负性事件引发情绪反应的性别特点及神经机制

选取45名大学本科生为被试,记录被试观看内容不同的刺激材料时主观情绪体验成绩,同时采集了心率变异性(HRV)的频域指标,探讨内容不同的负性事件引发情绪反应的性别特点及外周神经机制.结果:在主观报告上,女性所诱发的负性情绪显著高于男性.社会事件的情绪材料所引发的负性情绪显著高于家庭事件的情绪材料.在生理指标上,女性在负性事件中引起的LF/HF显著高于男性.因此,负性事件后男性和女性情绪反应在主观应激强度和生理反应模式上差异显著.     

神经质和外倾的负情绪减弱调节特点

神经质和外倾一致被认为是有典型情绪风格的人格特质,人格生物机制研究发现,这两种特质在神经递质、脑机制及遗传等方面都具有其特定的机制。可是,关于这两种特质在情绪调节过程的生理心理机制研究还比较少。这项研究试图寻找高神经质和高外倾人群在负情绪调节过程中,包括情绪主观报告、表情行为及生理反应等方面的变化特点。研究采用生理心理实验法比较了高神经质和高外倾被试在使用认知重评、表情抑制减弱由录像片段诱发的负情绪（厌恶）时所引起情绪成分的实际变化结果。28名高神经质和28名高外倾大学生被试参加了实验。结果表明：与高外倾组比较,高神经质组在情绪激活及调节之前阶段（指导语阶段）的FPV增幅较大,在情绪被激活及调节阶段（正片阶段）的R-R间期增幅较小,整个调节过程报告较多的负情绪（如痛苦）变化。研究从生理心理层面进一步地说明,与高外倾比较,高神经质确实更容易激活其负情绪,而且,更难以对其负情绪实施减弱调节     

初中生情绪反应、表达及其与攻击行为

运用自编的《中学生情绪评定问卷》和修订的Spielberger《状态——特质愤怒表达问卷》对833名普通中学初中生进行了测试,并用同伴提名的方法把学生分为普通组、身体攻击组和关系攻击组,探讨了初中生情绪反应、表达的特点和攻击行为学生情绪反应、表达的特点。研究结果表明:(1)初中女生报告的恐惧感、悲伤感高于男生,女生报告的愤怒表达也显著高于男生;但在特质愤怒方面,男生报告的特质愤怒水平显著高于女生。在情绪表达与反应的大多数方面不存在显著的年级差异,只在负性情绪表达方面初二女生报告了比初一、初三女生更高的负性情绪表达。(2)被同伴提名为身体攻击学生在状态愤怒、特质愤怒、愤怒表达方面显著高于普通学生,被同伴提名为关系攻击的学生在特质愤怒、愤怒表达方面也显著高于普通学生。攻击行为学生的愤怒情绪系统存在一定的缺陷。     

羞怯儿童对模糊情绪面孔的知觉偏差

采用类别知觉情绪识别范式,考察高、低羞怯儿童对快乐-愤怒和快乐-悲伤模糊情绪面孔的知觉偏差和知觉敏感性。结果发现：（1）相对于低羞怯儿童,高羞怯儿童倾向于将快乐-愤怒模糊情绪面孔知觉为愤怒,将快乐-悲伤模糊情绪面孔知觉为悲伤;（2）两组儿童在快乐-愤怒、快乐-悲伤模糊情绪面孔类别界线处的斜率差异均不显著。研究表明高羞怯儿童具有敌意归因偏向和更高的悲伤共情反应,而对快乐-愤怒和快乐-悲伤表情的类别转变不敏感。     

羞怯儿童对模糊情绪面孔的知觉偏差

采用类别知觉情绪识别范式,考察高、低羞怯儿童对快乐-愤怒和快乐-悲伤模糊情绪面孔的知觉偏差和知觉敏感性。结果发现：（1）相对于低羞怯儿童,高羞怯儿童倾向于将快乐-愤怒模糊情绪面孔知觉为愤怒,将快乐-悲伤模糊情绪面孔知觉为悲伤;（2）两组儿童在快乐-愤怒、快乐-悲伤模糊情绪面孔类别界线处的斜率差异均不显著。研究表明高羞怯儿童具有敌意归因偏向和更高的悲伤共情反应,而对快乐-愤怒和快乐-悲伤表情的类别转变不敏感。     

中小学生情绪调节策略与生理反应的关系

采用实验法探讨了巾小学生情绪调节策略与生理反应的关系。研究表明,悲伤情绪状态下,认知重评策略的生理反应要比表达抑制策略的生理反应小;快乐情绪状态下,两种策略的生理反应无显著差异;表达抑制策略下,悲伤情绪组的生理反应大于快乐情绪组的生理反应;认知重评策略下,悲伤情绪组的生理反应小于快乐情绪组;低年级学生比高年级学生情绪的生理反应大;女生比男生情绪的生理反应大;低学业水平学生比高学业水平学生情绪的生理反应大。     

