reward associations differentially facilitate and impair Stroop performance

“…Highly reward responsive individuals respond similarly fast to obtain a small reward but are faster than less reward responsive individuals when responding to obtain a large versus small reward (Costumero et al, 2013), and are likelier to allocate attention toward an object presented in a color previously associated with a large reward (Hickey et al, 2010). Activity in reward related brain areas (e.g., ventral striatum, orbitofrontal cortex) during large reward trials is associated with individual differences in reward responsiveness, whereas this relationship was not present when examining activity during small reward trials (Costumero et al, 2013(Costumero et al, , 2016Hahn et al, 2009Hahn et al, , 2011Simon et al, 2010;Standen et al, 2022). In the present study, high reward motivated individuals did not respond faster to obtain the small reward, but they were more likely to respond faster to obtain a larger valued reward compared to less reward motivated individuals.…”