Neuropsychological and Psychophysiological Substrates of Appetitive Aggression

248 Pages·2015·8.88 MB·English

by  James K. Moran

Title of Dissertation

Neuropsychological and Psychophysiological Substrates

of Appetitive Aggression

Dissertation submitted for the degree of Doctor of …
Dissertation
(please add the correct doctoral title e.g. Natural Sciences,
Economics, Social Sciences, Philosophy or Law

zur Erlangung des akademischen Grades

des Doktors der Naturwis senschaften (Dr. rer. nat)
Presented by

(full name of the doctoral student)
vorgelegt von

James K . Moran

at the
an der

Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Sektion
Name of the Faculty
Fachbereich Psychologie

Name of the Unive rsity Department

Tag der mündlichen Prüfung: 23.03.2015

Referent: Prof. Dr. Thomas Elbert

Konstanz, year of submission
Referent: PD. Dr. Roland Weierstall

Konstanzer Online-Publikations-System (KOPS)
URL: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:352-0-286214

Acknowledgements
Thanks to Thomas Elbert and Roland Weierstall for their guidance throughout this
project. All my colleagues in the Aggression Research Group helped me enormously with their
knowledge, creativity, and friendship.
My friends and family in Bathurst, Portland, Lithgow, Sydney, Munich, Konstanz and
Berlin have encouragement me a lot over the years, I would not have been able to make it to this
point without their support.
Finally, Monty the border corgi, enjoy your retirement, follow the vet’s orders and don’t
chase too many tennis balls.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................................................... XI

SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................................ XIII

ZUSAMMENFASSUNG ......................................................................................................................... XV

1
  INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 18

1.1
  APPETITIVE AGGRESSION ................................................................................................................ 20

1.2
  APPETITIVE AGGRESSION AS AN EVOLUTIONARY ADAPTATION .................................................. 22

1.3
  ANIMAL MODELS OF AGGRESSION SUBTYPES ................................................................................. 24

1.4
  CLINICAL PSYCHOPATHOLOGY ....................................................................................................... 28

1.5
  FIELD RESEARCH: PTSD AND APPETITIVE AGGRESSION ............................................................. 31

1.6
  MODEL OF APPETITIVE AGGRESSION AND OUTLINE OF EXPERIMENTS ...................................... 33

1.7
  EXPERIMENT 1: ‘BLOOD SCENT: A DRIVER OF HUMAN BEHAVIOUR?’ ......................................... 34

1.8
  EXPERIMENT 2: ‘DIFFERENCES IN BRAIN CIRCUITRY FOR APPETITIVE AND REACTIVE
AGGRESSION AS REVEALED BY REALISTIC AUDITORY SCRIPTS’ ............................................................ 34

1.9
  EXPERIMENT 3: ‘SPECTRAL EEG CORRELATES OF TRAUMA AND AGGRESSION IN A SAMPLE OF
ACTIVE SOLDIERS: A PILOT STUDY’ .......................................................................................................... 35

2
  THE SCENT OF BLOOD: A DRIVER OF HUMAN BEHAVIOUR? ......................................... 36

2.1
  ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................................................... 36

2.2
  INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 37

2.2.1
  THE SCENT OF BLOOD AS A MOTIVATIONAL DRIVER .................................................................... 37

2.2.2
  CHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCENT OF BLOOD ............................................................... 39

2.2.3
  GENDER DIFFERENCES .................................................................................................................... 40

2.2.4
  HYPOTHESES ................................................................................................................................... 40

2.3
  MATERIALS AND METHODS ............................................................................................................. 42

2.3.1
  PARTICIPANTS ................................................................................................................................. 42

i
2.3.2
  ARTIFICIAL BLOOD SCENT SOLUTION ............................................................................................ 43

2.3.3
  CONTROL STIMULI .......................................................................................................................... 43

2.3.4
  THRESHOLD TEST ............................................................................................................................ 44

2.3.5
  EMOTIONAL RATING OF SCENTS ..................................................................................................... 44

2.3.6
  PROCEDURE ..................................................................................................................................... 45

2.3.7
  STATISTICS ...................................................................................................................................... 46

2.3.7.1
  Threshold Distribution ................................................................................................................. 46

2.3.7.2
  Emotional Rating ......................................................................................................................... 46

2.3.7.3
  Fertility Effects ............................................................................................................................. 47

2.4
  RESULTS ............................................................................................................................................ 47

2.4.1
  PERCEPTUAL THRESHOLD ............................................................................................................... 47

2.4.2
  EMOTION RATINGS .......................................................................................................................... 50

2.4.2.1
  Arousal ......................................................................................................................................... 50

2.4.2.2
  Dominance ................................................................................................................................... 51

2.4.2.3
  Valence ......................................................................................................................................... 51

2.4.3
  FERTILITY EFFECTS ......................................................................................................................... 53

2.4.3.1
  Threshold ...................................................................................................................................... 53

2.4.3.2
  Valence ......................................................................................................................................... 53

