Lim SL, Padmala S, Pessoa L.
Neuropsychologia, in press
It has been hypothesized that the amygdala mediates the processing advantage of emotional items. In the present study, we employed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate how fear conditioning affected the visual processing of task-irrelevant faces. We hypothesized that faces previously paired with shock (threat faces) would more effectively vie for processing resources during conditions involving spatial competition. To investigate this question, following conditioning, participants performed a letter-detection task on an array of letters that was superimposed on task-irrelevant faces. Attentional resources were manipulated by having participants perform an easy or a difficult search task. Our findings revealed that threat fearful faces evoked stronger responses in the amygdala and fusiform gyrus relative to safe fearful faces during low-load attentional conditions, but not during high-load conditions. Consistent with the increased processing of shock-paired stimuli during the low-load condition, such stimuli exhibited increased behavioral priming and fMRI repetition effects relative to unpaired faces during a subsequent implicit-memory task. Overall, our results suggest a competition model in which affective significance signals from the amygdala may constitute a key modulatory factor determining the neural fate of visual stimuli. In addition, it appears that such competitive advantage is only evident when sufficient processing resources are available to process the affective stimulus.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
ARTICLE UPDATE - The neural correlates of the affective response to unreciprocated cooperation.
Rilling JK, Goldsmith DR, Glenn AL, Jairam MR, Elfenbein HA, Dagenais JE, Murdock CD, Pagnoni G.
Neuropsychologia, in press
Humans excel at reciprocal altruism in which two individuals exchange altruistic acts to their mutual advantage. The evolutionary stability of this system depends on recognition of and discrimination against non-reciprocators, and the human mind is apparently specialized for detecting non-reciprocators. Here we investigate the neural response to non-reciprocation of cooperation by imaging human subjects with fMRI as they play an iterated Prisoner's dilemma game with two assumed human partners. Unreciprocated cooperation was associated with greater activity in bilateral anterior insula, left hippocampus and left lingual gyrus, compared with reciprocated cooperation. These areas were also more responsive to unreciprocated cooperation than to unsuccessful risk taking in a non-social context. Finally, functional connectivity between anterior insula and lateral orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in response to unreciprocated cooperation predicted subsequent defection. The anterior insula is involved in awareness of visceral, autonomic feedback from the body and, in concert with the lateral orbitofrontal cortex, may be responsible for negative feeling states that bias subsequent social decision making against cooperation with a non-reciprocating partner.
Neuropsychologia, in press
Humans excel at reciprocal altruism in which two individuals exchange altruistic acts to their mutual advantage. The evolutionary stability of this system depends on recognition of and discrimination against non-reciprocators, and the human mind is apparently specialized for detecting non-reciprocators. Here we investigate the neural response to non-reciprocation of cooperation by imaging human subjects with fMRI as they play an iterated Prisoner's dilemma game with two assumed human partners. Unreciprocated cooperation was associated with greater activity in bilateral anterior insula, left hippocampus and left lingual gyrus, compared with reciprocated cooperation. These areas were also more responsive to unreciprocated cooperation than to unsuccessful risk taking in a non-social context. Finally, functional connectivity between anterior insula and lateral orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in response to unreciprocated cooperation predicted subsequent defection. The anterior insula is involved in awareness of visceral, autonomic feedback from the body and, in concert with the lateral orbitofrontal cortex, may be responsible for negative feeling states that bias subsequent social decision making against cooperation with a non-reciprocating partner.
ARTICLE UPDATE - On the relationship between emotion and cognition.
Pessoa, L.
Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 9, 148-158
The current view of brain organization supports the notion that there is a considerable degree of functional specialization and that many regions can be conceptualized as either 'affective' or 'cognitive'. Popular examples are the amygdala in the domain of emotion and the lateral prefrontal cortex in the case of cognition. This prevalent view is problematic for a number of reasons. Here, I will argue that complex cognitive-emotional behaviours have their basis in dynamic coalitions of networks of brain areas, none of which should be conceptualized as specifically affective or cognitive. Central to cognitive-emotional interactions are brain areas with a high degree of connectivity, called hubs, which are critical for regulating the flow and integration of information between regions.
Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 9, 148-158
The current view of brain organization supports the notion that there is a considerable degree of functional specialization and that many regions can be conceptualized as either 'affective' or 'cognitive'. Popular examples are the amygdala in the domain of emotion and the lateral prefrontal cortex in the case of cognition. This prevalent view is problematic for a number of reasons. Here, I will argue that complex cognitive-emotional behaviours have their basis in dynamic coalitions of networks of brain areas, none of which should be conceptualized as specifically affective or cognitive. Central to cognitive-emotional interactions are brain areas with a high degree of connectivity, called hubs, which are critical for regulating the flow and integration of information between regions.
