Behavioral studies suggest that two affective dimensions of personality are associated with working memory (WM) function. WM load is known to modulate neural activity in the caudal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a brain region critical for the cognitive control of behavior. On this basis, we hypothesized that neural activity in the caudal ACC during a WM task should be associated with persona...

This study examined the relationship between reinforcement sensitivity theory (RST), life stress, and internalizing symptoms. Generally, low sensitivity of the behavioral approach system (BAS) predicts depression whereas high sensitivity of the behavioral inhibition system (BIS) predicts anxiety and depression. However, few studies have examined how RST variables interact with life stress to pr...

Novelty seeking and harm avoidance are two major temperamental dimensions from the Cloninger's biosocial model of personality that are theoretically related to Gray's behavioral approach system (BAS) and behavioral inhibition system (BIS), respectively. The revised version of the temperament and character inventory (TCI-R) and the Carver and White BIS/BAS scales were developed to assess these c...

The reinforcement sensitivity theory (RST) relates individual differences in reward sensitivity to the activation of the behavioral approach system (BAS). Dopamine-related brain structures have been repeatedly associated with reward processing, but also with cognitive processes such as task switching. In the present study, we examined the association between reward sensitivity and the event-rel...

The Behavioral Approach System (BAS) hypersensitivity theory of bipolar disorder (BD; Alloy & Abramson, 2010; Depue & Iacono, 1989) suggests that hyperreactivity in the BAS results in the extreme fluctuations of mood characteristic of BD. In addition to risk conferred by BAS hypersensitivity, cognitive and personality variables may play a role in determining risk. We evaluated relationships amo...

The behavioural inhibition system (BIS) and the behavioural activation system (BAS) have been conceptualized as two neurobehavioural systems regulating sensitivity to punishment (BIS) and sensitivity to reinforcement (BAS) and are in the basis of personality. A lack of balance in the BIS and BAS activation levels has been related to several types of psychopathology. This article reviews the mos...

We examined the effects of a small talking facial image on (a) emotional responses as indexed by self-report and facial electromyography (EMG) and (b) attention and engagement as indexed by so-called respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) when viewing/listening to financial news from a simulated pocket PC among 36 subjects. The results showed that a talking facial image was rated as more pleasant a...

In this article, we tested the vulnerability hypothesis of the behavioral approach system (BAS) hypersensitivity model of bipolar disorders. We examined whether selfreported BAS sensitivity predicts lifetime bipolar spectrum diagnoses as well as symptoms and personality characteristics associated with bipolar disorder using a retrospective and concurrent behavioral high-risk design. Participant...