Behavioral Approach Tendencies Research Articles

Sex differences in regional gray matter density in pre-adolescent binge eating disorder: a voxel-based morphometry study.

Binge eating disorder (BED) is a pernicious psychiatric disorder which is linked with broad medical and psychiatric morbidity, and obesity. While BED may be characterized by altered cortical morphometry, no evidence to date examined possible sex-differences in regional gray matter characteristics among those with BED. This is especially important to consider in children, where BED symptoms often emerge coincident with rapid gray matter maturation. Pre-adolescent, 9-10-year old boys (N = 38) and girls (N = 33) with BED were extracted from the 3.0 baseline (Year 0) release of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. We investigated sex differences in gray matter density (GMD) via voxel-based morphometry. Control sex differences were also assessed in age and body mass index and developmentally matched control children (boys N = 36; girls N = 38). Among children with BED, we additionally assessed the association between dorsolateral prefrontal (dlPFC) GMD and parent-reported behavioral approach and inhibition tendencies. Girls with BED uniquely demonstrate diffuse clusters of greater GMD (p < 0.05, Threshold Free Cluster Enhancement corrected) in the (i) left dlPFC (p = 0.003), (ii) bilateral dmPFC (p = 0.004), (iii) bilateral primary motor and somatosensory cortex (p = 0.0003) and (iv) bilateral precuneus (p = 0.007). Brain-behavioral associations suggest a unique negative correlation between GMD in the left dlPFC and behavioral approach tendencies among girls with BED. Early-onset BED may be characterized by regional sex differences in terms of its underlying gray matter morphometry.

Regional gray matter abnormalities in pre-adolescent binge eating disorder: A voxel-based morphometry study

BackgroundBinge eating disorder (BED) is a pernicious psychiatric disorder which is linked with an array of multisystemic organ morbidity, broad psychiatric morbidity, and obesity. Despite behavioral markers often developing in early childhood, the neurobiological markers of early-onset BED remain understudied, and developmental pathophysiology remains poorly understood. Methods71 preadolescent children (aged 9–10-years) with BED and 74 age, BMI and developmentally matched control children were extracted from the 3.0 baseline (Year 0) release of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. We investigated group differences in gray matter density (GMD) via voxel-based morphometry (VBM). We additionally performed region of interest analyses, assessing the association between GMD in nodes of the reward (orbitofrontal cortex; OFC) and inhibitory control (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; dlPFC) networks, and parent-reported behavioral inhibition and approach tendencies. ResultsDiffuse elevations in cortical GMD were noted in those with BED, which spanned prefrontal, parietal, and temporal regions. No areas of reduced GMD were noted in those with BED. No alterations in subcortical GMD were noted. Brain-behavioral associations suggest a distinct and negative relationship between GMD in the OFC and dlPFC, respectively, and self-reported markers of hedonic behavioral approach tendencies. ConclusionsEarly-onset BED may be characterized by diffuse morphological abnormalities in gray matter density, suggesting alterations in cortical architecture which may reflect decreased synaptic pruning and arborization, or decreased myelinated fibers and therefore inter-regional afferents.

Proclivities Toward Behavioral Approach Associated With Reduced Maladaptive Avoidance: An fMRI Study

Clinical anxiety is characterized by unnecessary avoidance of false-alarms of threat. This abnormality often arises from undue generalized avoidance to safe stimuli resembling a conditioned danger-cue (CS+). The present fMRI work examines the extent to which behavioral approach tendencies may protect against maladaptive generalized avoidance and identifies associated neural processes.