ARTICLE UPDATE - Emotional influences on spatial attention.
Foster PS, Drago V, Webster DG, Harrison DW, Crucian GP, Heilman KM.
Neuropsychology, 22, 127-135
The relationships between the anterior-posterior and left-right regions of the brain have been characterized as mutually inhibitory. Whereas the left hemisphere attends to right proximal hemispace and is associated with positive emotions, the right hemisphere attends to left distal hemispace and is associated with negative emotions. Because of the excitatory and inhibitory influences between the left and right frontal and posterior regions of the brain, the expression of emotion will result in an ipsilateral attentional bias. Given these functional systems, we hypothesized that positive emotions would be associated with a bias for left distal hemispace and negative emotions would be associated with a bias for right proximal hemispace. We tested these hypotheses by having 138 undergraduate students place emotionally labeled pegs on a large board. Our results indicated that the positively labeled pegs were placed in left distal hemispace and the relative placement of negatively labeled pegs was rightward and proximally. Whereas numerous research investigations have examined how attention is biased for emotional stimuli, ours is the first investigation to provide evidence that emotions can bias attentional allocation.
Neuropsychology, 22, 127-135
The relationships between the anterior-posterior and left-right regions of the brain have been characterized as mutually inhibitory. Whereas the left hemisphere attends to right proximal hemispace and is associated with positive emotions, the right hemisphere attends to left distal hemispace and is associated with negative emotions. Because of the excitatory and inhibitory influences between the left and right frontal and posterior regions of the brain, the expression of emotion will result in an ipsilateral attentional bias. Given these functional systems, we hypothesized that positive emotions would be associated with a bias for left distal hemispace and negative emotions would be associated with a bias for right proximal hemispace. We tested these hypotheses by having 138 undergraduate students place emotionally labeled pegs on a large board. Our results indicated that the positively labeled pegs were placed in left distal hemispace and the relative placement of negatively labeled pegs was rightward and proximally. Whereas numerous research investigations have examined how attention is biased for emotional stimuli, ours is the first investigation to provide evidence that emotions can bias attentional allocation.
ARTICLE UPDATE - Deconstructing Reappraisal: Descriptions Preceding Arousing Pictures Modulate the Subsequent Neural Response.
Foti D, Hajcak G.
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, in press
Abstract The late positive potential (LPP) is a sustained positive deflection in the event-related potential that is larger following the presentation of emotional compared to neutral visual stimuli. Recent studies have indicated that the magnitude of the LPP is sensitive to emotion regulation strategies such as reappraisal, which involves generating an alternate interpretation of emotional stimuli so that they are less negative. It is unclear, however, whether reappraisal-related reductions in the LPP reflect reduced emotional processing or increased cognitive demands following reappraisal instructions. In the present study, we sought to examine whether a more or less negative description preceding the presentation of unpleasant images would similarly modulate the LPP. The LPP was recorded from 26 subjects as they viewed unpleasant and neutral International Affective Picture System images. All participants heard a brief description of the upcoming picture; prior to unpleasant images, this description was either more neutral or more negative. Following the more neutral description, the magnitude of the LPP, unpleasant ratings, and arousal ratings were all reliably reduced. These results indicate that changes in narrative are sufficient to modulate the electrocortical response to the initial viewing of emotional pictures, and are discussed in terms of recent studies on reappraisal and emotion regulation.
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, in press
Abstract The late positive potential (LPP) is a sustained positive deflection in the event-related potential that is larger following the presentation of emotional compared to neutral visual stimuli. Recent studies have indicated that the magnitude of the LPP is sensitive to emotion regulation strategies such as reappraisal, which involves generating an alternate interpretation of emotional stimuli so that they are less negative. It is unclear, however, whether reappraisal-related reductions in the LPP reflect reduced emotional processing or increased cognitive demands following reappraisal instructions. In the present study, we sought to examine whether a more or less negative description preceding the presentation of unpleasant images would similarly modulate the LPP. The LPP was recorded from 26 subjects as they viewed unpleasant and neutral International Affective Picture System images. All participants heard a brief description of the upcoming picture; prior to unpleasant images, this description was either more neutral or more negative. Following the more neutral description, the magnitude of the LPP, unpleasant ratings, and arousal ratings were all reliably reduced. These results indicate that changes in narrative are sufficient to modulate the electrocortical response to the initial viewing of emotional pictures, and are discussed in terms of recent studies on reappraisal and emotion regulation.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
ARTICLE UPDATE - Regions of the MPFC differentially tuned to social and nonsocial affective evaluation.
