恐惧情绪面孔和身体姿势加工的比较:事件相关电位研究

面孔和身体姿势均为日常交往中情绪性信息的重要载体,然而目前对后者的研究却很少。本文采用事件相关电位(ERP)技术,考察了成年被试对恐惧和中性身体姿势的加工时程,并将此与同类表情的面孔加工ERP结果进行比较。结果发现,与情绪性面孔加工类似,大脑对情绪性身体姿势的加工也是快速的,早在P1阶段即可将恐惧和中性的身体姿势区分开来,同时身体姿势图片比面孔图片诱发了更大的枕区P1成分。与情绪性面孔相比,情绪性身体姿势诱发出的N170和VPP幅度较小,潜伏期较短,这两个ERP成分能区分恐惧和中性的面孔,但不能区分恐惧和中性的身体姿势,说明在情绪性信息加工的中期阶段,大脑在身体姿势加工方面的优势不如在面孔加工方面的优势大。最后,在加工的晚期阶段,P3可区分情绪载体和情绪类别,且在两个主效应上均产生了较大的效应量,体现了大脑在此阶段对情绪性信息的更深入的加工。本研究提示,情绪性身体姿势和面孔的加工具有相似性,但与情绪性面孔相比,大脑似乎对情绪性身体姿势的加工在早期阶段(P1时间窗)更有优势。本文对情绪性面孔和身体姿势的结合研究将有助于深入了解情绪脑的工作机制,同时找到更多的情绪相关的生物标记物以帮助临床诊断具有情绪认知障碍的精神病患者的脑功能缺损。     

内隐情绪加工对返回抑制效应的调节

为探讨内隐情绪加工是否会对返回抑制产生影响,采用线索靶子范式,以情绪性面孔图片作为目标,要求被试完成定位任务。结果发现,行为数据和脑电数据均显示了显著的返回抑制效应;N1成分上情绪效价和线索有效性的主效应及交互作用均显著,有效线索条件下情绪目标诱发的波幅显著大于中性目标;N170成分上线索有效性主效应显著,相较于N1成分,N170成分在有效线索上波幅更小,在无效线索上波幅更大。实验结果表明返回抑制效应受到内隐情绪加工的调节,提示该效应来源于早期的知觉抑制,支持知觉抑制理论。     

正性还是负性? 惊讶表情的效价识别

惊讶表情因其没有明确的效价信息在六种基本情绪中较为特殊,有关惊讶表情效价识别的研究一般使用静态的面孔材料且实验范式相对简单。研究发现惊讶表情具有默认的负性解释偏向,且情境信息可影响其效价识别。同时,惊讶表情效价识别在年龄、加工方式及人格特质均存在稳定的个体差异。未来的研究需提高面孔材料的效度,并将实验结果推广于临床研究。     

自然场景与身体动作对面孔表情识别的影响

本研究以消极情绪间感知相似性较低的厌恶、恐惧面孔表情为材料,提供5个情绪性语言标签减少文字背景对面孔识别的促进作用,通过2个实验对自然场景以及身体动作对面孔表情识别的影响进行了研究,旨在考察面孔表情与自然场景间的情绪一致性对情绪面孔识别和自然场景加工的影响,以及加入与自然场景情绪相冲突的身体动作对面孔表情识别可能产生的影响。研究结果表明:(1)尽管增加了情绪性语言标签选项数量,自然场景的情绪对面孔表情识别的影响依旧显著;(2)当面孔表情与自然场景情绪不一致时,面孔识别需要更多依赖对自然场景的加工,因此对自然场景的加工程度更高;(3)身体动作会在一定程度上干扰自然场景对面孔表情识别的影响,但自然场景依然对情绪面孔的表情识别有重要作用。     

情绪语音调节面孔表情的识别：ERP证据

采用事件相关电位（ERP）技术考察了情绪语音影响面孔表情识别的时间进程。通过设置效价一致或不一致的“语音-面孔”对,要求被试判断情绪语音和面孔表情的效价是否一致。行为结果显示,被试对效价一致的“语音-面孔”对的反应更快。ERP结果显示,在70-130ms和220-450ms,不一致条件下的面孔表情比一致条件诱发了更负的波形;在450-750ms,不一致条件下的面孔表情比一致条件诱发更正的后正成分。说明情绪语音对面孔表情识别的多个阶段产生了跨通道影响。     

