Poster #12 - An ERP Study Investigating Sensitivity to Punishment among High and Low Worriers.

• In Event: 3-159 - Poster Session 12
  In Poster Session: PS 12 Section - Biological Processes: Neuroscience and Genetics

Integrative Statement

Past research indicates that individuals with high levels of worry tend to have a heightened sensitivity to losses (Borkovec & Ray, 1998; Meyer, Gawloska, 2017). Indeed, studies using event-related potentials (ERPs) have highlighted that individuals who are high on worry may be more sensitive to errors (as demonstrated by a larger error-related negativity (ERN) than their peers; Barker, Troller-Renfree, Pine, & Fox, 2015; Meyer, 2017). However, sensitivity to punishment may not be only about errors. Worriers also may be sensitive to receiving negative feedback about a decision or choice that they made (e.g., feedback indicating they lost during a task). The research looking at sensitivity to feedback, however, is less consistent than research on errors and is highly focused on university students (e.g., Aarts & Pourtois, 2012). Therefore, less is known about how worriers react to feedback in childhood and adolescence. The purpose of the current study was to use ERPs to evaluate sensitivity to feedback about losses among children and adolescent worriers and non-worriers. Children (N= 43, Mage= 9) and adolescents (N=55, Mage= 12) filled out a self-report measure of worry and then completed a behavioral Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) during an EEG session. The BART is a risk-taking task that allows for investigation of an individual’s responses to wins versus losses. For both adolescents and children, we created two groups (high vs low worriers) in order to assess whether individuals who are high on worry are more sensitive to feedback about losses than non-worriers. For adolescents, we found that both worriers and non-worriers had a greater sensitivity to feedback about losses compared to wins, as demonstrated by larger ERP amplitudes at P3 (Cz, CPz) in response to losses versus wins. This difference was greater among the high worriers, however, suggesting that adolescent worriers are even more sensitive to losses compared to non-worriers. Interestingly, for children, we also found that overall they were more sensitive to feedback about losses compared to wins, and that this difference was much larger in the worriers (see Figure 1). Overall, our results suggest that both adolescents and children are more sensitive to feedback about losses compared to wins. Further, high worriers are even more sensitive than low worriers. Thus, one mechanism associated with worry, sensitivity to punishment, may start young, highlighting the need for early intervention as a strategy to help decrease high levels of worry.

Authors

• Taylor Heffer, Brock University
  Presenting Author

• Teena Willoughby, Brock University
  Non-Presenting Author