scholarly journals A causal test of the mechanisms by which affect state biases affective perception

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keith A. Bush ◽  
Clinton D. Kilts
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Affective State ◽  
Affective Valence ◽  
Manipulation Check ◽  
Sensory Stimuli ◽  
Goal State ◽  
Affective Perception ◽  
Positive Valence ◽  
Affect Processing

AbstractIn this study, we merged methods from machine learning and human neuroimaging to causally test the role of self-induced affect states in biasing the affective perception of subsequent image stimuli. To test this causal relationship, we developed a novel paradigm in which (n=40) healthy adult participants observed multivariate neural decodings of their real-time functional magnetic resonance image (rtfMRI) responses as feedback to guide explicit regulation of their brain (and corollary affect processing) state towards a positive valence goal state. By this method, individual differences in affect regulation ability were controlled. Attaining this brain-affect goal state triggered the presentation of pseudo-randomly selected affectively congruent (positive valence) or incongruent (negative valence) image stimuli drawn from the International Affective Picture Set. Separately, subjects passively viewed randomly triggered positively and negatively valenced image stimuli during fMRI acquisition. Multivariate neural decodings of the affect processing induced by these stimuli were modeled using the task trial type (state-versus randomly-triggered) as the fixed-effect of a general linear mixed effects model. Random effects were modeled subject-wise. We found that self-induction of a positive affective valence state significantly positively biased the perceived valence of subsequent stimuli. As a manipulation check, we validated affective state induction achieved by the image stimuli using independent psychophysiological response measures of hedonic valence and autonomic arousal. We also validated the predictive fidelity of the trained neural decoding models for brain states induced by an out-of-sample set of image stimuli. Beyond its contribution to our understanding of the neural mechanisms that bias affect processing, this work demonstrated the viability of novel experimental paradigms triggered by pre-defined affective cognitive states. This line of individual differences experimentation potentially provides scientists with a valuable tool for causal exploration of the roles and identities of intrinsic cognitive processing mechanisms that shape our perceptual processing of sensory stimuli.

scholarly journals Using Primary Reinforcement to Enhance Translatability of a Human Affect and Decision-Making Judgment Bias Task

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-13
Author(s):  
Vikki Neville ◽  
Peter Dayan ◽  
Iain D. Gilchrist ◽  
Elizabeth S. Paul ◽  
Michael Mendl
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Affective State ◽  
Lapse Rate ◽  
Prediction Errors ◽  
Affective Valence ◽  
Behavioral Measures ◽  
Judgment Bias ◽  
Affective Arousal ◽  
Nonhuman Animals ◽  
Positive Valence

Abstract Good translatability of behavioral measures of affect (emotion) between human and nonhuman animals is core to comparative studies. The judgment bias (JB) task, which measures “optimistic” and “pessimistic” decision-making under ambiguity as indicators of positive and negative affective valence, has been used in both human and nonhuman animals. However, one key disparity between human and nonhuman studies is that the former typically use secondary reinforcers (e.g., money) whereas the latter typically use primary reinforcers (e.g., food). To address this deficiency and shed further light on JB as a measure of affect, we developed a novel version of a JB task for humans using primary reinforcers. Data on decision-making and reported affective state during the JB task were analyzed using computational modeling. Overall, participants grasped the task well, and as anticipated, their reported affective valence correlated with trial-by-trial variation in offered volume of juice. In addition, previous findings from monetary versions of the task were replicated: More positive prediction errors were associated with more positive affective valence, a higher lapse rate was associated with lower affective arousal, and affective arousal decreased as a function of number of trials completed. There was no evidence that more positive valence was associated with greater “optimism,” but instead, there was evidence that affective valence influenced the participants' decision stochasticity, whereas affective arousal tended to influence their propensity for errors. This novel version of the JB task provides a useful tool for investigation of the links between primary reward and punisher experience, affect, and decision-making, especially from a comparative perspective.