高兴和悲伤电影片段诱发情绪的有效性和时间进程

选取269名大学生为被试,探讨情绪电影片段诱发被试高兴和悲伤情绪的有效性和时间进程.待被试稳定情绪后观看情绪电影片段,分别采用主观报告和心率、指温、皮电、指脉率、血氧饱和度、心率等心理生理反应的指标,获取被试观看高兴和悲伤电影片段时的前测和后测成绩并进行了分析比较.结果发现: (1)高兴影片能诱发被试高兴情绪,高兴情绪唤醒后,3分钟内处于一般偏上的状态且显著高于基线水平. (2)悲伤影片能诱发被试悲伤情绪,悲伤情绪唤醒后.5分钟内处于一般偏上的状态且显著高于基线水平.     

高低幸福感人群的负情绪特点：生理和表情的依据

为了检测高、低幸福感人群的负情绪反应诸多特点, 研究在实验室诱发厌恶情绪, 以比较高、低幸福组在情绪主观报告、生理、表情、恢复力及调节策略等方面的差异。组间比较结果显示：(1)负情绪情境下, 低幸福组生理唤醒(HR和GSR)较强, 有较多表情抑制; 高幸福组有更多表情行为, 恢复较快; (2)高幸福组有较强的认知再评习惯。研究提示, 逆境中, 高幸福感人群将有较强的情绪表达与恢复力, 低幸福感人群则保留较强的情绪生理动力。     

愤怒和悲伤情绪对助人决策的影响:人际责任归因的作用

基于具体情绪理论——评价倾向框架理论(ATF),采用两项研究考察负性情绪愤怒和悲伤对助人决策的影响,并探究人际责任归因在这一关系中的作用。两项研究均采用自传体情绪记忆任务诱发情绪,研究一中自变量情绪为组间变量,包括愤怒、悲伤和中性三个水平,因变量助人决策操作为为他人花费时间;研究二中自变量1为组间变量情绪,包括愤怒和悲伤,自变量2为组内变量人际责任归因,操作为模糊归因、不可控的情景归因、可控的自我归因三种情境,因变量助人决策操作为为他人花费金钱。结果发现:(1)与愤怒情绪相比,悲伤情绪下个体为他人花费的时间和捐助的金钱更多;(2)在模糊的人际责任归因条件下,悲伤个体会比愤怒个体捐助更多的钱。研究表明:同为负性情绪的愤怒和悲伤在助人决策上的作用不同,悲伤个体比愤怒个体做出更多的助人决策;人际责任性归因会影响附带情绪和助人决策的关系。研究结论有助于理解附带情绪对助人决策的影响,进一步丰富并延伸ATF理论的证据和领域,对发挥情境中人际责任归因在助人决策中的作用具有一定的现实意义。     

人格类型对应激反应影响的实验研究(实验室应激源部分)

本研究以EPQ为依据选择高神经质和低神经质2组共24名被试,以有时间压力的心算和复杂辨别反应操作为紧张性刺激,在进行作业的同时记录被试的呼吸频率、呼吸流量、脉率、指端血管容积和皮肤电反应等五项生理指标,并检测尿内儿茶酚胺分泌量。通过对人格类型、作业成绩、作业难度主观评价、紧张性情绪体验,以及对尿内儿茶酚胺分泌量和五项生理指标的综合分析,以研究人格类型对应激反应影响的程度和途径。结果表明,在两组被试作业成绩无显著差异的情况下,在对作业难度主观评价和情绪体验的程度上,高神经质组高于低神经质组。在平静状态下,高神经质组去甲肾上腺素分泌量高于低神经质组;应激状态下,高神经质组的儿茶酚胺反应强度和变化幅度均明显高于低神经质组。高神经质组的五项生理指标均比低神经质组有较大的变化幅度。儿茶酚胺分泌量与脉率有明显的正相关。另外,通过与自然应激源部分的实验结果比较,发现实验室与现场应激的效果基本一致。     

Influences of menstrual cycle position and sex hormone levels on spontaneous intrusive recollections following emotional stimuli

Spontaneous intrusive recollections (SIRs) are known to follow emotional events in clinical and non-clinical populations. Previous work in our lab has found that women report more SIRs than men after exposure to emotional films, and that this effect is driven entirely by women in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. To replicate and extend this finding, participants viewed emotional films, provided saliva samples for sex hormone concentration analysis, and estimated SIR frequency following film viewing. Women in the luteal phase reported significantly more SIRs than did women in the follicular phase, and SIR frequency significantly correlated with salivary progesterone levels. The results are consistent with an emerging pattern in the literature suggesting that menstrual cycle position of female participants can potently influence findings in numerous cognitive domains. The potential implications of these results for disorders characterized by intrusions, such as post-traumatic stress disorder, are also discussed.     