Harris LT, McClure SM, van den Bos W, Cohen JD, Fiske ST.
Cognitive, Affective and Behavioral Neuroscience, 7, 309-316.
The medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) reliably activates in social cognition and reward tasks. This study locates distinct areas for each. Participants made evaluative (positive/negative) or social (person/not a person) judgments of pictured positive or negative people and objects in a slow event-related design. Activity in an anterior rostral region (arMPFC) was significantly greater for positive than for negative persons but did not show a valence effect for objects, and this was true regardless of the judgment task. This suggests that the arMPFC is tuned to social valence. Interestingly, however, no regions of the MPFC were found to be responsive to social information independently of valence. A region-of-interest analysis of the para-anterior cingulate cortex (pACC), previously implicated in reward processing, demonstrated sensitivity to the valence of all stimuli, whether persons or objects, across tasks. Affective evaluation may be a general function of the MPFC, with some regions being tuned to more specific domains of information (e.g., social) than are others.
Cognitive, Affective and Behavioral Neuroscience, 7, 309-316.
The medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC) reliably activates in social cognition and reward tasks. This study locates distinct areas for each. Participants made evaluative (positive/negative) or social (person/not a person) judgments of pictured positive or negative people and objects in a slow event-related design. Activity in an anterior rostral region (arMPFC) was significantly greater for positive than for negative persons but did not show a valence effect for objects, and this was true regardless of the judgment task. This suggests that the arMPFC is tuned to social valence. Interestingly, however, no regions of the MPFC were found to be responsive to social information independently of valence. A region-of-interest analysis of the para-anterior cingulate cortex (pACC), previously implicated in reward processing, demonstrated sensitivity to the valence of all stimuli, whether persons or objects, across tasks. Affective evaluation may be a general function of the MPFC, with some regions being tuned to more specific domains of information (e.g., social) than are others.
ARTICLE UPDATE - Dissociating affective evaluation and social cognitive processes in the ventral medial prefrontal cortex.
van den Bos W, McClure SM, Harris LT, Fiske ST, Cohen JD.
Cognitive, Affective and Behavioural Neuroscience, 7, 337-346
In recent studies, various regions of the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) have been implicated in at least two potentially different mental functions: reasoning about the minds of other people (social cognition) and processing reward related information (affective evaluation). In this study, we test whether the activation in a specific area of the vmPFC, the para-anterior cingulate cortex (PACC), correlates with the reward value of stimuli in general or is specifically associated with social cognition. Participants performed a time estimation task with trial-to-trial feedback in which reward and socialcontext were manipulated separately. Reward was manipulated by giving either positive or negative feedback in the form of small squirts of fluid delivered orally. Social context was manipulated by instructing participants that positive and negative feedback was determined by another person or a computer. The data demonstrate a main effect of feedback, but not social context, in the PACC, suggesting that this area of the vmPFC serves a general function in evaluating and/or representing reward value. In addition, activity in a more anterior subregion of the vmPFC demonstrated reward-related sensitivity only in the social context. Another area that showed a similar interaction was the subgenual cingulate, but this region was only sensitive to negative feedback in the social condition. These findings suggest that, within the vmPFC, the PACC subserves primarily an affective function, whereas in other regions social context can modulate affective responses.
Cognitive, Affective and Behavioural Neuroscience, 7, 337-346
In recent studies, various regions of the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) have been implicated in at least two potentially different mental functions: reasoning about the minds of other people (social cognition) and processing reward related information (affective evaluation). In this study, we test whether the activation in a specific area of the vmPFC, the para-anterior cingulate cortex (PACC), correlates with the reward value of stimuli in general or is specifically associated with social cognition. Participants performed a time estimation task with trial-to-trial feedback in which reward and socialcontext were manipulated separately. Reward was manipulated by giving either positive or negative feedback in the form of small squirts of fluid delivered orally. Social context was manipulated by instructing participants that positive and negative feedback was determined by another person or a computer. The data demonstrate a main effect of feedback, but not social context, in the PACC, suggesting that this area of the vmPFC serves a general function in evaluating and/or representing reward value. In addition, activity in a more anterior subregion of the vmPFC demonstrated reward-related sensitivity only in the social context. Another area that showed a similar interaction was the subgenual cingulate, but this region was only sensitive to negative feedback in the social condition. These findings suggest that, within the vmPFC, the PACC subserves primarily an affective function, whereas in other regions social context can modulate affective responses.
