以停止訊號作業及泰勒攻擊行為作業檢視暴力青少年的腦神經機制：腦波研究

Using the Stop Signal Task and the Taylor Aggression Task to examine the neurophysiological correlates of violent adolescents: An ERP study

近年發生了多起的校園槍擊、校園霸凌以及青少年鬥毆事件，造成社會大眾的恐懼，顯示暴力犯罪對社會所造成的傷害與危險是不容小覷的。暴力行為的發生可能與抑制控制與錯誤監控問題有關。為了瞭解青少年攻擊行為的背後成因，本研究採用停止訊號作業（Stop Signal Task）及泰勒攻擊行為作業（Taylor Aggression Task, TAP），結合腦波儀，來瞭解暴力青少年犯（實驗組）與一般青少年（控制組）在抑制控制及錯誤監控上的行為與腦波上之差異。停止訊號作業的行為資料顯示實驗組的停止訊號反應時間顯著長於控制組。泰勒攻擊行為作業的行為結果發現，實驗組給對手懲罰的分數顯著高於控制。在進行作業時的第一次試驗，即未有對手挑釁的情境下，實驗組給對手懲罰的分數亦顯著高於控制。腦波結果發現，實驗組在決定階段的N2及決定相關負波之振幅顯著小於控制組，表示抑制能力可能較一般青少年差。二組在結果階段的回饋相關負波之振幅達到顯著，綜合上述行為及腦波結果，顯示暴力青少年在解決認知以及情緒上的衝突，或是評估社會情境來調控抑制的能力及同理他人感受或依據外部訊息的回饋學習的能力較一般人低弱。 Violent offenses can be related to numerous serious problems in society. This type of behavior is also often ascribed to problems with the processes involved in inhibitory control and error monitoring. In this study, a Stop Signal Task and a Taylor Aggression Task were used, along with event related potentials, to examine the effects of aggressive situations and emotions on inhibitory control in adolescents who show reactive aggression. The experiment was designed with a manipulation of the proportion of win and lose trials and the degree of punishment in order to try to produce a social context in the laboratory. The participants included impulsive violent adolescent offenders (experimental group) and normal adolescents (control group). The behavioral data from the Stop Signal Task showed the stop signal reaction times of the experimental group were significantly longer than those of the control group. The behavioral data from the Taylor Aggression Task showed that the experimental group, when performing the task, gave more punishment than did the control group. The punishment score for the first trial, which involved no provocation, was higher for the experimental group than for the control group. The N2 and decision related negativity (DRN) ERP component amplitudes of the experimental group were significant lower than those of the control group. The feedback related negativity (FRN) of the experimental group was lower than that of the control group. The pattern of results suggests that violent adolescents may have a deficit in solving cognitive and emotional conflict, in evaluating social context for the modification of inhibitory control, and in feedback learning.

Violent offenses can be related to numerous serious problems in society. This type of behavior is also often ascribed to problems with the processes involved in inhibitory control and error monitoring. In this study, a Stop Signal Task and a Taylor Aggression Task were used, along with event related potentials, to examine the effects of aggressive situations and emotions on inhibitory control in adolescents who show reactive aggression. The experiment was designed with a manipulation of the proportion of win and lose trials and the degree of punishment in order to try to produce a social context in the laboratory. The participants included impulsive violent adolescent offenders (experimental group) and normal adolescents (control group). The behavioral data from the Stop Signal Task showed the stop signal reaction times of the experimental group were significantly longer than those of the control group. The behavioral data from the Taylor Aggression Task showed that the experimental group, when performing the task, gave more punishment than did the control group. The punishment score for the first trial, which involved no provocation, was higher for the experimental group than for the control group. The N2 and decision related negativity (DRN) ERP component amplitudes of the experimental group were significant lower than those of the control group. The feedback related negativity (FRN) of the experimental group was lower than that of the control group. The pattern of results suggests that violent adolescents may have a deficit in solving cognitive and emotional conflict, in evaluating social context for the modification of inhibitory control, and in feedback learning.