The Characteristics and Cognitive Neural Correlates of Risk Decision-Making in Adolescents With High Reactive...

Reactive aggression, characterized by defensive behaviors in response to perceived threats, significantly impacts adolescent social functioning and mental health. Risk decision-making represents a key mechanism underlying reactive aggression, yet its temporal cognitive neural processes remain poorly understood in typically developing adolescent populations.

This cross-sectional study examined 84 Chinese college students (age 17-19 years, M = 18.08, SD = 0.59; 42 males, 42 females) recruited from Henan Province in 2024. Participants were divided into High Reactive Aggression (HRA) (n = 42) and Low Reactive Aggression (LRA) (n = 42) groups based on Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire and Reactive-Proactive Aggression Questionnaire scores. Risk decision-making was assessed using the Balloon Analogue Risk Task while recording event-related potentials with 64-channel EEG. Statistical analyses examined behavioral performance and ERP components (P1, N1, P3) during decision-making and feedback phases.

Behaviorally, the HRA group showed significantly higher self-reported risk preference (RPI) but comparable BART performance to the LRA group. Electrophysiologically, HRA adolescents exhibited enhanced P1 amplitude (reflecting excessive early attention allocation), reduced N1 amplitude (indicating deficient information screening), and decreased P3 amplitude to negative feedback (suggesting blunted allocation of cognitive resources and outcome evaluation). No group differences emerged for positive feedback P3 responses.

Adolescents with high reactive aggression showed a distinct pattern of neural processing during risk decision-making, characterized by enhanced early attentional allocation and reduced cognitive resource allocation during outcome evaluation. These findings suggest altered temporal dynamics of attention and feedback processing despite comparable behavioral performance.