抑郁情绪下不同反应方式对面孔表情加工的影响

采用电影片段诱发被试的抑郁情绪,将诱发后的被试分为沉思组和分心组,分别对悲伤面孔和中性面孔刺激进行沉思或分心的反应,并用事件相关电位技术(ERP)探讨抑郁情绪下不同反应方式对个体面孔表情加工的影响。行为数据结果发现沉思组实验任务结束后的抑郁情绪值(T2)比分心组更高;实验任务结束后沉思组抑郁情绪值增高,而分心组降低;脑电数据结果发现N1波未受反应方式的影响;沉思组比分心组诱发出更大的晚期峰值的正电位(LPP)峰值;沉思组Pz点LPP峰值最高,而分心组不同电极并无显著差异。该研究结果表明抑郁情绪下不同反应方式会影响个体对于面孔表情的判断,主要体现在面孔表情的晚期加工阶段。     

语言范畴影响面部表情知觉的电生理学证据

本研究探讨了语言范畴影响面部表情知觉的时程及大脑偏侧化特点。采用从快乐到恐惧渐变的4张人类面孔表情图片为实验材料，以分视野呈现刺激的oddball范式设计脑电实验，并以分心任务使被试不注意实验表情图片之间的差异。实验结果显示，表情知觉诱发的ERP成分N1和N2上均出现了偏右视野-左脑表情范畴知觉，即在右视野呈现的条件下，范畴间偏差刺激比范畴内偏差刺激诱发了更大的vMMN效应，而在左视野呈现的条件下，两类偏差刺激诱发的vMMN效应无显著差异。这一结果表明表情范畴知觉发生在表情知觉的早期感觉水平加工及后知觉加工阶段，且具有偏右视野-左脑特性，提示语言范畴会同时影响早期、注意前表情知觉及后知觉加工，支持了沃尔夫假说。     

语境信息对面部表情加工的影响

为检验语境信息在面部表情加工和识别中的作用,通过两个实验考察语境信息的情绪性和自我相关性对中性以及不同强度恐惧面孔情绪加工的影响。结果发现,积极语境下中性情绪面孔效价的评分更高,自我相关语境下中性面孔唤醒度的评分更高;消极语境下面孔的恐惧情绪更容易被察觉。因此,面部表情加工中的语境效应表现为对中性情绪面孔的情绪诱发和增强作用,以及在情绪一致情况下对不同情绪强度面孔判断的促进作用。     

词—面孔任务中的情绪效价冲突效应及性别差异

从中国情绪面孔系统和现代汉语情感词系统中分别选取两种情绪效价的表情面孔(愉快、悲伤)和情绪词(积极、消极),运用词—面孔范式,以60名大学生为被试,探讨了情绪效价冲突效应及性别差异。结果表明:(1)面孔的情绪类型主效应显著,悲伤面孔反应时长于愉快面孔;(2)词和面孔的情绪效价冲突性主效应显著,情绪效价一致条件下的反应时短于情绪效价不一致条件的反应时;(3)表情面孔的情绪类型、词和面孔情绪效价的冲突性、被试性别三者的交互作用显著,简单效应分析表明女性在词和面孔情绪效价不一致条件下对悲伤表情的判别反应时短于男性。     

群体面孔情绪感知的神经机制

如何揭示情绪性面孔加工的认知神经机制一直是心理学和社会神经科学的热点课题。以往研究主要采用单独面孔表情作为情绪诱发或呈现方式, 但对群体情绪知觉与体验的关注极其缺乏, 而群体面孔表情作为群体情绪的主要表达方式, 亟待深入关注。因此, 本项目将采用群体面孔(面孔群)表情作为群体情绪刺激, 拟通过事件相关电位(ERP)、核磁共振(fMRI)以及经颅磁刺激(TMS)等技术结合行为研究, 尝试从情绪信息(效价和强度)、朝向信息(正面、侧面、倒置)、完整性(局部呈现、完整呈现)、空间频率信息(完整、高频、低频)等方面探明群体面孔表情加工的时间动态特征和大脑激活模式。这将有助于全面认识和深入了解群体情绪识别的一般规律, 对于更好地优化社会互动也具有现实意义。     