Individual Differences and Hemispheric Asymmetry While Processing Emotional Words

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 137-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lindsay M. Niccolai ◽  
Thomas Holtgraves
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Hemispheric Asymmetry ◽  
Past Research ◽  
Decision Task ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Hemispheric Differences ◽  
Affective Valence ◽  
Emotional Words ◽  
Emotion Words ◽  
The Right

This research examined differences in the perception of emotion words as a function of individual differences in subclinical levels of depression and anxiety. Participants completed measures of depression and anxiety and performed a lexical decision task for words varying in affective valence (but equated for arousal) that were presented briefly to the right or left visual field. Participants with a lower level of depression demonstrated hemispheric asymmetry with a bias toward words presented to the left hemisphere, but participants with a higher level of depression displayed no hemispheric differences. Participants with a lower level of depression also demonstrated a bias toward positive words, a pattern that did not occur for participants with a higher level of depression. A similar pattern occurred for anxiety. Overall, this study demonstrates how variability in levels of depression and anxiety can influence the perception of emotion words, with patterns that are consistent with past research.

Individual differences in white and grey matter structure associated with verbal habits of thought

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin C. Hayes ◽  
Katherine L Alfred ◽  
Rachel Pizzie ◽  
Joshua S. Cetron ◽  
David J. M. Kraemer
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
White Matter ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Grey Matter ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Structural Integrity ◽  
Diffusion Tensor ◽  
Self Report ◽  
White Matter Tracts

Modality specific encoding habits account for a significant portion of individual differences reflected in functional activation during cognitive processing. Yet, little is known about how these habits of thought influence long-term structural changes in the brain. Traditionally, habits of thought have been assessed using self-report questionnaires such as the visualizer-verbalizer questionnaire. Here, rather than relying on subjective reports, we measured habits of thought using a novel behavioral task assessing attentional biases toward picture and word stimuli. Hypothesizing that verbal habits of thought are reflected in the structural integrity of white matter tracts and cortical regions of interest, we used diffusion tensor imaging and volumetric analyses to assess this prediction. Using a whole-brain approach, we show that word bias is associated with increased volume in several bilateral language regions, in both white and grey matter parcels. Additionally, connectivity within white matter tracts within an a priori speech production network increased as a function of word bias. These results demonstrate long-term structural and morphological differences associated with verbal habits of thought.

Sensory Processing Sensitivity Predicts Individual Differences in Resting-State Functional Connectivity Associated with Depth of Processing

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Bianca P. Acevedo ◽  
Tyler Santander ◽  
Robert Marhenke ◽  
Arthur Aron ◽  
Elaine Aron
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Sensory Processing ◽  
Resting State ◽  
Brain Connectivity ◽  
Region Of Interest ◽  
Central Feature ◽  
Resting State Functional Connectivity ◽  
Depth Of Processing ◽  
Sensory Processing Sensitivity

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is a biologically based temperament trait associated with enhanced awareness and responsivity to environmental and social stimuli. Individuals with high SPS are more affected by their environments, which may result in overarousal, cognitive depletion, and fatigue. <b><i>Method:</i></b> We examined individual differences in resting-state (rs) brain connectivity (using functional MRI) as a function of SPS among a group of adults (<i>M</i> age = 66.13 ± 11.44 years) immediately after they completed a social affective “empathy” task. SPS was measured with the Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) Scale and correlated with rs brain connectivity. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Results showed enhanced rs brain connectivity within the ventral attention, dorsal attention, and limbic networks as a function of greater SPS. Region of interest analyses showed increased rs brain connectivity between the hippocampus and the precuneus (implicated in episodic memory); while weaker connectivity was shown between the amygdala and the periaqueductal gray (important for anxiety), and the hippocampus and insula (implicated in habitual cognitive processing). <b><i>Conclusions:</i></b> The present study showed that SPS is associated with rs brain connectivity implicated in attentional control, consolidation of memory, physiological homeostasis, and deliberative cognition. These results support theories proposing “depth of processing” as a central feature of SPS and highlight the neural processes underlying this cardinal feature of the trait.

