Electrophysiological correlates of emotional processing in sensation seeking

Previous studies have consistently reported a relationship between sensation seeking and emotional reactivity. However, little is known about the neural correlates and the time course of emotional processing in sensation seeking. The present study addressed these issues by recording event-related potentials (ERPs) during an emotional oddball task. Valence effect was significant at N2, P3 and LPP whereas arousal effect was significant at P3 and LPP. More importantly, low sensation seekers (LSSs) exhibited an increased emotional N2 whereas high sensation seekers (HSSs) showed an enhanced emotional P3. Furthermore, the arousal effect was similar across the two groups, but the valence effect at N2 stage was significant in LSSs instead of HSSs. These findings suggest that LSSs tend to show a more active general alerting system toward emotional stimuli, particularly for negative stimuli, whereas HSSs tend to display a stronger preference for intense stimulation irrespective of the emotional valence.

• Valence and arousal dimensions operate differently in emotional processing.
• The emotional N2 is enhanced in low relative to high sensation seekers.
• The emotional P3 is increased in high compared with low sensation seekers.
• Enhanced N2 for negative versus positive stimuli occurs for low sensation seekers.