The role of the dorsoanterior striatum in implicit motivation: The case of the need for power
Schultheiss O, Schiepe-Tiska A (2013)
Publication Language: English
Publication Status: Accepted
Publication Type: Journal article, Original article
Publication year: 2013
Journal
Original Authors: Schultheiss Oliver C., Schiepe-Tiska Anja
Publisher: Frontiers Research Foundation / Frontiers Media
Article Number: 141
Journal Issue: 7
Abstract
Implicit motives like the need for power (nPower) scale affective responses to need-specific rewards or punishments and thereby influence activity in motivational-brain structures. In this paper, we review evidence specifically supporting a role of the striatum in nPower. Individual differences in nPower predict (1) enhanced implicit learning accuracy, but not speed, on serial-response tasks that are reinforced by power-related incentives (e.g., winning or losing a contest; dominant or submissive emotional expressions) in behavioral studies and (2) activation of the anterior caudate in response to dominant emotional expressions in brain imaging research. We interpret these findings on the basis of Hikosaka et al.’s (2002a) model of central mechanisms of motor skill learning. The model assigns a critical role to the dorsoanterior striatum in dopamine-driven learning of spatial stimulus sequences. Based on this model, we suggest that the dorsoanterior striatum is the locus of nPower-dependent reinforcement. However, given the centrality of this structure in a wide range of motivational pursuits, we also propose that activity in the dorsoanterior striatum may not only reflect individual differences in nPower, but also in other implicit motives, like the need for achievement or the need for affiliation, provided that the proper incentives for these motives are present during reinforcement learning. We discuss evidence in support of such a general role of the dorsoanterior striatum in implicit motivation.
Authors with CRIS profile
Related research project(s)
Involved external institutions
Germany (DE)How to cite
APA:
Schultheiss, O., & Schiepe-Tiska, A. (2013). The role of the dorsoanterior striatum in implicit motivation: The case of the need for power. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7. https://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2013.00141
MLA:
Schultheiss, Oliver, and Anja Schiepe-Tiska. "The role of the dorsoanterior striatum in implicit motivation: The case of the need for power." Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 7 (2013).
BibTeX: Download