Background: Research into the benefits of exercise for individuals with Bipolar Disorder (BD) is limited and no current guidelines exist around recommending exercise during a hypomanic/manic state. The Behavioural Activation System (BAS) dysregulation theory is a popular model that attempts to explain the link between approach motivation (AM) and the difficulties that individuals with BD experience. It may offer an explanation for the ‘upward spiral’ reported by individuals with a diagnosis of BD in response to certain types and intensities of exercise. This study looked to investigate the impact of different intensities of exercise on the maintenance of AM levels. The presence of hypomanic traits and how these interacted between AM and exercise was also of interest. Method: Participants filled out an online pre-screening questionnaire identifying hypomanic traits. 61 then completed a computer task designed to induce higher levels of AM before taking part in one of three 15 minute activities (sedentary, moderate exercise or vigorous exercise). Various measures linked to hypomanic symptoms were taken during testing. Results The main findings indicated that vigorous exercise significantly increased individuals AM levels in comparison to moderate or no exercise. This relationship was not however found to be moderated by the presence of hypomanic traits. Conclusions: Vigorous exercise seems to have a greater impact on AM levels regardless of an individual’s levels of hypomanic traits. This has implications in terms of the type of exercise should engage in when experiencing hypomania. Any recommendations however within this study should be taken in light of the limitations identified. Further research replicating these results with a larger sample or using a BD population are recommended.

Two studies based on one online randomized controlled trial examined the effects of sport gain-framed messages (Rothman & Salovey, 1997) and a sport possible self (Murru & Martin Ginis, 2010) protocol on indices of possible self activation and elaboration, sport intention, and sport activity. 244 non-sporting adults (M = 50.59, 40-59 yrs) completed baseline/screening measures (T1), a gain-framed experimental/control intervention one week later (T2), and follow-up measures (T3) four weeks after T2. Study 1 showed gain-framed participants most frequently attended to a health and fitness message, more frequently described a possible self, and elaborated more on their possible selves (especially about delaying aging and developing friendships through sport). Study 2 indicated that gain-framed individuals requested more sport newsletters and registered for more sport programs. From T1 to T2, gain-framed conditions facilitated increased intentions for those with low approach motivation, whereas control conditions improved intentions for individuals with high approach motivation.

This thesis examines potential associations between trait approach motivation and related measures, the everyday experience of affect and goal pursuit, and reward-related neural responses. The Behavioural Activation System (BAS) is a core motivational system, subserved by the neural reward circuitry, eliciting approach-type behaviour and positive emotion when activated by appetitive stimuli. Deficits in BAS sensitivity are thought to underlie the lack of motivation and positive affect (PA) that characterise anhedonia, whilst hyperactivation of the BAS has been linked to the increased goal-directed behaviour and positive affectivity associated with hypomania. In order to explore relationships between BAS sensitivity, goal pursuit, and reward processing, young participants, recruited from the student population (N = 65), and older participants, from the community (N = 63), underwent a 7-day period of experience sampling (ESM) to provide a naturalistic measure of momentary affect and goal-focused motivation. Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI; in a subset of n = 28 and n = 31 respectively) was then used to investigate individual differences in sensitivity of brain reward-related systems to various social and non-social rewards. Limited support was found for the relationship between BAS traits and the more motivational aspects of goal pursuit and reward processing, whilst anhedonia seemed to pertain more to reward consumption, with few links to everyday goal pursuit. This would indicate that anhedonia might not be as closely related to BAS sensitivity as was initially anticipated. Finally, in order to examine real-world correlates of neural activation, the data from the naturalistic measure were correlated with reward-related activation. Everyday PA correlated with striatal activation when viewing pleasant images, but no other associations emerged. This would suggest that the basic measures of brain function in relation to the particular reward-related stimuli used might be of limited relevance to everyday affective experience and goal pursuit.

Two studies based on one online randomized controlled trial examined the effects of sport gain-framed messages (Rothman & Salovey, 1997) and a sport possible self (Murru & Martin Ginis, 2010) protocol on indices of possible self activation and elaboration, sport intention, and sport activity. 244 non-sporting adults (M = 50.59, 40-59 yrs) completed baseline/screening measures (T1), a gain-framed experimental/control intervention one week later (T2), and follow-up measures (T3) four weeks after T2. Study 1 showed gain-framed participants most frequently attended to a health and fitness message, more frequently described a possible self, and elaborated more on their possible selves (especially about delaying aging and developing friendships through sport). Study 2 indicated that gain-framed individuals requested more sport newsletters and registered for more sport programs. From T1 to T2, gain-framed conditions facilitated increased intentions for those with low approach motivation, whereas control conditions improved intentions for individuals with high approach motivation.

Approach and Avoidance motivation are two of the oldest psychological concepts of behavior. Whereas approach motivation corresponds to the strong urge to come close to an object, state or person (e.g., during states of sexual attraction), avoidance motivation corresponds to the strong urge to avoid a specific situation (e.g., evade a dangerous situation). This dissertation deals with the electroencephalographic (EEG) markers of approach and avoidance motivation, assessed using event-related-potentials and brain oscillations in a low frequency band (alpha band). The first manuscript shows a left hemispheric processing advantage for approach-related stimuli. Specifically, we report a reduction in the alpha band (as an inverse maker for cortical activity) for erotic, but not for control pictures. Notably, we are the first to report alpha-asymmetries using an event-related design. In the second manuscript we describe evidence (a) for separating approach motivation from the affective dimensions of valence and arousal and (b) for an enhanced attention-related early EEG amplitude (P1 component) only for approach-related but not for control pictures. Up to our knowledge, we are the first to associate the P1 component with approach motivation. In the third manuscript we report an enlarged P1 component for increased avoidance motivation, as measured by the negative affect scale of the German Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS; Krohne, Egloff, Kohlmann, & Tausch, 1996). In more detail, state negative affect correlated positively with the P1 component, as a marker of increased selective attention. As far as we know, no study ever showed that state negative affect has an influence on attention. Therefore, we consider these findings regarding previous findings on trait negative affect, specifically on anxiety and phobia. All findings are discussed in the context of established views and models, such as Personality Systems Interaction (PSI) theory, hypervigilance theory, wanting versus liking and are also integrated into the findings from neuroimaging studies.

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The purpose of this study is to explore the differences within specific temperament traits on emotional processing bias. Participants with extremes in temperament traits Harm Avoidance and Novelty Seeking were categorised and their performance on a computerised neuropsychological test battery was investigated. First year psychology students at a residential university in South Africa were invited to participate in the original study. Processing of the data yielded a realised sample of 431 participants who completed the Emotions battery, which comprised of four tasks. The results show that processing of affective valence varies according to individual differences within specific temperament traits. The findings suggest a negative emotion processing bias in the High HA group in comparison to the low HA group. Furthermore, the impulsive and extroverted High NS group show an increased ability to process emotional faces in comparison to the low NS group. The implications of these findings are discussed in the context of putative risk factors for psychopathological disorders. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / Psychology / unrestricted

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