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Personality predicts working-memory-related activation in the caudal anterior cingulate cortex
1Department of Psychology, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, USA. jeremy_gray@post.harvard.edu
Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience
|November 28, 2002
Summary
Personality traits influence cognitive control. Higher behavioral approach sensitivity (BAS) correlated with better working memory (WM) performance and reduced brain activity in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC).
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Psychology
- Personality Psychology
Background:
- Behavioral studies link personality dimensions to working memory (WM) function.
- Working memory load modulates neural activity in the caudal anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a key region for cognitive control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between personality traits and neural activity in the caudal ACC during a WM task.
- To test if neural activity in the caudal ACC during WM correlates with behavioral approach sensitivity (BAS) and behavioral inhibition sensitivity (BIS).
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to measure brain activity.
- Fourteen participants performed a three-back WM task.
- Self-reported BAS and BIS scores were collected.
Main Results:
- Higher self-reported BAS was associated with better WM performance (r = .27).
- Higher self-reported BAS predicted lower WM-related activation in the caudal ACC (r = -.84).
- No significant correlation was found for BIS.
Conclusions:
- Personality differences, specifically BAS, are linked to variations in cognitive control.
- Findings support approach-withdrawal theories of personality.
- The results suggest a need to refine current understanding of the ACC's role in personality and cognitive control.