Influence of individual differences in Behavioral Inhibition System on the magnitude and time course of the fear-potentiated startle.
Previous research has shown that the startle reflex is potentiated during experimentally induced anxiety (fear-potentiated startle). In the present study, the magnitude and time course of the startle blink reflex were examined among 35 undergraduates scoring one standard deviation above (n = 14) or below (n = 21) the mean in a self-report measure of sensitivity to punishment (SP) in a paradigm involving the anticipation of electric shocks. Contrary to our predictions, SP did not relate to differences in the magnitude or in the time course of fear-potentiated startle. Our data do not support an association between this individual differences variable and the fear-potentiated startle.
Fullana
Miquel-Angel
MA
Departament de Psiquiatria i de Medicina Legal, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. mafr@copc.es
Caseras
Xavier
X
Riba
Jordi
J
Barbanoj
Manel
M
Torrubia
Rafael
R
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001767:Blinking / Q000502:physiology*; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D004576:Electromyography / Q000379:methods; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D013216:Reflex, Startle / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors