Gray’s Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST) of Personality

Gray’s Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST) of Personality

Jeffrey Gray’s behavioral inhibition system (BIS) theory of anxiety, now recognized as reinforcement sensitivity theory (RST), has undergone substantial evolution since its inception in the late 1970s. Major revisions were made in 2000 by Gray and McNaughton, with further refinements noted in subsequent works (McNaughton & Corr, 2004, 2008; Corr & McNaughton, 2008). Recent empirical data have not only reinforced the foundational neural aspects of RST but have also necessitated significant modifications to its theoretical framework. These alterations are critical, as they affect the predictive capacity of the theory, rendering prior knowledge from the 1982 version obsolete. This chapter aims to review the current scientific understanding of Gray’s RST and elucidate its major implications for future research.

Year: 2008

Reference: Gray’s Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST) of Personality