[Development of the behavioral inhibition system/behavioral approach system scales]

The purpose of present studies was to create brief self-report scales to assess individual differences in the sensitivity of two neurological self-regulatory systems; one is the behavioral inhibition system (BIS) which bears on aversive motivation, and the other is the behavioral approach system (BAS) which bears on appetitive motivation. Scale development was reported in study 1, and convergent and discriminant validation using alternative measures of similar constructs was reported in study 2. In study 3, positive and negative affect was manipulated in a controlled setting. Results were consistent with the hypothesis that participants with higher BIS sensitivity would show heightened emotional reactivity to negative mood induction, whereas higher BAS sensitivity would show heightened reactivity to positive mood induction. Furthermore, results indicated that higher BAS sensitivity not only inhibited negative affect in response to negative mood induction but also facilitated recovery from negative mood states. These results suggested that abnormal sensitivity of either system may be a vulnerability factor of psychopathology, when specific situational cues are present.