Role of Surprise in the Discrimination of the Facial Expression of Fear

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando Gordillo ◽  
Lilia Mestas ◽  
Miguel Ángel Pérez ◽  
José M. Arana ◽  
Eduardo Alejandro Escotto

AbstractThe facilitating role of the facial expression of surprise in the discrimination of the facial expression of fear was analyzed. The sample consisted of 202 subjects that undertook a forced-choice test in which they had to decide as quickly as possible whether the facial expression displayed on-screen was one of fear, anger or happiness. Variations were made to the prime expression (neutral expression, or one of surprise); the target expression (facial expression of fear, anger or happiness), and the prime duration (50 ms, 150 ms or 250 ms). The results revealed shorter reaction times in the response to the expression of fear when the prime expression was one of surprise, with a prime duration of 50 ms (p = .009) and 150 ms (p = .001), compared to when the prime expression was a neutral one. By contrast, the reaction times were longer in the discrimination of an expression of fear when the prime expression was one of surprise with a prime duration of 250 ms (p < .0001), compared to when the prime expression was a neutral one. This pattern of results was obtained solely in the discrimination of the expression of fear. The discussion focuses on these findings and the possible functional continuity between surprise and fear.

2018 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 499-521 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jerwen Jou ◽  
Eric E. Escamilla ◽  
Mario L. Arredondo ◽  
Liann Pena ◽  
Richard Zuniga ◽  
...  

How much of the Deese–Roediger–McDermott (DRM) false memory is attributable to decision criterion is so far a controversial issue. Previous studies typically used explicit warnings against accepting the critical lure to investigate this issue. The assumption is that if the false memory results from using a liberally biased criterion, it should be greatly reduced or eliminated by an explicit warning against accepting the critical lure. Results showed that warning was generally ineffective. We asked the question of whether subjects can substantially reduce false recognition without being warned when the test forces them to make a distinction between true and false memories. Using a two-alternative forced choice in which criterion plays a relatively smaller role, we showed that subjects could indeed greatly reduce the rate of false recognition. However, when the forced-choice restriction was removed from the two-item choice test, the rate of false recognition rebounded to that of the hit for studied list words, indicating the role of criterion in false recognition.


Perception ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 25 (1_suppl) ◽  
pp. 28-28
Author(s):  
A J Calder ◽  
A W Young ◽  
D Rowland ◽  
D R Gibbenson ◽  
B M Hayes ◽  
...  

G Rhodes, S E Brennan, S Carey (1987 Cognitive Psychology19 473 – 497) and P J Benson and D I Perrett (1991 European Journal of Cognitive Psychology3 105 – 135) have shown that computer-enhanced (caricatured) representations of familiar faces are named faster and rated as better likenesses than veridical (undistorted) representations. Here we have applied Benson and Perrett's graphic technique to examine subjects' perception of enhanced representations of photographic-quality facial expressions of basic emotions. To enhance a facial expression the target face is compared to a norm or prototype face, and, by exaggerating the differences between the two, a caricatured image is produced; reducing the differences results in an anticaricatured image. In experiment 1 we examined the effect of degree of caricature and types of norm on subjects' ratings for ‘intensity of expression’. Three facial expressions (fear, anger, and sadness) were caricatured at seven levels (−50%, −30%, −15%, 0%, +15%, +30%, and +50%) relative to three different norms; (1) an average norm prepared by blending pictures of six different emotional expressions; (2) a neutral expression norm; and (3) a different expression norm (eg anger caricatured relative to a happy expression). Irrespective of norm, the caricatured expressions were rated as significantly more intense than the veridical images. Furthermore, for the average and neutral norm sets, the anticaricatures were rated as significantly less intense. We also examined subjects' reaction times to recognise caricatured (−50%, 0%, and +50%) representations of six emotional facial expressions. The results showed that the caricatured images were identified fastest, followed by the veridical, and then anticaricatured images. Hence the perception of facial expression and identity is facilitated by caricaturing; this has important implications for the mental representation of facial expressions.


