Frontal Asymmetry in an approach–avoidance conflict paradigm.

The frontal cortex appears to be asymmetrically related to approach motivation, avoidance motivation, and motivational conflict. Much past work has investigated approach and avoidance motivation, but little work has investigated frontal asymmetry in the face of motivational conflict in part because of the inherent conflict between avoidance motivation and motivational conflict. The current study sought to disentangle the existing confound between avoidance motivation and motivational conflict. In the study, participants selected the likelihood of viewing negative (vs. positive) images for zero reward points (avoidance only condition), or negative (vs. positive) images for the chance to win reward points (approach–avoidance conflict conditions). Participants exhibited greater relative right frontal asymmetry while making percent likelihood selections in the approach–avoidance conflict conditions relative to the avoidance only conditions. Additionally, participants exhibited greater relative right frontal asymmetry while viewing disgust images during trials with the greatest approach–avoidance conflict relative to trials with the lowest approach–avoidance conflict. Together, these results suggest that motivational conflict, and not avoidance motivation, is associated with greater relative right frontal activity. Avoidance motivation and motivational conflict are often confounded in past work measuring relative right frontal activation. Recent work has suggested that motivational conflict is related to right frontal activity, but this past work has been correlational. The current study provides causal evidence that motivational conflict, and not avoidance motivation, increases right frontal activation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]