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The need for power, brain norepinephrine turnover and learning

D C McClelland, R Davidson, C Saron

Biological Psychology

|March 1, 1980

Summary

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Brain norepinephrine (NE) may act as a reward system for the power drive. Higher levels of NE turnover, indicated by MHPG, correlated with faster learning of power-related material in individuals with a high need for power.

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Psychology
Biochemistry

Background:

Norepinephrine (NE) is implicated in arousal and motivation.
Urinary 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenyl glycol (MHPG) is a metabolite reflecting central NE turnover.
Previous studies suggest a link between MHPG and assertiveness, a trait associated with the need for power (n power).

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate if brain norepinephrine (NE) functions as a specific reward system for the power drive.
To examine the relationship between n power, learning of power-related material, and NE turnover.

Main Methods:

Twenty-seven male undergraduates, categorized as high or low in n power, participated.
Urine samples were collected pre- and post-experiment to measure epinephrine, norepinephrine, and MHPG concentrations.

Related Experiment Videos

A learning task involved picture-word pairs, including neutral and power-related stimuli.

Main Results:

Subjects high in n power learned power-related material significantly faster than those low in n power.
The need for achievement did not correlate with learning performance.
High n power individuals with higher MHPG excretion rates demonstrated superior mastery of power-related stimuli.

Conclusions:

Brain norepinephrine turnover is specifically associated with the learning of power-related responses in individuals with a high need for power.
These findings support the hypothesis that NE acts as a reward mechanism for the power drive.