2.5
  DISCUSSION ....................................................................................................................................... 55

3
  DIFFERENCES IN BRAIN CIRCUITRY FOR APPETITIVE AND REACTIVE
AGGRESSION AS REVEALED BY REALISTIC AUDITORY SCRIPTS ....................................... 60

3.1
  ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................................................... 60

3.2
  INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 61

3.2.1
  REACTIVE AGGRESSION .................................................................................................................. 61

3.2.2
  APPETITIVE AGGRESSION ................................................................................................................ 61

3.2.3
  NEUROPSYCHOLOGY OF AGGRESSION SUBTYPES .......................................................................... 62

3.2.4
  EXPERIMENT DESIGN ...................................................................................................................... 65

3.3
  MATERIALS AND METHODS ............................................................................................................. 67

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3.3.1
  PARTICIPANTS ................................................................................................................................. 67

3.3.2
  STIMULUS MATERIALS AND DESIGN ............................................................................................... 67

3.3.2.1
  Independent Stimuli ..................................................................................................................... 67

3.3.2.2
  Preface Stories .............................................................................................................................. 68

3.3.2.3
  Cover Story .................................................................................................................................. 68

3.3.2.4
  Subjective Ratings ........................................................................................................................ 69

3.3.2.4.1
  AAS ........................................................................................................................................... 69

3.3.2.4.2
  BPAQ ........................................................................................................................................ 70

3.3.2.4.3
  PANAS ...................................................................................................................................... 70

3.3.2.4.4
  Participant Identification with Protagonist and Perpetrator ...................................................... 70

3.3.2.4.5
  Morality ..................................................................................................................................... 71

3.3.2.4.6
  Plausibility of Story ................................................................................................................... 71

3.3.3
  PROCEDURE ..................................................................................................................................... 71

3.3.4
  APPARATUS AND PHYSIOLOGICAL DATA COLLECTION .................................................................. 72

3.3.4.1
  MEG ............................................................................................................................................. 72

3.4
  RESULTS ............................................................................................................................................ 73

3.4.1
  VALIDITY OF EXPERIMENTAL MANIPULATION ............................................................................... 73

3.4.2
  MEG RESULTS ................................................................................................................................ 74

3.4.2.1
  Delta Range .................................................................................................................................. 74

3.4.2.2
  Left Frontal Clusters .................................................................................................................... 74

1.1.1.1.
  Right Parietal/Temporal Cluster ................................................................................................. 75

3.4.2.3
  Alpha Range ................................................................................................................................. 76

3.4.2.4
  AAS Scale Correlations ............................................................................................................... 78

3.5
  DISCUSSION ....................................................................................................................................... 79

4
  SPECTRAL EEG CORRELATES OF TRAUMA AND AGGRESSION IN A SAMPLE OF
ACTIVE SOLDIERS: A PILOT STUDY ............................................................................................... 84

4.1
  ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................................................... 84

4.2
  INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................................. 85

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4.2.1
  AIM OF PROJECT .............................................................................................................................. 85

4.2.2
  INTERPRETATION OF RESTING OSCILLATORY ACTIVITY ................................................................ 86

4.2.3
  PTSD AND RESTING STATE OSCILLATORY ACTIVITY .................................................................... 87

4.2.4
  TRAIT APPETITIVE AGGRESSION AND RESTING STATE OSCILLATORY ACTIVITY ......................... 88

4.2.5
  INTERPLAY OF PTSD AND AGGRESSION ......................................................................................... 89

4.2.6
  HYPOTHESES ................................................................................................................................... 90

4.3
  MATERIALS AND METHODS ............................................................................................................. 92

4.3.1
  PARTICIPANTS ................................................................................................................................. 92

4.3.2
  DEMOGRAPHIC FACTORS ................................................................................................................ 92

4.3.3
  HEAD INJURIES ................................................................................................................................ 96

4.3.4
  HANDEDNESS .................................................................................................................................. 96

4.3.5
  MEASURES ....................................................................................................................................... 97

4.3.5.1
  PTSD symptom severity .............................................................................................................. 97

4.3.5.2
  AAS .............................................................................................................................................. 97

4.3.5.3
  Event List Trauma, Aggression, Stress ........................................................................................ 98

4.3.5.4
  Depression .................................................................................................................................... 98

4.3.6
  APPARATUS AND PHYSIOLOGICAL DATA COLLECTION .................................................................. 99

4.3.7
  PROCEDURE ..................................................................................................................................... 99

4.3.8
  BEHAVIOURAL DATA ANALYSIS ................................................................................................... 100

4.3.9
  EEG DATA ANALYSIS ................................................................................................................... 100

4.4
  RESULTS .......................................................................................................................................... 102

4.4.1
  BEHAVIOURAL DATA ANALYSIS ................................................................................................... 102

4.4.2
  SUMMARY OF BEHAVIOURAL CORRELATIONS ............................................................................. 103

4.4.3
  LATERALIZATION .......................................................................................................................... 105