ARTICLE UPDATE - Neural circuitry for accurate identification of facial emotions.
Loughead J, Gur RC, Elliott M, Gur RE.
Brain Research, in press
Converging studies have revealed neural circuits for emotion processing, yet none has related activation to identification accuracy. We report a hybrid (block and event-related) fMRI study in 17 healthy adults, which permitted performance-based analysis. As in earlier studies, blocked analysis of the facial emotion identification task showed activation of amygdala, fusiform, thalamus, inferior and midfrontal regions. However, an event-related analysis of target stimuli demonstrated time locked activation associated with correct identification of happy, sad, angry and fearful faces. Overall, correct detection of angry and fearful faces was associated with greater activation compared to incorrect responses, especially in the amygdala and fusiform gyrus. The opposite was observed for happy and sad faces, where greater thalamic and midfrontal activation portended incorrect responses. Results indicate that the fusiform cortex and amygdala respond differentially in the four target conditions (happy, sad, angry and fearful) along the dimension of threat-relatedness.
Brain Research, in press
Converging studies have revealed neural circuits for emotion processing, yet none has related activation to identification accuracy. We report a hybrid (block and event-related) fMRI study in 17 healthy adults, which permitted performance-based analysis. As in earlier studies, blocked analysis of the facial emotion identification task showed activation of amygdala, fusiform, thalamus, inferior and midfrontal regions. However, an event-related analysis of target stimuli demonstrated time locked activation associated with correct identification of happy, sad, angry and fearful faces. Overall, correct detection of angry and fearful faces was associated with greater activation compared to incorrect responses, especially in the amygdala and fusiform gyrus. The opposite was observed for happy and sad faces, where greater thalamic and midfrontal activation portended incorrect responses. Results indicate that the fusiform cortex and amygdala respond differentially in the four target conditions (happy, sad, angry and fearful) along the dimension of threat-relatedness.
Monday, January 14, 2008
ARTICLE UPDATE - Re-entrant projections modulate visual cortex in affective perception: Evidence from Granger causality analysis.
Keil A, Sabatinelli D, Ding M, Lang PJ, Ihssen N, Heim S.
Human Brain Mapping, in press
Re-entrant modulation of visual cortex has been suggested as a critical process for enhancing perception of emotionally arousing visual stimuli. This study explores how the time information inherent in large-scale electrocortical measures can be used to examine the functional relationships among the structures involved in emotional perception. Granger causality analysis was conducted on steady-state visual evoked potentials elicited by emotionally arousing pictures flickering at a rate of 10 Hz. This procedure allows one to examine the direction of neural connections. Participants viewed pictures that varied in emotional content, depicting people in neutral contexts, erotica, or interpersonal attack scenes. Results demonstrated increased coupling between visual and cortical areas when viewing emotionally arousing content. Specifically, intraparietal to inferotemporal and precuneus to calcarine connections were stronger for emotionally arousing picture content. Thus, we provide evidence for re-entrant signal flow during emotional perception, which originates from higher tiers and enters lower tiers of visual cortex.
Human Brain Mapping, in press
Re-entrant modulation of visual cortex has been suggested as a critical process for enhancing perception of emotionally arousing visual stimuli. This study explores how the time information inherent in large-scale electrocortical measures can be used to examine the functional relationships among the structures involved in emotional perception. Granger causality analysis was conducted on steady-state visual evoked potentials elicited by emotionally arousing pictures flickering at a rate of 10 Hz. This procedure allows one to examine the direction of neural connections. Participants viewed pictures that varied in emotional content, depicting people in neutral contexts, erotica, or interpersonal attack scenes. Results demonstrated increased coupling between visual and cortical areas when viewing emotionally arousing content. Specifically, intraparietal to inferotemporal and precuneus to calcarine connections were stronger for emotionally arousing picture content. Thus, we provide evidence for re-entrant signal flow during emotional perception, which originates from higher tiers and enters lower tiers of visual cortex.
ARTICLE UPDATE - Affective visual event-related potentials: Arousal, valence, and repetition effects for normal and distorted pictures.
Rozenkrants B, Olofsson JK, Polich J.
