title: Neural evidence that the behavioral inhibition system is involved in existential threat processing.
abstract: According to threat-general perspectives, existentially threatening prospects such as the inevitability of mortality or uncontrollability represent motivational discrepancies that activate the behavioral inhibition system (BIS). The aim of the present paper is to test this claim using neuroimaging and neurophysiological methods. In Study 1, we used neuroimaging to show that both mortality- and uncontrollability-related stimuli elicit activation in the anterior cingulate cortex, which is a key BIS region in humans. Focusing on the idea that BIS activation is associated with increased attention, Study 2 used electroencephalography to demonstrate that both mortality- and uncontrollability-related stimuli enhanced the late positive potential, an indicator of motivated attention. Together, these studies provide support for the model's prediction that existential threat activates the BIS.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of Salzburg , Salzburg , Austria.
authors.forename: Johannes
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Klackl
authors.affiliation: a Department of Psychology , University of Salzburg , Salzburg , Austria.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jonas
authors.affiliation: b Department of Psychology , University of Leipzig , Leipzig , Germany.
authors.forename: Immo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fritsche
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D013694:Temperament / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen
keywords: Existential neuroscience; electroencephalography; functional magnetic resonance imaging; mortality; uncontrollability