Citation

Harmon-Jones E, Sigelman J. J. Pers. Soc. Psychol. 2001; 80(5): 797-803.

Affiliation

Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706, USA. eharmonj@facstaff.wisc.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2001, American Psychological Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

11374750

Abstract

Research has demonstrated that left-prefrontal cortical activity is associated with positive affect, or approach motivation, and that right-prefrontal cortical activity is associated with negative affect, or withdrawal motivation. In past research, emotional valence (positive-negative) has been confounded with motivational direction (approach-withdrawal), such that, for instance, the only emotions examined were both positive and approach related. Recent research has demonstrated that trait anger, a negative but approach-related emotion, is associated with increased left-prefrontal and decreased right-prefrontal activity, suggesting that prefrontal asymmetrical activity is associated with motivational direction and not emotional valence. The present experiment tested whether state-induced anger is associated with relative left-prefrontal activity and whether this prefrontal activity is also associated with aggression. Results supported these hypotheses.

Language: en