Abstract
Our current work examined the interface between thinking style and emotional experience at both the behavioral and neuropsychological levels. Thirty-nine Chinese participants completed the triad task, and we calculated the rate of individually selected relationship pairings to overall selections to represent their holistic thinking tendencies. In addition, participants in the top one-third of the ratio score were classified into the high holistic thinking group, while those in the bottom one-third of the ratio score were classified into the low holistic thinking group. We used the sensitivity to punishment and sensitivity to reward questionnaire (SPSRQ) to examine how people elicit positive and negative affective behaviors. Additionally, we examined the volume of the amygdala and nucleus accumbens and their functional connectivity in the resting-state. We found that high holistic thinkers were much less sensitive to rewards than low holistic thinkers. In other words, individuals with high holistic thinking are less likely to pursue behaviors that have positive emotional outcomes. Furthermore, their bilateral nucleus accumbens and right amygdala volumes were smaller than those of low holistic thinkers. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that holistic thinking tendency can negatively predict the volume of the left nucleus accumbens and right amygdala. Finally, resting-state functional connectivity results showed increased functional connectivity FC between left nucleus accumbens and bilateral amygdala in high holistic thinkers. These findings provide emotion-related manifestations of thinking styles at the behavioral and neural levels.
Highlights
Peng et al (2006) divided Chinese dialectical epistemology into three interrelated principles to facilitate empirical analysis of dialecticism
We found that high holistic thinkers were much less sensitive to rewards than were low holistic thinkers [Figure 1A; T28 = –2.47, p = 0.02, Cohen’s d = 0.90, 95% CI = (–3.86, –0.36)], while their sensitivity to punishment (SP) was not different from that of low holistic thinkers [Figure 1A; T28 = 1.34, p = 0.19, Cohen’s d = 0.49, 95% CI = (–1.05, 4.98)]
The results showed that holistic thinking tendency was negatively related to bilateral nucleus accumbens volume [Table 1; left: Spearman’s rho (39) = –0.52, p < 0.01; right: Spearman’s rho (39) = –0.46, p < 0.01] and right amygdala volume [Table 1; Spearman’s rho (39) = –0.32, p < 0.05]
Summary
Peng et al (2006) divided Chinese dialectical epistemology into three interrelated principles to facilitate empirical analysis of dialecticism. The FFFS system is activated by all conditioned and unconditioned aversive stimuli that regulate defensive avoidance behavior along with negative emotional experiences (fear) These systems reflect the brain structures that influence sensitivity to reinforcing events and control emotional experiences (Torrubia et al, 2001). The amygdala and nucleus accumbens can reflect individuals with different thinking styles’ behavioral responsiveness to positive and negative emotions. We examined the functional connectivity (FC) between the bilateral amygdala and nucleus accumbens in the resting state, which reflects spontaneous brain activity This is independent of the structural MRI analysis. We assumed that people with high holistic thinking tendencies are not sensitive to reward (low approach to positive emotions), so their nucleus accumbens and amygdala volumes would be smaller. We examined the relationships among thinking style, sensitivity to reward, and nuclei volume
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