International Journal of Psychophysiology, in press
Event-related potentials (ERPs) were used to assess arousal (low, high), valence (negative, positive), and stimulus repetition effects for normal and distorted images from the International Affective Pictures System (IAPS). Distorted stimuli were constructed by dividing each image into small squares and rearranging the segments randomly to produce a “scrambled” picture. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were elicited by presenting the normal and scrambled images as target stimuli, with a repeated visual pattern used as the standard stimulus. Participants (N = 32) were instructed to press a button to the targets and ignore the standard. Stimulus repetition effects were assessed by presenting each stimulus twice in the normal and scrambled condition. High-arousal stimuli yielded larger late positive components for both the normal and scrambled pictures. No overall valence effects were obtained, but arousal and valence influenced component amplitudes for middle-latency ERPs from the scrambled stimuli. For the normal pictures, stimulus repetition was associated with increased component amplitudes for all potentials and decreased RTs of all affective categories. For the scrambled pictures, no repetition changes were obtained. The findings suggest that stimulus arousal level contributes more than valence to affective ERP measures for normal as well as perceptually distorted pictures. Stimulus repetition engages memory for previous normal picture items but is not influenced by affective category. Theoretical implications are discussed.
International Journal of Psychophysiology, in press
Event-related potentials (ERPs) were used to assess arousal (low, high), valence (negative, positive), and stimulus repetition effects for normal and distorted images from the International Affective Pictures System (IAPS). Distorted stimuli were constructed by dividing each image into small squares and rearranging the segments randomly to produce a “scrambled” picture. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were elicited by presenting the normal and scrambled images as target stimuli, with a repeated visual pattern used as the standard stimulus. Participants (N = 32) were instructed to press a button to the targets and ignore the standard. Stimulus repetition effects were assessed by presenting each stimulus twice in the normal and scrambled condition. High-arousal stimuli yielded larger late positive components for both the normal and scrambled pictures. No overall valence effects were obtained, but arousal and valence influenced component amplitudes for middle-latency ERPs from the scrambled stimuli. For the normal pictures, stimulus repetition was associated with increased component amplitudes for all potentials and decreased RTs of all affective categories. For the scrambled pictures, no repetition changes were obtained. The findings suggest that stimulus arousal level contributes more than valence to affective ERP measures for normal as well as perceptually distorted pictures. Stimulus repetition engages memory for previous normal picture items but is not influenced by affective category. Theoretical implications are discussed.
ARTICLE UPDATE - Affective picture processing: An integrative review of ERP findings.
Olofsson JK, Nordin S, Sequeira H, Polich J.
Biological Psychology, in press
The review summarizes and integrates findings from 40 years of event-related potential (ERP) studies using pictures that differ in valence (unpleasant-to-pleasant) and arousal (low-to-high) and that are used to elicit emotional processing. Affective stimulus factors primarily modulate ERP component amplitude, with little change in peak latency observed. Arousal effects are consistently obtained, and generally occur at longer latencies. Valence effects are inconsistently reported at several latency ranges, including very early components. Some affective ERP modulations vary with recording methodology, stimulus factors, as well as task-relevance and emotional state. Affective ERPs have been linked theoretically to attention orientation for unpleasant pictures at earlier components (<300 ms). Enhanced stimulus processing has been associated with memory encoding for arousing pictures of assumed intrinsic motivational relevance, with task-induced differences contributing to emotional reactivity at later components (>300 ms). Theoretical issues, stimulus factors, task demands, and individual differences are discussed.
Biological Psychology, in press
The review summarizes and integrates findings from 40 years of event-related potential (ERP) studies using pictures that differ in valence (unpleasant-to-pleasant) and arousal (low-to-high) and that are used to elicit emotional processing. Affective stimulus factors primarily modulate ERP component amplitude, with little change in peak latency observed. Arousal effects are consistently obtained, and generally occur at longer latencies. Valence effects are inconsistently reported at several latency ranges, including very early components. Some affective ERP modulations vary with recording methodology, stimulus factors, as well as task-relevance and emotional state. Affective ERPs have been linked theoretically to attention orientation for unpleasant pictures at earlier components (<300 ms). Enhanced stimulus processing has been associated with memory encoding for arousing pictures of assumed intrinsic motivational relevance, with task-induced differences contributing to emotional reactivity at later components (>300 ms). Theoretical issues, stimulus factors, task demands, and individual differences are discussed.
ARTICLE UPDATE - Affective blindsight in the intact brain: Neural interhemispheric summation for unseen fearful expressions.
Tamietto M, de Gelder B.