4.4.4
  GFP ............................................................................................................................................... 110

4.4.5
  GDM ............................................................................................................................................. 117

4.4.6
  EC:EO RATIO ................................................................................................................................ 121

4.4.7
  FACTOR ANALYSIS ........................................................................................................................ 125

DISCUSSION ............................................................................................................................................... 126

iv
4.4.8
  BEHAVIOURAL DATA .................................................................................................................... 126

4.4.9
  EEG DATA ..................................................................................................................................... 127

4.4.9.1
  Lateralization .............................................................................................................................. 127

4.4.9.2
  GFP ............................................................................................................................................ 128

4.4.9.3
  Global Difference Measures ...................................................................................................... 129

4.4.9.4
  EC:EO Ratio ............................................................................................................................... 130

4.4.10
  GENERAL DISCUSSION OF EEG RESULTS .................................................................................... 131

5
  GENERAL DISCUSSION ................................................................................................................ 134

5.1
  DO HUMANS SHOW A HARD-WIRED RESPONSE TO THE SCENT OF BLOOD? ............................. 135

5.2
  NEUROBIOLOGICAL VALIDATION OF DIFFERENCES BETWEEN APPETITIVE AND REACTIVE
AGGRESSION ............................................................................................................................................. 136

5.3
  IMPLICATIONS FOR THEORY OF APPETITIVE AGGRESSION ........................................................ 137

5.4
  THERAPY OF APPETITIVE AGGRESSION ....................................................................................... 138

5.5
  PSYCHOPATHY ................................................................................................................................ 139

5.6
  APPETITIVE AGGRESSION IN THE GENERAL POPULATION ......................................................... 140

5.7
  SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS ................................................................................................................... 141

5.8
  GENERAL CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................. 143

6
  RECORD OF ACHIEVEMENT ..................................................................................................... 144

Appendix A
  Blood Study (Chapter 2): Study Information .................................................................... 146

A 1
  Screening Questions ........................................................................................................................ 148

Appendix B
  Blood Study (Chapter 2): Risk / Safety Assessment ......................................................... 150

Appendix C
  Blood Study (chapter 2) PEA Threshold Test ................................................................... 160

Appendix D
  Blood Study (Chapter 3): Emotion Rating Protocol .......................................................... 161

Appendix E
  Blood Study (Chapter 3) Ovulatory Phase Questions ........................................................ 162

Appendix F
  MEG Study (Chapter 3) Experimental Stimuli .................................................................. 163

F 1
  Appetitive ......................................................................................................................................... 163

F 2
  Reactive ............................................................................................................................................ 165

v
F 3
  Control Patient ................................................................................................................................. 166

F 4
  Main Event ....................................................................................................................................... 167

F 5
  Neutral Story .................................................................................................................................... 169

Appendix G
  MEG Study (Chapter 3) Questionnaires ............................................................................ 172

Appendix H
  Trait Correlates of MEG activity ....................................................................................... 196

1.1
  AAS Topoplots ................................................................................................................................. 198

1.2
  SA (total) Topoplots ......................................................................................................................... 199

1.3
  BPAQ ............................................................................................................................................... 200

H 2
  Discussion ....................................................................................................................................... 201

2.1
  Behavioural Correlations ................................................................................................................. 201

2.2
  Trait defined Neuro-Oscillatory Clusters ......................................................................................... 201

Appendix I
  Hormone Correlates of MEG Activity ................................................................................ 203

I 1
  Introduction ....................................................................................................................................... 203

I 2
  Methods ............................................................................................................................................ 206

2.1
  Questionnaires .................................................................................................................................. 206

2.2
  Saliva T and CRT Assay .................................................................................................................. 206

2.3
  T and CRT Outcome Variables ........................................................................................................ 207

2.4
  Statistical Tests ................................................................................................................................. 208

I 3
  Results ............................................................................................................................................... 208

3.1
  T and CRT measures ........................................................................................................................ 208

1.1
  T ....................................................................................................................................................... 208

1.2
  CRT .................................................................................................................................................. 208

1.3
  T:CRT Change Ratio ........................................................................................................................ 209

3.2
  T and CRT Correlations with Group-Determined MEG Clusters ................................................... 210

3.3
  T:CRT change topoplots .................................................................................................................. 212

3.4
  Contrast between Experimental Condition and Neutral Condition .................................................. 213

I 4
  Discussion ......................................................................................................................................... 214

4.1
  T and CRT Change ........................................................................................................................... 214

4.2
  T:CRT ratio ...................................................................................................................................... 214

v i
4.3
  T:CRT Change Ratio correlations with Group defined Neuro-Oscillatory Clusters ....................... 214

4.4
  Endogenous T Correlations with Group-Defined Neuro-Oscillatory Clusters ................................ 215

4.5
  Hormonally-Defined Neuro-Oscillatory Clusters ............................................................................ 215

7
  REFERENCES .................................................................................................................................. 216

Appendix J Audio Recordings of Stimuli for MEG experiment……………..CD attached to back cover

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