Emotional responses in spider fear are closely related to picture awareness |
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| Authors: | Nathalie Peira Armita Golkar Arne Öhman Silke Anders |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Psychology , Stockholm University , Stockholm , Sweden;2. Stockholm Brain Institute , Stockholm , Sweden;3. Psychology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience , Karolinska Institute , Stockholm , Sweden;4. Neuroimage Nord and Department of Neurology , University of Lübeck , Lübeck , Germany |
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| Abstract: | Theories of emotion propose that responses to emotional pictures can occur independently of whether or not people are aware of the picture content. Because evidence from dissociation paradigms is inconclusive, we manipulated picture awareness gradually and studied whether emotional responses varied with degree of awareness. Spider fearful and non-fearful participants viewed pictures of spiders and flowers at four levels of backward masking while electrodermal activity and heart rate were measured continuously. Recognition ratings confirmed that participants’ picture awareness decreased with masking. Critically, effects of spider fear on emotion ratings and heart rate also decreased with masking. These findings suggest that effects of spider fear on emotion ratings and heart rate are closely related to picture awareness. |
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| Keywords: | Fear Consciousness Awareness Masking Psychophysiology Heart rate |
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