Neuropsychologia, in press
The emotional valence of facial expressions can be reliably discriminated even in the absence of conscious visual experience by patients with lesions to the primary visual cortex (affective blindsight). Prior studies in one such patient (GY) also showed that this non-conscious perception can influence conscious recognition of normally seen emotional faces. Here we report a similar online interaction across hemispheres between conscious and non-conscious perception of emotions in normal observers. Fearful and happy facial expressions were presented either unilaterally (to the left or right visual field) or simultaneously to both visual fields. In bilateral displays, conscious perception of one face in a pair was prevented by backward masking after 20 ms, while the opposite expression remained normally visible. The results showed a bidirectional influence of non-conscious fear processing over conscious recognition of happy as well as fearful expressions. Consciously perceived fearful faces were more readily recognized when they were paired with invisible emotionally congruent fearful expressions in the opposite field, as compared to the single presentation of the same unmasked faces. On the other hand, recognition of unmasked happy faces was delayed by the simultaneous presence of a masked fearful face. No such effect was reported for masked happy expressions. These findings show that non-conscious processing of fear may modulate ongoing conscious evaluation of facial expressions via neural interhemispheric summation even in the intact brain.
Neuropsychologia, in press
The emotional valence of facial expressions can be reliably discriminated even in the absence of conscious visual experience by patients with lesions to the primary visual cortex (affective blindsight). Prior studies in one such patient (GY) also showed that this non-conscious perception can influence conscious recognition of normally seen emotional faces. Here we report a similar online interaction across hemispheres between conscious and non-conscious perception of emotions in normal observers. Fearful and happy facial expressions were presented either unilaterally (to the left or right visual field) or simultaneously to both visual fields. In bilateral displays, conscious perception of one face in a pair was prevented by backward masking after 20 ms, while the opposite expression remained normally visible. The results showed a bidirectional influence of non-conscious fear processing over conscious recognition of happy as well as fearful expressions. Consciously perceived fearful faces were more readily recognized when they were paired with invisible emotionally congruent fearful expressions in the opposite field, as compared to the single presentation of the same unmasked faces. On the other hand, recognition of unmasked happy faces was delayed by the simultaneous presence of a masked fearful face. No such effect was reported for masked happy expressions. These findings show that non-conscious processing of fear may modulate ongoing conscious evaluation of facial expressions via neural interhemispheric summation even in the intact brain.
ARTICLE UPDATE - Dissociating love-related attention from task-related attention: An event-related potential oddball study.
Langeslag SJ, Franken IH, Van Strien JW.
Neuroscience Letters, in press
The present event-related potential (ERP) study was conducted to investigate the P3 component in response to love-related stimuli while controlling for task-related factors, and to dissociate the influences of both love-related and task-related attention on the P3 amplitude. In an oddball paradigm, photographs of beloved and friends served as target and distractor stimuli. Love-related and task-related attention were separated by varying the target and distractor status of the beloved and friends full factorially. As expected, the P3 amplitude was larger for beloved compared to friends and for targets compared to distractors. Moreover, task-related and love-related attention were unconfounded. These results are in line with findings that the P3 is modulated by both emotion- and task-related factors, supporting the view that the P3 amplitude reflects attention. Furthermore, this study validates the notion that romantic love is accompanied by increased attention for stimuli associated with the beloved, and also shows that this form of attention is different from task-related attention.
Neuroscience Letters, in press
The present event-related potential (ERP) study was conducted to investigate the P3 component in response to love-related stimuli while controlling for task-related factors, and to dissociate the influences of both love-related and task-related attention on the P3 amplitude. In an oddball paradigm, photographs of beloved and friends served as target and distractor stimuli. Love-related and task-related attention were separated by varying the target and distractor status of the beloved and friends full factorially. As expected, the P3 amplitude was larger for beloved compared to friends and for targets compared to distractors. Moreover, task-related and love-related attention were unconfounded. These results are in line with findings that the P3 is modulated by both emotion- and task-related factors, supporting the view that the P3 amplitude reflects attention. Furthermore, this study validates the notion that romantic love is accompanied by increased attention for stimuli associated with the beloved, and also shows that this form of attention is different from task-related attention.
ARTICLE UPDATE - An ERP investigation on the temporal dynamics of emotional prosody and emotional semantics in pseudo- and lexical-sentence context.
Paulmann S, Kotz SA.
