ABSTRACT
The motivational system of human beings can be broken down into two essential broad systems: the tendency to approach and the tendency to withdraw. These impulses vary in intensity from low to high motivational states. Emotions (affective states) are infused with these motivational impulses. Motivational processes associated with affective states have a profound impact on our perceptions, attention, memory, categorization, and performance. In this chapter, we review research on the relationship between motivational states and diverse cognitive processes, with an emphasis on the neural correlates of these interactions. First, we examine the dimensions of emotion and motivation and defi ne terms. We then review research demonstrating the interaction between dimensions of motivation and cognitive processes, such as time perception, attention, memory, categorization, and performance. This body of research demonstrates the infl uence of motivational intensity and direction on perception, cognitive scope, and action. We then examine theory and research of neurophysiological correlates of motivation-cognition interaction. First, we will examine asymmetric frontal cortical activity and its relationship with motivational direction (approach vs. withdrawal). Then we will examine early and late event-related potentials, and fi nally the neurophysiological processes associated with motor preparation (e.g., beta suppression).
