DEVELOPMENT OF A PROTOTYPE ANGER SIMULATION FOR USE WITH FMRI SCANNING

Significant adjustment issues can occur as warfighters transition from combat to home. One area of adjustment involves the appropriate control of anger. We propose to develop and test a prototype conversation simulation that allows for the collection of reliable data on brain activity associated with anger. This prototype will involve a simulated conversation which is designed to provoke anger in a user through the use of multiple anger-provoking statements made toward a user by a simulated character. This prototype will allow for the design of two new kinds of simulations, one that focuses on a more sophisticated study of neural pathways involved in anger and one that is an empirically-based training and intervention simulation. These simulations will provide a critical resource for warfighters returning home.