The present study was undertaken to determine whether aversiveness contributes to startle potentiation in anticipation of affective pictures above and beyond the effects of emotional arousal. Further, participants high in trait anxious apprehension, which is characterized by worry about the future, were expected to show especially pronounced anticipatory startle responses. Startle blink reflex was measured during warning stimuli that predicted the valence of ensuing aversive/unpleasant, pleasant, or neutral pictures. Startle magnitude was larger in anticipation of aversive than of pleasant pictures and smallest in anticipation of neutral pictures. Enhanced startle potentiation was not found in anxious apprehension subjects. These data suggest that the aversive nature of stimuli contribute to the potentiation of startle above and beyond the effects of emotional arousal, which may be a universal phenomenon not modulated by individual differences.
Cl Larson合作论文数1Shannon M. Gray合作论文数1Elise Victor合作论文数1Sd Navin合作论文数1
Jack B. Nitschke合作论文数Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison1Ruffalo D合作论文数1
Richard J. Davidson合作论文数Center for Healthy Minds, Waisman Center, College of Letters & Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison;Department of Psychology, School of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison;Healthy Minds Innovations, Inc.1Kristen L. Mackiewicz合作论文数1
