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Motivational intensity modulates attentional scope: evidence from behavioral and ERP studies

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Abstract

Previous studies have found that affective states with high motivational intensity narrow attentional scope, whereas affective states with low motivational intensity broaden attentional scope. This conclusion, however, is based on fragmented evidence based on several separate studies. The present study tests this conclusion within a single study using both behavioral (Experiment 1) and neurophysiological (Experiment 2) measures. Experiment 1 showed that individuals had the global precedence effect in the neutral affective state. However, the global precedence effect was reduced for affective states with high motivational intensity, whereas the global precedence effect was not significantly enhanced for those with low motivational intensity. Experiment 2 replicated these results with event-related potential (ERP) recording. ERP results showed that affective states with high motivational intensity induced smaller N2 and greater late positive potential (LPP) amplitudes than low motivational intensity and neutral affective states. However, no differences were found between the low motivational intensity and neutral affective states. Furthermore, smaller LPP predicted the tendency a global attentional focus in the frontal and central areas and larger LPP predicted a narrowed focus in the frontal area. The findings suggested that high motivational intensity of affective states can affect attentional scope.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (2011CB711000), the Major Project of the National Social Science Fund (11&ZD187), and Shang Shan Funding.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Beijing Key Lab of Applied Experimental Psychology, School of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China

    Lei Liu, Guangnan Zhang & Renlai Zhou

  2. State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China

    Renlai Zhou

  3. Research Center of Emotion Regulation, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China

    Lei Liu & Renlai Zhou

  4. Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences, Beijing, 100875, China

    Lei Liu & Renlai Zhou

  5. Combined Program in Education and Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA

    Zuowei Wang

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  1. Lei Liu
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Correspondence to Renlai Zhou.

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Liu, L., Zhang, G., Zhou, R. et al. Motivational intensity modulates attentional scope: evidence from behavioral and ERP studies. Exp Brain Res 232, 3291–3300 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-014-4014-x

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