2010 ◽  
Vol 34 (5) ◽  
pp. 417-426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cornelia Gross ◽  
Gudrun Schwarzer

Three studies were conducted to determine whether 7- and 9-month-old infants generalize face identity to a novel pose of the same face when only internal face sections with and without an emotional expression were presented. In Study 1, 7- and 9-month-old infants were habituated to a full frontal or three-quarter pose of a face with neutral facial expression. In Study 2, 7-month-olds were habituated to a face with a positive or negative expression. In the novelty preference test, immediately following habituation, infants were shown a pair of faces: the habituation face in a novel pose and a novel face in the same pose. Generalization of facial identity was inferred from longer fixation time to the novel face. Whereas 7-month-old infants did not dishabituate to the novel face with neutral expression, 9-month-olds fixated longer on the novel face with neutral expression (Study 1). However, when faces displayed a positive or negative expression 7-month-olds also looked longer at the novel face, indicating generalization of the habituation face to a novel pose (Study 2). Study 3 showed that 7-montholds’ generalization ability in Study 2 cannot be explained by an inability to discriminate between the two poses of the habituation face. Results showed 9- but not 7-month-olds recognized neutral looking faces in a novel pose, and 7-month-olds’ face recognition ability was enhanced by emotional facial expression.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aditya Ghoshal ◽  
Anuradha Bhat

AbstractShoaling decisions in the wild are determined by a combination of innate preferences of the individual along with the interplay of multiple ecological factors. In their natural habitat as well as in the laboratory, zebrafish is a shoaling fish. Here, we investigate the role of group size and associated vegetation in shaping shoaling preferences of wild male zebrafish. We studied the association preference of males to groups of female shoals in a multi-choice test design. We found that males made greater proportion of visits to an 8-female group compared to 2 and 4-female groups. However, males spent similar proportions of time across the three female-containing groups. When artificial vegetation was incorporated along with female number as an additional factor, we found that males prefer high and moderately vegetated patches compared to low or no-vegetation groups, irrespective of the number of females in these patches. Based on experiments using a novel multi-choice design, our results show that preference for group size can change due to interaction of two separate factors. This work is a first attempt to understand the role of aquatic flora in determining shoaling preferences in zebrafish, using an experimental paradigm consisting of a gradation in female and vegetation densities.


2010 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 464-480 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula M. Niedenthal ◽  
Martial Mermillod ◽  
Marcus Maringer ◽  
Ursula Hess

AbstractThe set of 30 stimulating commentaries on our target article helps to define the areas of our initial position that should be reiterated or else made clearer and, more importantly, the ways in which moderators of and extensions to the SIMS can be imagined. In our response, we divide the areas of discussion into (1) a clarification of our meaning of “functional,” (2) a consideration of our proposed categories of smiles, (3) a reminder about the role of top-down processes in the interpretation of smile meaning in SIMS, (4) an evaluation of the role of eye contact in the interpretation of facial expression of emotion, and (5) an assessment of the possible moderators of the core SIMS model. We end with an appreciation of the proposed extensions to the model, and note that the future of research on the problem of the smile appears to us to be assured.


2002 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 185-200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia Laurie Rose ◽  
Laura Bennett Murphy ◽  
Lynn Byard ◽  
Katherina Nikzad

Using the five‐factor personality model, the present study explored the influence of personality factors on sustained attention and perceived workload. Ninety‐six college‐aged participants were administered a 12 minute vigilance fast event rate task. Following the vigil, participants were asked to first, rate their perceived workload of the task using the NASA‐TLX, and then second, complete the NEO‐PI‐R personality inventory. Traditional measures of hits, false alarms, and reaction times were examined as well as the signal detection indices of perceptual sensitivity and response bias. Extraversion correlated with false alarms (r = 0.181; eta2 = 0.055) and conscientiousness correlated with both false alarms (r = −0.275, eta2 = 0.097) and perceptual sensitivity (r = 0.227, eta2 = 0.052). With regard to perceived workload, neuroticism was related to perceived frustration (r = 0.238, eta2 = 0.057). The findings are discussed in terms of theoretical implications, impact of task parameters, and practical applications. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irina Chamine ◽  
Barry S. Oken

Objective. Stress-reducing therapies help maintain cognitive performance during stress. Aromatherapy is popular for stress reduction, but its effectiveness and mechanism are unclear. This study examined stress-reducing effects of aromatherapy on cognitive function using the go/no-go (GNG) task performance and event related potentials (ERP) components sensitive to stress. The study also assessed the importance of expectancy in aromatherapy actions.Methods. 81 adults were randomized to 3 aroma groups (active experimental, detectable, and undetectable placebo) and 2 prime subgroups (prime suggesting stress-reducing aroma effects or no-prime). GNG performance, ERPs, subjective expected aroma effects, and stress ratings were assessed at baseline and poststress.Results. No specific aroma effects on stress or cognition were observed. However, regardless of experienced aroma, people receiving a prime displayed faster poststress median reaction times than those receiving no prime. A significant interaction for N200 amplitude indicated divergent ERP patterns between baseline and poststress for go and no-go stimuli depending on the prime subgroup. Furthermore, trends for beneficial prime effects were shown on poststress no-go N200/P300 latencies and N200 amplitude.Conclusion. While there were no aroma-specific effects on stress or cognition, these results highlight the role of expectancy for poststress response inhibition and attention.


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