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Revised reinforcement sensitivity theory (r-RST) is a major neuropsychological theory of motivation, emotion, and personality. We report the results of a study that examined the unique relationships of the r-RST constructs with two forms of anxiety: social interaction and social performance. Five hundred and seventy-two adults completed the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory of Personality Questionnaire (RST-PQ) alongside measures of social interaction anxiety and social performance anxiety. Regression results revealed that, as predicted, both social interaction anxiety and social performance anxiety were linked uniquely and positively with the behavioral inhibition system (BIS) scale score. In addition, social performance anxiety was associated uniquely and positively with the fight-flight-freeze system (FFFS) scale score. The theoretical and clinical implications of the findings for social anxiety are discussed.

Most measurements of sensitivity focus on specific domains. The present study aimed to revise a scale that measures a broader concept of psychological sensitivity and ensure its applicability in the Chinese cultural context. We validated and assessed the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Lynn and Accardi Sensitivity Scale (LASS) in a non-clinical sample of Chinese university students. The LASS was translated into Chinese and back-translated. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test the 3-factor structure of the LASS (Negative Self-Evaluation, Emotional Sensitivity, Social Approval). Subsequently, its reliability and validity were examined (Sample 1: n = 622, Subsample 2: n = 38). CFA provided support for the 3-factor model. The LASS-Ch demonstrated good internal consistency and test-retest reliability. The correlations between the LASS-Ch and established scales (Highly Sensitive Person Scale, Emotional Intensity Scale, Social Interpersonal Anxiety Scale, Interpersonal Sensitivity Measure, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-RSC, Patient Health Questionnaire-9) provided preliminary evidence of convergent and discriminant validity. The results of this study indicate that the LASS-Ch possesses good psychometric properties and is an effective and reliable tool for assessing psychological sensitivity in the Chinese cultural context.

Purpose: Listening effort (LE) describes the attentional or cognitive requirements for successful listening. Despite substantial theoretical and clinical interest in LE, inconsistent operationalization makes it difficult to make generalizations across studies. The aims of this large-scale validation study were to evaluate the convergent validity and sensitivity of commonly used measures of LE and assess how scores on those tasks relate to cognitive and personality variables. Method: Young adults with normal hearing (N = 111) completed 7 tasks designed to measure LE, 5 tests of cognitive ability, and 2 personality measures. Results: Scores on some behavioral LE tasks were moderately intercorrelated but were generally not correlated with subjective and physiological measures of LE, suggesting that these tasks may not be tapping into the same underlying construct. LE measures differed in their sensitivity to changes in signal-to-noise ratio and the extent to which they correlated with cognitive and personality variables. Conclusions: Given that LE measures do not show consistent, strong intercorrelations and differ in their relationships with cognitive and personality predictors, these findings suggest caution in generalizing across studies that use different measures of LE. The results also indicate that people with greater cognitive ability appear to use their resources more efficiently, thereby diminishing the detrimental effects associated with increased background noise during language processing.

Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST) proposes a widely used taxonomy of human personality linked to individual differences at both behavioral and neuropsychological levels that describe a predisposition to psychopathology. However, the body of RST research was based on animal findings, and little is known about their anatomical correspondence in humans. Here we set out to investigate MRI structural correlates (i.e. voxel-based morphometry) of the main personality dimensions proposed by the RST in a group of 400 healthy young adults who completed the Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire (SPSRQ). Sensitivity to punishment scores correlated positively with the gray matter volume in the amygdala, whereas sensitivity to reward scores correlated negatively with the volume in the left lateral and medial prefrontal cortex. Moreover, a negative relationship was found between the striatal volume and the reward sensitivity trait, but only for male participants. The present results support the neuropsychological basis of the RST by linking punishment and reward sensitivity to anatomical differences in limbic and frontostriatal regions, respectively. These results are interpreted based on previous literature related to externalizing and internalizing disorders, and they highlight the possible role of SPSRQ as a measure of proneness to these disorders.

This study aimed to replicate Jiang and Tiliopoulos (Personality and Individual Differences, 68, 205–210, 2014) study on reinforcement sensitivity theory and adult attachment using the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory of Personality Questionnaire (RST-PQ) and Experiences in Close Relationships – Revised scale. Using a sample of 131 participants, this study was similar to Jiang and Tiliopoulos’s study in finding that the behavioural inhibition system and behavioural approach system (impulsivity) were positively related to attachment anxiety. However, Jiang and Tiliopoulos (Personality and Individual Differences, 68, 205–210, 2014) found the behavioural approach system (reward reactivity) negatively predicted attachment avoidance, whereas no effect was found in the current study. This study also found the behavioural inhibition system predicted attachment avoidance whereas no effect was found in Jiang and Tiliopoulos’s study. The effects that were found across both studies are considered to be robust and more research is needed regarding the differences between the studies.

