Frontal lobe asymmetry and impulsive aggression : a reinforcement sensitivity study.

dc.contributor.advisorStanford, Matthew S.
dc.contributor.authorLake, Sarah Laurie.
dc.contributor.departmentPsychology and Neuroscience.en_US
dc.contributor.schoolsBaylor University. Dept. of Psychology and Neuroscience.en_US
dc.date.accessioned2014-01-28T15:33:40Z
dc.date.accessioned2017-04-07T19:34:59Z
dc.date.available2014-01-28T15:33:40Z
dc.date.available2017-04-07T19:34:59Z
dc.date.copyright2013-12
dc.date.issued2014-01-28
dc.description.abstractThe current study compared impulsive aggressive individuals and nonaggressive controls using frontal cortical EEG activity. Impulsive aggression is a reactive or emotionally charged violent response characterized by a loss of behavioral control. Previous physiological studies have found impulsive aggressors (IAs) have sensory and informational processing deficits. Undergraduate male volunteers (n = 15 IAs, n = 15 controls) completed a resting EEG and two affective picture tasks intended to manipulate emotional state. IAs showed more right frontal cortical activity than controls at lateral frontal electrodes at rest [t(28) = 2.470, p = .020] and had similar asymmetry indices throughout the two emotional paradigms [t(14) = .890, ns]. Controls, however, were able to engage the Behavioral Inhibition System (BIS) during withdrawal-related stimuli [t(14) = 2.576, p = .022]. An interaction between group and picture task [F(2, 14) = 3.818, p = .028] reinforced this result. Results indicated that IAs have an overactive BIS and thus cannot appropriate the proper biological systems in response to emotional stimuli. Future directions are discussed.en_US
dc.description.degreePh.D.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2104/8908
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.publisheren
dc.rightsBaylor University theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. Contact librarywebmaster@baylor.edu for inquiries about permission.en_US
dc.rights.accessrightsWorldwide accessen_US
dc.subjectImpulsive aggression.en_US
dc.subjectFrontal cortical asymmetry.en_US
dc.subjectEmotional processing dysfunction.en_US
dc.titleFrontal lobe asymmetry and impulsive aggression : a reinforcement sensitivity study.en_US
dc.typeThesisen_US

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