Gatzke-Kopp Lisa M, Willner Cynthia J, Jetha Michelle K, Abenavoli Rachel M, DuPuis David, Segalowitz Sidney J
The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Social Science Research Institute, 315 HHD East, University Park, PA 16802, United States; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, Social Science Research Institute, 315 HHD East, University Park, PA 16802, United States.
The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Social Science Research Institute, 315 HHD East, University Park, PA 16802, United States.
Int J Psychophysiol. 2015 Nov;98(2 Pt 2):300-309. doi: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2015.04.018. Epub 2015 May 1.
Frustration is a normative affective response with an adaptive value in motivating behavior. However, excessive anger in response to frustration characterizes multiple forms of externalizing psychopathology. How a given trait subserves both normative and pathological behavioral profiles is not entirely clear. One hypothesis is that the magnitude of response to frustration differentiates normative versus maladaptive reactivity. Disproportionate increases in arousal in response to frustration may exceed normal regulatory capacity, thus precipitating aggressive or antisocial responses. Alternatively, pathology may arise when reactivity to frustration interferes with other cognitive systems, impairing the individual's ability to respond to frustration adaptively. In this paper we examine these two hypotheses in a sample of kindergarten children. First we examine whether children with conduct problems (CP; n=105) are differentiated from comparison children (n=135) with regard to magnitude of autonomic reactivity (cardiac and electrodermal) across a task that includes a frustrative non-reward block flanked by two reward blocks. Second we examine whether cognitive processing, as reflected by magnitude of the P3b brain response, is disrupted in the context of frustrative non-reward. Results indicate no differences in skin conductance, but a greater increase in heart rate during the frustration block among children in the CP group. Additionally, the CP group was characterized by a pronounced decrement in P3b amplitude during the frustration condition compared with both reward conditions. No interaction between cardiac and P3b measures was observed, suggesting that each system independently reflects a greater sensitivity to frustration in association with externalizing symptom severity.
挫折感是一种具有适应性价值的正常情感反应，能够激发行为。然而，因挫折而产生的过度愤怒是多种外化性精神病理学的特征。某一特定特质如何同时服务于正常和病态行为模式尚不完全清楚。一种假设是，对挫折的反应强度区分了正常反应与适应不良反应。因挫折而导致的唤醒水平不成比例地增加可能会超过正常调节能力，从而引发攻击或反社会反应。或者，当对挫折的反应性干扰其他认知系统，损害个体适应性应对挫折的能力时，就可能出现病态。在本文中，我们在一组幼儿园儿童样本中检验这两种假设。首先，我们检验有行为问题（CP；n = 105）的儿童与对照儿童（n = 135）在一项任务中的自主反应性（心脏和皮肤电反应）强度上是否存在差异，该任务包括一个由两个奖励块夹着的无奖励挫折块。其次，我们检验在无奖励挫折情境下，由P3b脑反应强度所反映的认知加工是否受到干扰。结果表明，皮肤电导率无差异，但CP组儿童在挫折块期间心率增加幅度更大。此外，与两种奖励条件相比，CP组在挫折条件下P3b波幅明显降低。未观察到心脏指标与P3b指标之间的相互作用，这表明每个系统独立反映了与外化症状严重程度相关的对挫折的更高敏感性。