Most measurements of sensitivity focus on specific domains. The present study aimed to revise a scale that measures a broader concept of psychological sensitivity and ensure its applicability in the Chinese cultural context. We validated and assessed the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Lynn and Accardi Sensitivity Scale (LASS) in a non-clinical sample of Chinese university students. The LASS was translated into Chinese and back-translated. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to test the 3-factor structure of the LASS (Negative Self-Evaluation, Emotional Sensitivity, Social Approval). Subsequently, its reliability and validity were examined (Sample 1: n  = 622, Subsample 2: n  = 38). CFA provided support for the 3-factor model. The LASS-Ch demonstrated good internal consistency and test-retest reliability. The correlations between the LASS-Ch and established scales (Highly Sensitive Person Scale, Emotional Intensity Scale, Social Interpersonal Anxiety Scale, Interpersonal Sensitivity Measure, Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-RSC, Patient Health Questionnaire-9) provided preliminary evidence of convergent and discriminant validity. The results of this study indicate that the LASS-Ch possesses good psychometric properties and is an effective and reliable tool for assessing psychological sensitivity in the Chinese cultural context.

The current study examines the temperamental basis of three forms of grandiose narcissism (i.e., agentic, communal, and antagonistic), employing the Behavioral Inhibition System model and three aspects of Behavioral Activation System (i.e., drive, pleasure-seeking, and sensitivity to reward). Using a self-report study conducted on a general Polish sample (N = 657), we found that all forms of narcissism were positively associated with all three aspects of BAS, while BIS was negatively associated with agentic and antagonistic forms. Communal and antagonistic narcissism did not differ in comparison of their correlations with drive and sensitivity to reward, while agentic narcissism indicated the strongest relations to temperament. A multiple regression indicated that each of the three forms of narcissism has its own specific relationship with BIS and of the aspects of BAS. We discuss our findings as useful in explaining how the three forms of narcissism are related to BIS and BAS with the distinction of the latter into its three aspects, indicating substantial differences between agentic and communal narcissism, and specificity of antagonistic narcissism.

Background: While the association between self-efficacy and sports success has been well established in previous studies, little is known regarding whether the basic approach motivation system contributes to this relationship in athletes. The study examines associations between self-reported temperamental approach disposition, self-efficacy, and predispositions to sports success in athletes. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed between August 3 and 30 November 2020. The participants were 156 athletes, aged 16–34 years (M = 21.57, SD = 3.58, 41.67% women), in two groups: 54 elite athletes in speed skating (EASS) and 102 physical education students (PES). The online survey consisted of the Reinforced Sensitivity Questionnaire (RSQ), General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES), and Sports Success Scale (SSS). Results: There were no differences in self-efficacy and sports success in terms of gender, sports discipline, and level of competitions. The Behavioral Activation System (BAS) results were lower in the EASS sample compared with in the PES group. Self-efficacy plays a mediating role in the relationships between BAS and sports success among athletes, with sport discipline as a moderator between BAS and self-efficacy. Sports success in speed skating relies strongly on BAS, while a weak link has been found in other sports disciplines. Conclusions: BAS is directly correlated to sports success and indirectly related through self-efficacy. Mental training should be focused on maintaining self-efficacy and reward motivation in athletes to increase their sports success.

Human temperament, in terms of sensitivity to punishment and rewards, immensely impacts emotions, behaviours, and psychological well-being. Punishment sensitivity is a significant predictor of depression, but, only a few studies have explored the mediating mechanisms between them. The current study attempts to test the causal effect between punishment sensitivity and depression among students, and the chain mediating effects of procrastination (active and traditional) and academic satisfaction. For this purpose, self-report surveys were conducted on a sample of 295 engineering undergraduates in India. The data has been analyzed using structural equation modelling, where hypothesized models that connect punishment sensitivity, procrastination (active procrastination and traditional procrastination), academic satisfaction, and depression, were tested. The result revealed that punishment sensitivity positively predicts depression, and this relationship is serially mediated by procrastination (active and traditional) and academic satisfaction, respectively. Active procrastination negatively and traditional procrastination positively predict depression. Based on the study findings, future interventions against procrastination must consider punishment sensitivity as an important variable. The implications of the research are discussed.

This paper presents the RST-AQ, a 22-item scale to measure the affective states related to the three motivational systems postulated by Reinforcement Sensitivity theory (RST-AQ): the Behavioral approach system (BAS), Behavioral inhibition system (BIS), and the Fight-Flight-Freeze system (FFFS). The three subscales are internally consistent. Results show an overall support for construct validity of our RST-AQ measure. The correlations of the RST-AQ subscales with other measures demonstrate a good convergent and divergent validity with regard to the subscales of BAS and BIS. The RTS-AQ Scale provides researcher with the first instrument to measures the affective states of the RST theory.