经前期综合征与奖赏进程失调——来自脑电的证据

研究表明, 经前期综合征(Premenstrual syndromes, PMS)女性的情绪平衡性存在问题, 而现有研究多从负性情绪上升的角度考察PMS的发病机制, 而对其正性情绪缺损的关注不足。鉴于正性情绪与奖赏进程密切相关, 本研究试图从奖赏进程失调的角度考察PMS女性与健康女性的差异以及该差异是否存在阶段特异性的问题, 以期从正性情绪缺损的角度揭示其发病机制。具体而言, 分别选取PMS女性与健康女性23名和22名, 考察两组被试在黄体晚期(即经前期)和卵泡早期(即经后期)正性情绪以及完成赌博任务时的脑电数据时域和频域的差异。主观问卷结果显示, PMS女性的愉快和平静情绪低于健康女性, 并且情绪平衡性也低于健康女性, 但无明显的阶段特异性。时域分析结果显示, PMS组在经前期收到奖赏反馈后奖赏正波(reward positivity, RewP)的波幅和差异波(即奖赏条件和惩罚条件下的差值)的波幅均低于健康女性, 进一步的相关分析结果显示, 对于PMS组来说, 经前期奖赏条件下的RewP波幅和差异波波幅与经前期的情绪平衡性显著正相关。频域分析的结果则发现PMS组在经前期奖赏条件下的θ频段(4~7 Hz, 250~400 ms)能量低于健康组。研究表明, PMS女性在经前期的奖赏加工进程存在异常, 表现为对奖赏反馈的预期增强, 而在收到奖赏反馈后又出现了钝化反应, 且奖赏进程的失调与情绪平衡性相关。本研究为理解PMS女性奖赏进程失调的动态加工时程和神经震荡特征及其与情绪平衡性的关系提供了初步的神经生理证据。     

Effects of the premenstrual syndrome on facial expressions of sadness

This study examined the relationship between PMS and emotion-related electromyographic facial activity at different phases of the menstrual cycle. Twenty-four women of reproductive age (12 with PMS, 12 controls) participated in two EMG sessions (T1 and T2) in which they were shown photographic images that can elicit various emotions (IAPS stimuli). T1 took place in the follicular phase, T2 in the luteal phase. The activity of the musculus depressor anguli oris ("depressor", expression of sadness) was measured. Depressor activity was compared to activity of musculus orbicularis oculi ("orbicularis"; expression of joy). ANOVA yielded a significant increase of the activity of the depressor at T2 in the PMS group. The PMS group showed more frequent depressor activity during the luteal than the follicular phase. Orbicularis activity did not change from T1 to T2. Conclusions: The PMS group experienced various visual stimuli in a more depressed way during the luteal phase.     

Realistic affective forecasting: The role of personality

Affective forecasting often drives decision-making. Although affective forecasting research has often focused on identifying sources of error at the event level, the present investigation draws upon the “realistic paradigm” in seeking to identify factors that similarly influence predicted and actual emotions, explaining their concordance across individuals. We hypothesised that the personality traits neuroticism and extraversion would account for variation in both predicted and actual emotional reactions to a wide array of stimuli and events (football games, an election, Valentine's Day, birthdays, happy/sad film clips, and an intrusive interview). As hypothesised, individuals who were more introverted and neurotic anticipated, correctly, that they would experience relatively more unpleasant emotional reactions, and those who were more extraverted and less neurotic anticipated, correctly, that they would experience relatively more pleasant emotional reactions. Personality explained 30% of the concordance between predicted and actual emotional reactions. Findings suggest three purported personality processes implicated in affective forecasting, highlight the importance of individual-differences research in this domain, and call for more research on realistic affective forecasts.     

Premenstrual Syndrome and Misattribution: A Self-Perception,Individual Differences Perspective

Self-perception theory suggests that premenstrual syndrome (PMS) may arise from the misattribution of hormone-induced bodily changes. If so, individual differences in the role of bodily responses in emotional feelings, measured in a separate expression-manipulation procedure, should be related to susceptibility to PMS. In Study 1, women responsive to cues from their bodies showed significant mood changes, both negative and positive, with their cycle, over a 60 day span; whereas women relatively unresponsive to personal, bodily cues showed no consistent cycle effects. PMS was also predicted by a measure of emotional complexity. In Study 2 women whose moods were based on bodily cues also rated their moods as less positive if they were in their premenstrual week, and women unresponsive to their bodies were unaffected by their cycle. A reminder of their cycle-stage prevented PMS in the body cue group, which is a kind of discounting effect. Women who were unresponsive to their bodies also did not show PMS, and were unaffected by the reminder.     