Brain and Language, in press
Previous evidence supports differential event-related brain potential (ERP) responses for emotional prosodic processing and integrative emotional prosodic/semantic processing. While latter process elicits a negativity similar to the well-known N400 component, transitions in emotional prosodic processing elicit a positivity. To further substantiate this evidence, the current investigation utilized lexical-sentences and sentences without lexical content (pseudo-sentences) spoken in six basic emotions by a female and a male speaker. Results indicate that emotional prosodic expectancy violations elicit a right-lateralized positive-going ERP component independent of basic emotional prosodies and speaker voice. In addition, expectancy violations of integrative emotional prosody/semantics elicit a negativity with a whole-head distribution. The current results nicely complement previous evidence, and extend the results by showing the respective effects for a wider range of emotional prosodies independent of lexical content and speaker voice.
Brain and Language, in press
Previous evidence supports differential event-related brain potential (ERP) responses for emotional prosodic processing and integrative emotional prosodic/semantic processing. While latter process elicits a negativity similar to the well-known N400 component, transitions in emotional prosodic processing elicit a positivity. To further substantiate this evidence, the current investigation utilized lexical-sentences and sentences without lexical content (pseudo-sentences) spoken in six basic emotions by a female and a male speaker. Results indicate that emotional prosodic expectancy violations elicit a right-lateralized positive-going ERP component independent of basic emotional prosodies and speaker voice. In addition, expectancy violations of integrative emotional prosody/semantics elicit a negativity with a whole-head distribution. The current results nicely complement previous evidence, and extend the results by showing the respective effects for a wider range of emotional prosodies independent of lexical content and speaker voice.
ARTICLE UPDATE - The role of social cognition in emotion.
Olsson A, Ochsner KN.
Trends in Cognitive Sciences, in press
Although recent research has shown that social cognition and emotion engage overlapping regions of the brain, few accounts of this overlap have been offered. What systems might be commonly or distinctively involved in each? The close functional relationship between social cognition and emotion might be understood in terms of a central role for mental state attribution in the understanding, learning and regulation of emotion. In each of these cases, mental state attributions might be supported by either stimulus-driven or more reflective processes.
Trends in Cognitive Sciences, in press
Although recent research has shown that social cognition and emotion engage overlapping regions of the brain, few accounts of this overlap have been offered. What systems might be commonly or distinctively involved in each? The close functional relationship between social cognition and emotion might be understood in terms of a central role for mental state attribution in the understanding, learning and regulation of emotion. In each of these cases, mental state attributions might be supported by either stimulus-driven or more reflective processes.
ARTICLE UPDATE - EMOTLAB: software for studying emotional signaling in economic bargaining games.
Ketelaar T, Preston B, Russell D, Davis M, Strosser G.
Behaviour Research Method, 39, 959-972
EMOTLAB software creates a virtual social environment in which individuals interact via computer with a virtual interaction partner in a series of economic bargaining games. The virtual partner appears on the participant's computer screen as a digital image (e.g., video or picture file) during each trial. A key feature of EMOTLAB software is its ability to control both the strategic behavior and the emotion signaling behavior (e.g., anger vs. embarrassment) of the virtual interaction partner. By simply editing a series of text files that control the subroutines governing the different features of the experiment (payoff structure, number of trials, etc.), EMOTLAB can generate an essentially infinite number of different social bargaining situations in which participants earn monetary payoffs contingent upon their decisions. This paper provides an overview of this software and how one can edit various subroutines to generate a typical experimental session in which research participants encounter a virtual interaction partner who displays different emotional signals.
Behaviour Research Method, 39, 959-972
EMOTLAB software creates a virtual social environment in which individuals interact via computer with a virtual interaction partner in a series of economic bargaining games. The virtual partner appears on the participant's computer screen as a digital image (e.g., video or picture file) during each trial. A key feature of EMOTLAB software is its ability to control both the strategic behavior and the emotion signaling behavior (e.g., anger vs. embarrassment) of the virtual interaction partner. By simply editing a series of text files that control the subroutines governing the different features of the experiment (payoff structure, number of trials, etc.), EMOTLAB can generate an essentially infinite number of different social bargaining situations in which participants earn monetary payoffs contingent upon their decisions. This paper provides an overview of this software and how one can edit various subroutines to generate a typical experimental session in which research participants encounter a virtual interaction partner who displays different emotional signals.
ARTICLE UPDATE - Characterization of the affective norms for English words by discrete emotional categories.
Stevenson RA, Mikels JA, James TW.
