Carver, C. S. (2008). Two distinct bases of inhibition of behavior: Viewing biological phenomena through the lens of psychological theory. European Journal of Personality, 22, 388-390.
Constructs concerning reward and threat sensitivity can be organized in several ways (along with other ideas). Which conceptual organization is used channels interpretations of phenomena ostensibly reflecting the sensitivities. For example, a two-mode organization in which behavioral inhibition can follow either from threat sensitivity or from effortful control (planful restraint) yields an interpretation of serotonergic function quite different from what many assume. In this view, accumulated evidence suggests that serotonergic function relates to effortful control, rather than threat sensitivity. Neurobiological tools are useful, but their usefulness often depends on psychological theory.
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