title: Exploring the motivational brain: effects of implicit power motivation on brain activation in response to facial expressions of emotion.
abstract: This study tested the hypothesis that implicit power motivation (nPower), in interaction with power incentives, influences activation of brain systems mediating motivation. Twelve individuals low (lowest quartile) and 12 individuals high (highest quartile) in nPower, as assessed per content coding of picture stories, were selected from a larger initial participant pool and participated in a functional magnetic resonance imaging study during which they viewed high-dominance (angry faces), low-dominance (surprised faces) and control stimuli (neutral faces, gray squares) under oddball-task conditions. Consistent with hypotheses, high-power participants showed stronger activation in response to emotional faces in brain structures involved in emotion and motivation (insula, dorsal striatum, orbitofrontal cortex) than low-power participants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. Oliver.Schultheiss@psy.phil.uni-erlangen.de
authors.forename: Oliver C
authors.initials: OC
authors.lastname: Schultheiss
authors.forename: Michelle M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Wirth
authors.forename: Christian E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Waugh
authors.forename: Steven J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Stanton
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Meier
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Reuter-Lorenz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen