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What is more effective to guide behavior: The desire to gain or the fear to lose? Electroencephalography (EEG) studies have yielded inconsistent answers. In a systematic exploration of the valence and magnitude parameters in monetary gain and loss processing, we used time‐domain and time‐frequency‐domain analyses to uncover the underlying neural processes. A group of 24 participants performed a monetary incentive delay (MID) task in which cue‐induced anticipation of a high or low magnitude of gain or loss was manipulated trial‐wise. Behaviorally, the anticipation of both gain and loss expedited responses, with gain anticipation producing greater facilitation than loss anticipation. Analyses of cue‐locked P2 and P3 components revealed the significant valence main effect and valence × magnitude interaction: amplitude differences between high and low incentive magnitudes were larger with gain vs. loss cues. However, the contingent negative variation component was sensitive to incentive magnitude but did not vary with incentive valence. In the feedback phase, the RewP component exhibited reversed patterns for gain and loss trials. Time‐frequency analyses revealed a large increase in delta/theta‐ERS oscillatory activity in high‐ vs. low‐magnitude conditions and a large decrease of alpha‐ERD oscillatory activity in gain vs. loss conditions in the anticipation stage. In the consumption stage, delta/theta‐ERS turned out stronger for negative than positive feedback, especially in the gain condition. Overall, our study provides new evidence for the neural oscillatory features of monetary gain and loss processing in the MID task, suggesting that participants invested more attention under gain and high‐magnitude conditions vs. loss and low‐magnitude conditions. Electroencephalography studies have yielded inconsistent answers to the question of what is more effective to guide behavior: The desire to gain or the fear to lose? The current study systematically manipulated the valence and magnitude parameters in the monetary incentive delay task, providing new evidence on the neural oscillatory features of monetary gain and loss processing in both the anticipatory and consummatory stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Power is known to promote cognitive processing in a goal‐directed way. However, it is unknown whether powerful individuals invest more resources when pursuing their goals or whether they invest their resources more efficiently. We examined how experiencing high versus low power affects the efficient investment of cognitive resources using electroencephalography (EEG). Specifically, event‐related desynchronization (ERD) in the upper alpha band (10.5–12.75 Hz) was used to quantify the use of cognitive resources during task completion. Results showed that high‐power participants used fewer neural resources compared to low‐power participants across the whole brain but task performance did not differ between groups. These findings demonstrate that, instead of investing more resources, high‐power participants performed the task with greater cognitive efficiency compared to low‐power participants. Performing tasks efficiently could help powerholders deal with their demanding jobs and responsibilities. Power is known to aid people to pursue their goals more effectively. However, questions remain concerning how power affects the process of pursuing a goal. Do the powerful try harder than the powerless? Or can they achieve the same goals with fewer resources (i.e., are they more efficient)? Electroencephalography methods allowed us to dissociate effectiveness from efficiency, and revealed that individuals experiencing high power are more cognitively efficient compared to those experiencing low power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reinforcement learning refers to the acquisition of approach or avoidance action tendencies through repeated reward/nonreward feedback. Although much research on reinforcement learning has focused on the striatum, the prefrontal cortex likely modulates this process. Given prior research demonstrating a consistent pattern of lateralized frontal cortical activity in affective responses and approach/avoidance tendencies in the EEG literature, we aimed to elucidate the role of frontal EEG asymmetry in reinforcement learning. Thirty-two participants completed a probabilistic selection task in which they learned to select some targets and avoid others though correct/incorrect feedback. EEG indices of frontal cortical asymmetry were computed from alpha power recorded at baseline and during task completion. We also examined the feedback-related negativity ERP component to assess feedback processing associated with activity in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. Results revealed that greater right-lateralized frontal cortical activity during learning was associated with better avoidance learning, but neither left- nor right-sided asymmetry reliably related to approach learning. Results also suggested that left frontal activity may relate to reinforcement feedback processing, as indicated by the feedback-related negativity (FRN). These findings offer preliminary evidence regarding the role of frontal cortical activity in reinforcement learning while integrating classic and contemporary research on lateralized frontal cortical functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents abstracts related to psychophysiology which include the impact in depression of distraction and rumination, the association of blunted neural reactivity and self monitoring with schizophrenia, and the abnormal responses of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) patients to the sensory environment.

The article contains Poster Session Abstracts including "Affective Modulation of the Startle Reflex in Specific Phobia," The Modulation of Skin Conductance Response to a Defense Stimulus by Affective Sounds," and "Impaired Perception of Dyspnea and Pain After Right Insular Cortex Lesions."