A Multivariate Behavior Genetic Investigation of Dual-Systems Models of Alcohol Involvement

Dual-systems models hypothesize that individuals who tend to be drawn to risky behavior and are low in self-control are at greatest risk for alcohol use disorder (AUD). Importantly, these models assume that behavioral approach tendencies and self-control are distinct. This study investigated hypotheses and assumptions central to dual-systems models. Participants were 3,509 members of a national twin registry (58% female). Structured interviews assessed alcohol use and AUD symptoms. Self-report questionnaires assessed individual differences in approach tendencies, namely for general risky behavior (sensation seeking) and substance use (positive expectancies), and behavioral control. Regression models tested nonadditive, interaction effects on alcohol involvement, as proposed by the dual-systems model. Multivariate behavior genetic models investigated the incremental validity of these interaction effects and whether approach tendencies and behavioral control explain distinct variance in alcohol involvement. In regression models, we found interaction effects consistent with the dual-systems model for women but in the opposite direction for men. After accounting for additive main effects in behavior genetic models, however, these interaction effects played a negligible role phenotypically and genetically. Further, sensation seeking and positive expectancies explained phenotypic and genetic variance in alcohol involvement that was distinct from behavioral control. Behavioral control, however, did not explain distinct variance in alcohol involvement. Contrary to dual-systems models, this study suggests that all of the variance in alcohol involvement explained by behavioral control is also shared with the tendency to engage in risky behavior (sensation seeking) and substance use (positive expectancies). Further, interaction effects central to dual-systems models failed to explain additional variance beyond basic main effects. Thus, more parsimonious models may better explain AUD.

Brain self-regulation in criminal psychopaths.

Psychopathic individuals are characterized by impaired affective processing, impulsivity, sensation-seeking, poor planning skills and heightened aggressiveness with poor self-regulation. Based on brain self-regulation studies using neurofeedback of Slow Cortical Potentials (SCPs) in disorders associated with a dysregulation of cortical activity thresholds and evidence of deficient cortical functioning in psychopathy, a neurobiological approach seems to be promising in the treatment of psychopathy. The results of our intensive brain regulation intervention demonstrate, that psychopathic offenders are able to gain control of their brain excitability over fronto-central brain areas. After SCP self-regulation training, we observed reduced aggression, impulsivity and behavioral approach tendencies, as well as improvements in behavioral-inhibition and increased cortical sensitivity for error-processing. This study demonstrates improvements on the neurophysiological, behavioral and subjective level in severe psychopathic offenders after SCP-neurofeedback training and could constitute a novel neurobiologically-based treatment for a seemingly change-resistant group of criminal psychopaths.

Frontal brain asymmetry in adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): Extending the motivational dysfunction hypothesis

ObjectiveAttention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) involves motivational dysfunction, characterized by excessive behavioral approach tendencies. Frontal brain asymmetry in the alpha band (8–13Hz) in resting-state electroencephalogram (EEG) represents a neural correlate of global motivational tendencies, and abnormal asymmetry, indicating elevated approach motivation, was observed in pediatric and adult patients. To date, the relation between ADHD symptoms, depression and alpha asymmetry, its temporal metric properties and putative gender-specificity remain to be explored. MethodsAdult ADHD patients (n=52) participated in two resting-state EEG recordings, two weeks apart. Asymmetry measures were aggregated across recordings to increase trait specificity. Putative region-specific associations between asymmetry, ADHD symptoms and depression, its gender-specificity and test–retest reliability were examined. ResultsADHD symptoms were associated with approach-related asymmetry (stronger relative right-frontal alpha power). Approach-related asymmetry was pronounced in females, and also associated with depression. The latter association was mediated by ADHD symptoms. Test–retest reliability was sufficient. ConclusionsThe association between reliably assessable alpha asymmetry and ADHD symptoms supports the motivational dysfunction hypothesis. ADHD symptoms mediating an atypical association between asymmetry and depression may be attributed to depression arising secondary to ADHD. Gender-specific findings require replication. SignificanceFrontal alpha asymmetry may represent a new reliable marker of ADHD symptoms.

