Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST): introduction

The Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST) of personality is a theoretical account of the neural and psychological processes underlying the major dimensions of personality. The first section of this introductory chapter traces the development of RST, from its official birth in 1970, through to Gray's highly influential 1982 The Neuropsychology of Anxiety, and on to its major revision in 2000 with the second edition of this book (co-authored with Neil McNaughton) – this section may be read as an overview tutorial of RST. The second section discusses some of the major issues facing future RST research. The third section turns attention to the question of the level of behavioural control exerted by ‘biological’ and ‘cognitive’ processes, and discusses the implications of findings from consciousness studies for conceptualizing the role of these processes in RST.