Emotional reactivity following surgery to the prefrontal cortex

We aimed to elicit emotion in patients with surgically circumscribed lesions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in order to elucidate the precise functional roles in emotion processing of the discrete subregions comprising the ventromedial PFC, including the medial PFC and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). Three components of emotional reactivity were measured: subjective experience, behaviour, and physiological response. These included measures of self‐reported emotion, observer‐rated facial expression of emotion and measurements of heart rate and heart rate variability (HRV) during film viewing, and a measure of subjective emotional change since surgery. Patients with lesions to the ventromedial PFC demonstrated significant differences compared with controls in HRV during the film clips, suggesting a shift to greater dominance of sympathetic input. In contrast, patients with lesions restricted to the OFC showed significant differences in HRV suggesting reduced sympathetic input. They also showed less facial expression of emotion during positive film clips, and reported more subjective emotional change since surgery compared with controls. This human lesion study is important for refining theoretical models of emotion processing by the ventromedial PFC, which until now have primarily been based on anatomical connectivity, animal lesion, and human functional neuroimaging research. Such theories have implications for the treatment of a wide variety of emotional disorders.     

Emotional distress and tobacco demand during the menstrual cycle in female smokers

Fluctuations in ovarian hormones over the menstrual cycle contribute to cigarette reward, however less is known about menstrual cycle influences on emotional distress in female smokers. We examined between-group differences in emotional distress (negative affectivity, emotion dysregulation, distress intolerance) and hypothetical cigarette purchasing (i.e. tobacco demand) among female smokers at three different menstrual stages. Women (n = 32) were non-treatment seeking daily smokers not on hormonal contraceptive, and were currently in their follicular (estradiol-dominant; n = 10), early-mid luteal (progesterone-dominant; n = 15), and late-luteal phase (decreasing progesterone/estradiol; n = 7). Effect sizes are reported given the small sample. Women in the late-luteal phase, relative to the follicular and early-mid luteal phases, reported higher levels of negative affectivity (d = 0.69), emotion dysregulation (d = 1.03), and distress intolerance (d = ?0.86). Compared to the early-mid luteal and late-luteal phases, women in the follicular phase reported the highest hypothetical cigarette consumption when cigarettes were free (d = 0.71) and made the largest maximum expenditures on cigarettes (d = 0.74). Findings offer preliminary evidence that the late-luteal phase is characterized by emotional distress, and the follicular phase is associated with elevated tobacco demand, which if replicated could implicate ovarian hormones in emotion-focused smoking.     

Health and Sickness: The Meaning of Menstruation and Premenstrual Syndrome in Women's Lives

The experience of menstruation was examined through an analysis of women's narratives in order to understand perceptions of menstrual cycle changes. Research within a medical anthropology perspective was conducted with 43 women who volunteered for a study on the knowledge and understanding of menstruation and premenstrual syndrome (PMS) in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, from 1997 to 1999. Although most women accepted the PMS label and placed their cyclic changes within the realm of sickness, a small group of women were identified who conceptualized their cyclic changes in an extremely positive way thus reframing their experiences. More positive perceptions of menstrual changes may have a significant impact on the reevaluation of menstrual cycle fluctuations as sickness without devaluing the experiences of those women with severe changes.     

Neuroticism and psychopathy predict brain activation during moral and nonmoral emotion regulation

Functional neuroimaging has identified brain regions associated with voluntary regulation of emotion, including the prefrontal cortex and amygdala. The neural mechanisms underlying individual differences in emotion regulation have not been extensively studied. We investigated the neural correlates of neuroticism and psychopathic personality traits in the context of an emotion regulation task. Results showed that amygdala activity elicited by unpleasant pictures was positively correlated with neuroticism and negatively correlated with a specific psychopathic trait related to emotional underreactivity. During active attempts to decrease emotional responses to unpleasant pictures, superior and ventrolateral prefrontal activity was positively correlated with psychopathy, but not with neuroticism. In contrast, dorsolateral prefrontal activity was positively correlated with neuroticism, but not with psychopathy. Psychopathy was also negatively correlated with medial prefrontal activity in response to pictures depicting moral violations, suggesting reduced emotional responses to moral stimuli in individuals with high levels of psychopathic traits. These results demonstrate dissociable influences of different personality traits on neural activity associated with responses to emotional stimuli and on the recruitment of regulation-related brain activity during the active down-regulation of responses to negative emotional stimuli. These results have implications for the etiology of trait-based psychopathology involving emotional dysregulation.