Neural Correlates of Alcohol-Approach Bias in Alcohol Addiction: the Spirit is Willing but the Flesh is Weak for Spirits

Behavioral studies have shown an alcohol-approach bias in alcohol-dependent patients: the automatic tendency to faster approach than avoid alcohol compared with neutral cues, which has been associated with craving and relapse. Although this is a well-studied psychological phenomenon, little is known about the brain processes underlying automatic action tendencies in addiction. We examined 20 alcohol-dependent patients and 17 healthy controls with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), while performing an implicit approach-avoidance task. Participants pushed and pulled pictorial cues of alcohol and soft-drink beverages, according to a content-irrelevant feature of the cue (landscape/portrait). The critical fMRI contrast regarding the alcohol-approach bias was defined as (approach alcohol>avoid alcohol)>(approach soft drink>avoid soft drink). This was reversed for the avoid-alcohol contrast: (avoid alcohol>approach alcohol)>(avoid soft drink>approach soft drink). In comparison with healthy controls, alcohol-dependent patients had stronger behavioral approach tendencies for alcohol cues than for soft-drink cues. In the approach, alcohol fMRI contrast patients showed larger blood-oxygen-level-dependent responses in the nucleus accumbens and medial prefrontal cortex, regions involved in reward and motivational processing. In alcohol-dependent patients, alcohol-craving scores were positively correlated with activity in the amygdala for the approach-alcohol contrast. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was not activated in the avoid-alcohol contrast in patients vs controls. Our data suggest that brain regions that have a key role in reward and motivation are associated with the automatic alcohol-approach bias in alcohol-dependent patients.

The Integrative Effects of Power and Regulatory Focus on Approach and Unethical Behavior

Previous research has shown that the powerful tend to display approach-related tendencies, while the powerless exhibit behavioral inhibition. Events in the real world (e.g. social- political movements), however, suggest that the powerless can also display approach-related tendencies. In this research, we tested a new theoretical model that integrates theories on power and regulatory focus. This model articulates how both powerfulness and powerlessness can each lead to approach motivation and unethical behavior. Four experiments found that prevention-powerlessness and promotion-powerfulness produce stronger behavioral approach tendencies and unethical behavior than promotion- powerlessness and prevention-powerfulness, as evident in individuals’ desire to negotiate (Study 1), misuse of power (Study 2), cheating (Study 3) and aggression (Study 4). We also found evidence for the emotional manifestations that accompany these effects. These findings have important theoretical implications for power and regulatory focus, and explicate how powerlessness can lead to taking action and even corruption.

Fetal Programming Effects of Testosterone on the Reward System and Behavioral Approach Tendencies in Humans

BackgroundSex differences are present in many neuropsychiatric conditions that affect emotion and approach-avoidance behavior. One potential mechanism underlying such observations is testosterone in early development. Although much is known about the effects of testosterone in adolescence and adulthood, little is known in humans about how testosterone in fetal development influences later neural sensitivity to valenced facial cues and approach-avoidance behavioral tendencies.MethodsWith functional magnetic resonance imaging we scanned 25 8–11-year-old children while viewing happy, fear, neutral, or scrambled faces. Fetal testosterone (FT) was measured via amniotic fluid sampled between 13 and 20 weeks gestation. Behavioral approach-avoidance tendencies were measured via parental report on the Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Rewards questionnaire.ResultsIncreasing FT predicted enhanced selectivity for positive compared with negatively valenced facial cues in reward-related regions such as caudate, putamen, and nucleus accumbens but not the amygdala. Statistical mediation analyses showed that increasing FT predicts increased behavioral approach tendencies by biasing caudate, putamen, and nucleus accumbens but not amygdala to be more responsive to positive compared with negatively valenced cues. In contrast, FT was not predictive of behavioral avoidance tendencies, either through direct or neurally mediated paths.ConclusionsThis work suggests that testosterone in humans acts as a fetal programming mechanism on the reward system and influences behavioral approach tendencies later in life. As a mechanism influencing atypical development, FT might be important across a range of neuropsychiatric conditions that asymmetrically affect the sexes, the reward system, emotion processing, and approach behavior.