Brain Research Methods, 39, 1020-1024
The Affective Norms for English Words (ANEW) are a commonly used set of 1034 words characterized on the affective dimensions of valence, arousal, and dominance. Traditionally, studies of affect have used stimuli characterized along either affective dimensions or discrete emotional categories, but much current research draws on both of these perspectives. As such, stimuli that have been thoroughly characterized according to both of these approaches are exceptionally useful. In an effort to provide researchers with such a characterization of stimuli, we have collected descriptive data on the ANEW to identify which discrete emotions are elicited by each word in the set. Our data, coupled with previous characterizations of the dimensional aspects of these words, will allow researchers to control for or manipulate stimulus properties in accordance with both dimensional and discrete emotional views, and provide an avenue for further integration of these two perspectives. Our data have been archived at www.psychonomic.org/archive/.
Brain Research Methods, 39, 1020-1024
The Affective Norms for English Words (ANEW) are a commonly used set of 1034 words characterized on the affective dimensions of valence, arousal, and dominance. Traditionally, studies of affect have used stimuli characterized along either affective dimensions or discrete emotional categories, but much current research draws on both of these perspectives. As such, stimuli that have been thoroughly characterized according to both of these approaches are exceptionally useful. In an effort to provide researchers with such a characterization of stimuli, we have collected descriptive data on the ANEW to identify which discrete emotions are elicited by each word in the set. Our data, coupled with previous characterizations of the dimensional aspects of these words, will allow researchers to control for or manipulate stimulus properties in accordance with both dimensional and discrete emotional views, and provide an avenue for further integration of these two perspectives. Our data have been archived at www.psychonomic.org/archive/.
ARTICLE UPDATE -Visual noise effects on emotion perception: brain potentials and stimulus identification.
Schupp HT, Stockburger J, Schmälzle R, Bublatzky F, Weike AI, Hamm AO.
Neuroreport, 19, 167-171
Event-related potential (ERP) studies revealed an early posterior negativity (EPN) for emotionally arousing pictures. Two studies explored how this effect relates to perceptual stimulus characteristics and stimulus identification. Adding various amounts of visual noise varied stimulus perceptibility of high and low arousing picture contents, which were presented as rapid and continuous stream. Measuring dense sensor event-related potentials, study I determined that noise level was linearly related to the P1 peak. Subsequently, enlarged EPNs to emotionally arousing contents were observed, however, only for pictures containing low amounts of noise, which also enabled stimulus identification as shown by study II. These data support the notion that the EPN may serve as a measure of affective stimulus evaluation at an early transitory processing period.
Neuroreport, 19, 167-171
Event-related potential (ERP) studies revealed an early posterior negativity (EPN) for emotionally arousing pictures. Two studies explored how this effect relates to perceptual stimulus characteristics and stimulus identification. Adding various amounts of visual noise varied stimulus perceptibility of high and low arousing picture contents, which were presented as rapid and continuous stream. Measuring dense sensor event-related potentials, study I determined that noise level was linearly related to the P1 peak. Subsequently, enlarged EPNs to emotionally arousing contents were observed, however, only for pictures containing low amounts of noise, which also enabled stimulus identification as shown by study II. These data support the notion that the EPN may serve as a measure of affective stimulus evaluation at an early transitory processing period.
ARTICLE UPDATE - Early emotional prosody perception based on different speaker voices.
Paulmann S, Kotz SA.
Neuroreport, 19, 209-213
Decoding verbal and nonverbal emotional expressions is an important part of speech communication. Although various studies have tried to specify the brain regions that underlie different emotions conveyed in speech, few studies have aimed to specify the time course of emotional speech decoding. We used event-related potentials to determine when emotional speech is first differentiated from neutral speech. Participants engaged in an implicit emotional processing task (probe verification) while listening to emotional sentences spoken by a female and a male speaker. Independent of speaker voice, emotional sentences could be differentiated from neutral sentences as early as 200 ms after sentence onset (P200), suggesting rapid emotional decoding.
Neuroreport, 19, 209-213
Decoding verbal and nonverbal emotional expressions is an important part of speech communication. Although various studies have tried to specify the brain regions that underlie different emotions conveyed in speech, few studies have aimed to specify the time course of emotional speech decoding. We used event-related potentials to determine when emotional speech is first differentiated from neutral speech. Participants engaged in an implicit emotional processing task (probe verification) while listening to emotional sentences spoken by a female and a male speaker. Independent of speaker voice, emotional sentences could be differentiated from neutral sentences as early as 200 ms after sentence onset (P200), suggesting rapid emotional decoding.
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