Activation of the visual cortex in motivated attention.

摘要: Functional activation (measured with fMRI) in occipital cortex was more extensive when participants view pictures strongly related to primary motive states (i.e., victims of violent death, viewer-directed threat, and erotica). This functional activity greater than that observed for less intense emotional happy families or angry faces) neutral images household objects, faces). Both the extent strength were judged affective arousal different picture contents, same pattern present whether presented color grayscale. It is suggested visual system reflects "motivated attention," which appetitive defensive motivational engagement directs attention facilitates perceptual processing survival-relevant stimuli.