We examined the neurocognitive correlates of the Behavioral Inhibition and Behavioral Activation Systems (BIS/BAS) in an effort to clarify ambiguities concerning interpretations of BIS as reflecting inhibition versus avoidance. We hypothesized that self-reported BIS should relate to neural mechanisms associated with conflict monitoring, whereas self-reported BAS should be associated with neural correlates of approach motivation. Consistent with these predictions, higher self-reported BIS was uniquely related to the N2 event-related potential on No-Go trials of a Go/No-Go task, linking BIS with conflict monitoring and sensitivity to No-Go cues. Higher BAS was uniquely related to greater left-sided baseline frontal cortical asymmetry associated with approach orientation. Implications for theories of self-regulation involving conflict monitoring, cognitive control, and approach/avoidance motivation are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents several abstracts on neurophysiology. 'Attachment Classification and Pregnant Women's Physiological Reactions to Cry Stimuli,' by Jennifer C. Ablow, Amy S.K. Marks, S. Shirley Feldman and Lynne C. Huffman; 'Responses to Subliminal Facial Expressions in Individuals at Risk for Psychopathology,' by Biliana Agin and Nicholas B. Allen; 'Differences in Cognitive Processing During Go/NoGo and Stop/Nonstop Tasks: Correlations Between Reaction Time and ERP-P3S,' by Aki Akamine and Mitsuro Kida.

The article presents abstracts of papers to be presented at the 42nd annual meeting of the Society for Psychophysiological Research to be held in Washington, D.C. on October 2 to 6, 2002. These include "Is Well-Being Protective?: Links Between Eudaimonic and Hedonic Well-Being and Allostatic Load," "Effects of Mood Induction on Startle Modulation By Social Threat in Individuals With and Without a History of Depression" and "Neural Circuitry in Positive Emotion: Maternal Love and Well-Being."

Presents the abstracts of papers presented at the 40th annual meeting of the Society for Psychophysiological research slated in San Diego, California. Speakers; Symposia abstracts; Authors and topics.

The article presents abstracts for five studies including "Evaluative and Semantic Priming: Similar Behavioral Effects But Different ERPs," "Motivated Attention to Race: Frontal Asymmetry Effects on the P200 and Response Control," and "The Relativity of Affect: Facial Electromyographic Evidence for Affective Contrast."

The article offers information on a symposium regarding psychophysiology, interoception, and emotion to be held at the University of California, Berkeley in 2011.

The article presents abstracts on medical topics regarding social psychology which include the influence of social identity to intergroup competition neural responses, the role of individual differences in self-regulation among adolescents, and the improvement of early social categorization by social identity.

An abstract of the article "Beyond Words: On the Role of Nonverbal Signals in Human Communication" is presented.

The article presents abstracts on medical topics which include inconsistent sensitivity to human faces, human brain and N170 ERP component.

The article presents abstracts on psychophysiological topics which include regulation of social emotional processing, neural representation of race during face categorization, and effects of testosterone on emotional face processing in healthy participants and patients.

The article presents abstracts on psychophysiological topics which include data collection and analysis methods for Electroencephalography, motivational interpretation of frontal alpha asymmetry during high sexual motivation, and synchronization of neutral activity during parent child interaction.

The article presents abstract related to psychophysiology research studies such as one on social perception, and one on stereotypes and its role in visual processing.

An abstract of the article "Hormones as Mechanisms of Self-Regulation: Steroid Effects on Motivated Attention and Behavior" is presented.

The article presents abstracts of medical research. They include "Emotional Startle Modulation During Script Driven Imagery in Patients With Borderline Personality Disorder," Psychophysiological Reactions to Caffeine and Caffeine-associated Stimuli in Habitual Coffee Drinkers and Abstainers" and "The Temporal Specificity of Fear-Potentiated Startle in Aversive Single-Cue Conditioning."

This section presents abstracts of research related to the physiological mechanisms of self-regulation. They include "Integrating Cognitive Dissonance Theory With Neurocognitive Models of Control," "Racial Ingroup and Outgroup Biases in Early ERP Components and Their Association With Behavior" and "Alternative Neural Mechanisms for Regulating Racial Responses According to Internal Vs. External Cues."

The article presents abstracts of research related to mental depression. They include "A Common Mechanism Relating Rejection Sensitivity to Both Cortisol Levels and Frontal Asymmetry?," "Alteration of Frontal EEG Asymmetry During Tryptophan Depletion Predicts Future Depression" and "Relative Left-Frontal Activity Correlates With Anger, Not Depression, in Fibromyalgia Syndrome."

Presents the abstracts that will be presented in the poster session of the Society for Psychophysiological Research conference. "Prepulse Inhibition and the Psychological Refractory Period," by Melissa L. Rawley; "Sex Differences in Event Related Brain Responses in Semantic Priming," by Jerome Daltrozzo and Boris Kotchoubey; "Neuroelectric Assessment of Ecstasy Use in Young Adults," by Brian A. Lopez and John Polich.

Presents the abstract topics that will be presented in the symposia and panel discussions of the Society for Psychophysiological Research conference. Emotional Modulation of the Post-Auricular Reflex; Cortical Oscillatory Activity and Memory; Neural Mechanisms for the Regulation of Behavior.