My Group's Fate Is My Fate: Identity-Fused Americans and Spaniards Link Personal Life Quality to Outcome of 2008 Elections

People differ in their reactions to the outcomes of their group. Whereas some may revel in victory and mourn in defeat, others may internalize victory but distance themselves from defeat. Here, we sought to relate these divergent reactions to two forms of alignment with groups–identity fusion and group identification. Investigations of the 2008 elections in the United States and Spain revealed that people who were “fused” with their political party internalized both victory and defeat, but highly identified persons internalized only victory. We discuss how these findings bear on the conceptual distinctions between identity fusion and group identification.     

Effects of implicit power motivation on men's and women's implicit learning and testosterone changes after social victory or defeat

Two studies examined interactions of implicit power motivation and experimentally varied victory or defeat in a contest on implicit learning of a visuomotor sequence associated with the contest outcome and changes in testosterone and self-reported affect. In men and women, power motivation predicted enhanced learning (sequence-execution accuracy) after a victory and impaired learning after a defeat. In men, power motivation predicted testosterone increases among winners and decreases among losers, and testosterone decreases mediated the negative effect of power motivation on learning in losers. In women, power motivation predicted postcontest testosterone increases, particularly among losers. In both men and women, self-reported affective states were influenced only by contest outcome and were unrelated to participants' testosterone changes or implicit learning.     

Accepting Threatening Information: Self–Affirmation and the Reduction of Defensive Biases

Why do people resist evidence that challenges the validity of long–held beliefs? And why do they persist in maladaptive behavior even when persuasive information or personal experience recommends change? We argue that such defensive tendencies are driven, in large part, by a fundamental motivation to protect the perceived worth and integrity of the self. Studies of social–political debate, health–risk assessment, and responses to team victory or defeat have shown that people respond to information in a less defensive and more open–minded manner when their self–worth is buttressed by an affirmation of an alternative source of identity. Self–affirmed individuals are more likely to accept information that they would otherwise view as threatening, and subsequently to change their beliefs and even their behavior in a desirable fashion. Defensive biases have an adaptive function for maintaining self–worth, but maladaptive consequences for promoting change and reducing social conflict.     

Serum cortisol,testosterone, and testosterone-binding globulin responses to competitive fighting in human males

Levels of circulating cortisol, testosterone, and testosterone-binding globulin were measured in 15 male wrestlers in relation to wrestling bouts and their outcomes. Concentrations of cortisol and testosterone increased consistently during wrestling bouts, while levels of testosterone-binding globulin dropped. Winners of competive matches showed greater increases in both cortisol and testosterone than losers. These findings indicate that humans, like other social mammals, may undergo specific endocrine changes in response to victory or defeat.     

Passion and emotions: The mediating role of cognitive appraisals

Research reveals that harmonious passion leads to more positive emotions than obsessive passion, whereas the opposite result is true with respect to negative emotions. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the role of cognitive appraisals as mediators of the passion-emotion relationships. In Study 1, 227 participants engaged in different sports completed an online questionnaire about their passion for their specific sport, as well as cognitive appraisals and emotions generally experienced during an important game of their sport. Results of a structural equation modeling analysis and an indirect effect test showed that harmonious passion was linked to positive emotions through the mediating role of challenge appraisals, and that obsessive passion was linked to negative emotions through the mediating role of threat appraisals. In Study 2, 194 athletes completed questionnaires before and after a competitive game and focused on cognitive appraisals and emotions experienced during the game. Results of analyses conducted separately in the victory and defeat conditions based on game outcomes supported the model found in Study 1 in the case of defeat for both types of passion, and in the case of victory for harmonious passion only. Obsessive passion was not linked to threat appraisals among victorious athletes. These results suggest that both types of passion trigger different cognitive appraisals that lead to corresponding emotions. Future research is needed to replicate these findings and to better understand the role of passion and cognitive appraisals in emotions experienced in the realm of sports.     

