Emotions in attacker-defender conflicts
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Updated: Jan 21, 2026

A Conflict Model of Reward-seeking Behavior in Male Rats
Published on: February 20, 2019
Patricia Cernadas Curotto1,2,3, Eran Halperin3, David Sander1,2
1Laboratory for the Study of Emotion Elicitation and Expression, Department of Psychology, University of Geneva, 1205 Geneva, Switzerlandpatricia.cernadas@unige.chhttp://cms.unige.ch/fapse/EmotionLab/Members/patricia-cernadas-curotto/.
Abstract:
The distinction between attackers and defenders might help refine the understanding of the role of emotions in conflicts. Here, we briefly discuss differences between attackers and defenders in terms of appraisals, action tendencies, emotional preferences, and brain activities. Finally, we outline how attackers and defenders may differ in their response to emotion-based interventions that aim to promote conflict resolution.
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