An Evaluation of Behavioral Approach in Adults with ADHD

Motivational models emphasizing altered reinforcement sensitivity have been increasingly implicated in etiological accounts of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Overactive behavioral approach tendencies are identified among these motivational models and are addressed within reinforcement sensitivity theory (RST). RST proposes that overactive behavioral approach is associated with over responsiveness to immediately reinforcing stimuli and results from an overactive appetitive motivational subsystem of the brain—the behavioral approach system. The current study tested the hypothesis that behavioral approach would be higher in a clinical sample of adults diagnosed with ADHD relative to a control group. Experimental and self-report measures of behavioral approach were administered. Behavioral approach was higher in the ADHD group across both methods of assessment. Effect size estimates fell within the medium to large range. Implications for how these findings might be incorporated into future ADHD models are discussed.

Differentiating Social and Personal Power: Opposite Effects on Stereotyping, but Parallel Effects on Behavioral Approach Tendencies

How does power affect behavior? We posit that this depends on the type of power. We distinguish between social power (power over other people) and personal power (freedom from other people) and argue that these two types of power have opposite associations with independence and interdependence. We propose that when the distinction between independence and interdependence is relevant, social power and personal power will have opposite effects; however, they will have parallel effects when the distinction is irrelevant. In two studies (an experimental study and a large field study), we demonstrate this by showing that social power and personal power have opposite effects on stereotyping, but parallel effects on behavioral approach.

Power and behavioral approach orientation in existing power relations and the mediating effect of income

AbstractA large number of authors have observed that the experience of power increases behavioral approach tendencies. There are however some important unresolved problems. Predominantly, the literature relies on lab manipulations, priming, and student populations. This has resulted in low face validity. Also, it is unclear what process underlies this effect. A large‐scale survey (N = 3082) reliably measures power among real low‐ and high‐power employees in existing organizations and finds strong support for the effect of power on behavioral approach. Consistent with expectations, this effect is mediated by increased access to resources. We also discuss findings that suggest the shape of this power‐approach effect might be quadratic. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Behavioral Approach in ADHD

Objective: Etiological models of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) increasingly support the role of a motivational dysfunction pathway, particularly for hyperactive-impulsive symptoms. Overactive behavioral approach tendencies are implicated among these motivational accounts. However, other externalizing disorder symptoms, such as the psychopathy dimension, are also associated with behavioral approach and frequently co-occur with ADHD. The current study tested the hypothesis that behavioral approach is differentially associated with hyperactive-impulsive ADHD and psychopathy symptoms. Method: A sample of young adults ( n = 220) completed self-report measures assessing behavioral approach and inhibition, ADHD symptoms, and psychopathy symptoms. Results: Structural equation analyses supported the hypothesis that behavioral approach predicts hyperactive-impulsive ADHD symptoms while considering symptom overlap with psychopathy symptoms. Conclusion: These findings support motivational accounts that behavioral approach tendencies are predictive of ADHD symptoms and address concerns about externalizing comorbidity. Implications for ADHD etiology are discussed.

Emotion Elicitor or Emotion Messenger?

Facial emotional expressions can serve both as emotional stimuli and as communicative signals. The research reported here was conducted to illustrate how responses to both roles of facial emotional expressions unfold over time. As an emotion elicitor, a facial emotional expression (e.g., a disgusted face) activates a response that is similar to responses to other emotional stimuli of the same valence (e.g., a dirty, nonflushed toilet). As an emotion messenger, the same facial expression (e.g., a disgusted face) serves as a communicative signal by also activating the knowledge that the sender is experiencing a specific emotion (e.g., the sender feels disgusted). By varying the duration of exposure to disgusted, fearful, angry, and neutral faces in two subliminal-priming studies, we demonstrated that responses to faces as emotion elicitors occur prior to responses to faces as emotion messengers, and that both types of responses may unfold unconsciously.

The Secret Life of Emotions [retracted

The possibility of unconsciously evoked emotions is often denied because awareness of an emotion's cause is considered to be precisely what produces the emotion. However, we argue that because emotional responding is important for successful living, both global and specific emotional responses can be induced without awareness. The present research used quick and super-quick subliminal priming techniques, and cognitive, feelings, and behavioral measures, to test this hypothesis. Our results show that both global moods and specific emotions can be evoked without conscious awareness of their cause.