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Extraversion is comprised of agentic and affiliative components, which are characterized by distinct positive emotional states of positive activation and warmth-affection, respectively. This study examined these positive emotions using the International Affective Picture System, a standardized set of pictures used to induce emotion. Compared to response to neutral pictures, the following target emotions were induced: (1) affiliative pictures induced warmth-affection and pleasantness, (2) agentic pictures induced positive activation, pleasantness, and arousal, (3) high arousal nonagentic pictures induced pleasantness and arousal, and (4) low arousal nonaffiliative pictures induced pleasantness. As previously demonstrated (Morrone, J. V., Depue, R. A., Scherer, A. J., & White, T. L. (2000). Film-induced incentive motivation and positive activation in relation to agentic and affiliative components of extraversion. Personality and Individual Differences, 29(2), 199–216; Morrone-Strupinsky, J. V. & Depue, R. A. (2004). Differential relation of two distinct, film-induced positive emotional states to affiliative and agentic extraversion. Personality and Individual Differences, 36(5), 1109–1126), agentic picture-induced positive affective ratings were significantly related to a trait measure of social potency, but not to other extraversion scales. The results support a multicomponent conceptualization of the extraversion trait, where agentic and affiliative components are associated with distinctive positive emotional experience.

Extraversion is comprised of two major components, referred to as agency and affiliation, which are characterized by two different types of positive emotional states of incentive motivation–positive activation and warmth–affection, respectively (Depue & Collins, 1999). In response to the lack of film material targeting these different positive emotional states, a set of films was previously developed that significantly induces a state of incentive motivation–positive activation (Morrone, Depue, Scherer, & White, 2000). In the present study, due to a paucity of methods that specifically induce warmth and affection, dynamic film material was developed that activates such subjective experience. Affiliative film-induced increases in warmth and affection ratings were significantly related to a trait measure of affiliative extraversion [Tellegen's MPQ Social Closeness scale (r=0.39, P

Recently we argued that a core process underlying the trait of extraversion is positive incentive motivation, an association that particularly characterizes the agentic as opposed to the affiliative component of extraversion (Depue & Collins, Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 22 , 1–79, 1999). Due to a paucity of methods that specifically induce incentive motivation–positive activation (as opposed to solely amusement and pleasantness), this study developed dynamic film material that activates such subjective experience. Moreover, the films represent three levels of magnitude of induced incentive motivation–positive activation, ranging from minimal to moderate to strong. Therefore, individual differences in film-induced positive activation could be expressed as a stimulus intensity–response function via the slope of positive activation ratings across the range of incentive magnitudes. Film-induced reactivity in positive activation, as opposed to pre-film basal positive activation, was preferentially related to extraversion. Moreover, the slope of post-film positive activation across films, reflecting a stimulus intensity–response function, was more robustly related to overall estimates of extraversion ( r =0.34, p r =0.32, p r =0.18, p =0.09) component of extraversion. The findings suggest that a unitary concept of extraversion may be incorrect, and that further research is necessary to characterize the nature of agentic and affiliative components of the trait. The film method reported herein provides one means of investigating the incentive motivation–positive activation nature of extraversion.

Emotion is information about the extent to which goals are being met in interaction with the environment. Keywords: emotion; brain; amygdala; consciousness; neuroimaging

It is accepted that pharmacological treatment of recent-onset atrial fibrillation (AF) in order to reset sinus rhythm restoration, if effective and safe, is doubtless the favourite approach, since it is preferred by patients over electrical cardioversion. Nonetheless, it must be remembered that the placebo effect is very consistent (> 50% at 12–24 h) for AF duration of 48 h or less. Also, class I and class III antiarrhythmic drugs are not equivalent, and should be used according to their electrophysiological and pharmacokinetic properties and to their effect on cardiac inotropism, which must be strictly connected to the clinical condition of the patient. Pharmacological treatment can be carried out either intravenously or per os; and the availability of orally administered drugs has made it possible for some AF patients to treat themselves at home. There are three main factors that must be taken into consideration in choosing the appropriate drug for AF cardioversion: the duration of the arrhythmia, the clinical context in which it takes place, and the ventricular function. AF duration is also the most important factor influencing the possibility of sinus rhythm restoration. The present review discusses two types of AF: AF of less than 48-h duration and AF of more than 48-h duration. According to the guidelines of the American College of Chest Physicians, in AF of < 48-h duration, antithrombotic treatment can be avoided due to a low thromboembolic risk linked with cardioversion (< 1%) [1].

The indisputed advantages of the pharmacological cardioversion of recent onset atrial fibrillation (good and at times high efficacy, action rapid and often during drug infusion, very good patient compliance, no need for hospitalization) have stimulated the interest of several authors to test both the efficacy of antiarrhythmic drugs and the possible preferential indications for each of them. In our opinion, there are three main factors that must be taken into consideration in choosing the kind of drug for atrial fibrillation (AF) cardioversion: 1) arrhythmia duration, 2) the clinical context in which it takes place, 3) ventricular function.