Impulsiveness, aggression, reading, and the P300 of the event-related potential

In the present research, attentional impulsiveness and non-planning impulsiveness were found to relate positively with physical aggression, negatively with reading level, and negatively with the amplitude of the parietal-region P300 of the event-related potential evoked in an oddball and continuous performance task (CPT). In contrast, motor impulsiveness was found not to relate to aggression or reading level, but, interestingly, it was found to relate positively to amplitude of the parietal-region P300 in the oddball task. Additionally, physical and verbal aggression related negatively to reading level, whereas anger and hostility did not. Physical and verbal aggression also related negatively to the amplitude of the central- and parietal-region P300s in the oddball task but not in the CPT. Moreover, hostility related negatively to the amplitude of the central-region P300 in the CPT, but did not relate significantly to the P300 amplitude in the oddball task. Anger showed no significant relations with the amplitude of the P300 in any region or task. In addition to reading level relating negatively with these subtraits of impulsiveness and aggression, it related positively with the amplitude of P300. These results are discussed in terms of Eysenck's theory of impulsiveness. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.