Playing for the thrill and skill. Quiz games as means for mood and competence repair

ABSTRACT

Recent studies have found that digital games can be used to improve the players’ mood, especially after emotionally unpleasant experiences. We introduce competence repair as an extension of previous work on mood repair. To investigate the effects of digital games on both mood and competence repair, we conducted 3 studies using quiz games. In the quasi-experimental Study 1 (N = 143), we manipulated the necessity for repair via a false feedback task (positive vs. negative), and looked at the impact of in-game success (victory vs. defeat). In the experimental Studies 2 (N = 91) and 3 (N = 109), we aimed at conceptually replicating and extending the findings on the impact of in-game success by varying participants’ success over a series of 4 matches (Study 2: close game outcomes, Study 3: clear victory/defeat). The results of these studies indicate that the efficacy of digital games for mood repair, as well as competence repair, depends on the necessity for repair, as well as success in the game. However, competence repair occurred even after participants were defeated repeatedly in a series of close matches. These results are discussed in light of the potential of digital games for fulfilling (previously thwarted) psychological needs.     

Changes in Behaviour and Body Weight Following a Single or Double Social Defeat in Rats

In a series of experiments, the consequences of a single and double social conflict on various behaviours and body weight in rats were studied. Animals were subjected to social defeat by placing them into the territory of an aggressive male conspecific for one hour, either once, or twice at the same time on two consecutive days. To assess the consequences of social defeat, three experiments were performed with independent groups of rats. In the first experiment, an open field test was performed two days after the last conflict. Locomotor activity was strongly reduced after social defeat. There were no differences between the single and double defeat group. To assess the effects of social defeat on subsequent social behaviour, a second experiment was performed in which experimental animals were confronted with an unfamiliar non-aggressive rat two days after a single or double conflict. Social defeat resulted in a reduction of social contact with the unfamiliar conspecific. There was no difference between the single and double conflict group. In the third experiment, the effects of social conflict on food intake, body weight and saccharine preference were measured. Food intake was not affected after a single conflict, but in the double conflict group food intake was decreased for several days. Body weight gain was decreased after both single and double social defeat. The decrease was stronger in the double conflict group. Water intake and saccharine preference were not significantly affected. This study revealed that social defeat in rats causes pronounced changes in various behaviours and body weight. Different aspects of behaviour are differentially affected by defeat with respect to the magnitude and time course of the changes induced. Moreover, different behavioural parameters are differentially sensitive to repetition of the stressor.     

Considering empty worlds as actual

This paper argues that David Chalmer's new epistemic interpretation of 2-D semantics faces the very same type of objection he takes to defeat earlier contextualist interpretation of the 2-D framework.     

Turning configural processing upside down: part and whole body postures

Like faces, body postures are susceptible to an inversion effect in untrained viewers. The inversion effect may be indicative of configural processing, but what kind of configural processing is used for the recognition of body postures must be specified. The information available in the body stimulus was manipulated. The presence and magnitude of inversion effects were compared for body parts, scrambled bodies, and body halves relative to whole bodies and to corresponding conditions for faces and houses. Results suggest that configural body posture recognition relies on the structural hierarchy of body parts, not the parts themselves or a complete template match. Configural recognition of body postures based on information about the structural hierarchy of parts defines an important point on the configural processing continuum, between recognition based on first-order spatial relations and recognition based on holistic undifferentiated template matching.     

Cross-sectional and longitudinal differences in social dominance orientation and right wing authoritarianism as a function of political power and societal change

Changes in social dominance orientation (SDO) and right wing authoritarianism (RWA) over time were examined using cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis of three waves of survey data before and after the 2004 Presidential election in Taiwan. A functionalist perspective (or group socialization model) predicts that: (i) supporters of a dominant political group that has held power for over 50 years should be higher in SDO and RWA than their opposition; and (ii) a formerly subordinate group should increase in SDO and RWA following electoral victory, whereas the dominant group should decrease following defeat. The first hypothesis was supported, whereas support for the second was mixed; the low-powered group increased in SDO and RWA following victory, but the high-powered group was unchanged. It appears easier to acquire the mindset associated with power than to lose it. Longitudinal path modelling showed that SDO became less connected to identity and political party support after an election that consolidated societal and regime change; the role of RWA shifted even more dramatically, from being connected to one political party and social identity pre-election to an opposing one post-election. Longitudinal path models slightly favoured a group socialization account over personality or social identity accounts in modelling correlations between SDO, RWA, political party support, and social identities over time.