Personality and reinforcement: An exploration using a maze-learning task

A computerized maze learning task was investigated under control, reward and punishment, provided by differing financial reinforcement contingencies. The relationships between speed crossing the maze and anxiety and impulsivity personality traits were explored. Anxiety is hypothesized to reflect a behavioural inhibition system active in punishing environments; and impulsivity, to reflect an activation system active in rewarding environments. Of the measures of impulsivity taken, only one—venturesomeness from the I7—was associated significantly with increased maze crossing speed; this was found particularly in the reward condition and in males. Several anxiety variables were associated with …