scholarly journals EXPRESS: When Symmetric and Curved Visual Contour Meet Intentional Instructions: Hedonic Value and Preference

2021 ◽  
pp. 174702182110215
Author(s):  
Erick G. Chuquichambi Apaza ◽  
Guido B. Corradi ◽  
Enric Munar ◽  
Jaume Rosselló-Mir
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Experimental Session ◽  
Hedonic Tone ◽  
Stimulus Response ◽  
Negative Valence ◽  
Visual Contour ◽  
Positive Valence ◽  
Positive And Negative Valence ◽  
Implicit And Explicit ◽  
Explicit Measures

Symmetry and contour take part in shaping visual preference. However, less is known about their combined contribution to preference. We examined the hedonic tone and preference triggered by the interaction of symmetry and contour. Symmetric/curved, symmetric/sharp-angled, asymmetric/curved, and asymmetric/sharp-angled stimuli were presented in an implicit and explicit task. The implicit task consisted of an affective stimulus-response compatibility task where participants matched the stimuli with positive and negative valence response cues. The explicit task recorded liking ratings from the same stimuli. We used instructed mindset to induce participants to focus on symmetry or contour in different parts of the experimental session. We found an implicit compatibility of symmetry and curvature with positive hedonic tone. Explicit results showed preference for symmetry and curvature. In both tasks, symmetry and curvature showed a cumulative interaction, with a larger contribution of symmetry to the overall effect. While symmetric and asymmetric stimuli contributed to the implicit positive valence of symmetry, the effect of curvature was mainly caused by inclination toward curved contours rather than rejection of sharp-angled contours. We did not find any correlation between implicit and explicit measures, suggesting that they may involve different cognitive processing.

scholarly journals When Symmetric and Curved Visual Contour Meet Intentional Instructions: Hedonic Value and Preference

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erick Gustavo Chuquichambi ◽  
Guido Corradi ◽  
Jaume Rossello ◽  
Enric Munar
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Experimental Session ◽  
Hedonic Tone ◽  
Stimulus Response ◽  
Negative Valence ◽  
Visual Contour ◽  
Positive Valence ◽  
Positive And Negative Valence ◽  
Implicit And Explicit ◽  
Explicit Measures

Symmetry and contour take part in shaping visual preference. However, less is known about their combined contribution to preference. We examined the hedonic tone and preference triggered by the interaction of symmetry and contour. Symmetric/curved, symmetric/sharp-angled, asymmetric/curved, and asymmetric/sharp-angled stimuli were presented in an implicit and explicit task. The implicit task consisted of an affective stimulus-response compatibility task where participants matched the stimuli with positive and negative valence response cues. The explicit task recorded liking ratings from the same stimuli. We used instructed mindset to induce participants to focus on symmetry or contour in different parts of the experimental session. We found an implicit compatibility of symmetry and curvature with positive hedonic tone. Explicit results showed preference for symmetry and curvature. In both tasks, symmetry and curvature showed a cumulative interaction, with a larger contribution of symmetry to the overall effect. While symmetric and asymmetric stimuli contributed to the implicit positive valence of symmetry, the effect of curvature was mainly caused by inclination toward curved contours rather than rejection of sharp-angled contours. We did not find any correlation between implicit and explicit measures, suggesting that they may involve different cognitive processing.

scholarly journals The relationship between cognitive processing of affective verbal material and the basic personality structure

Psihologija ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 329-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Orlic
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Processing ◽  
Verbal Material ◽  
Affective Priming ◽  
Personality Structure ◽  
Decision Task ◽  
Affective Valence ◽  
Facilitation Effect ◽  
Big Five Model ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Relationship

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between cognitive processing of affective verbal material and the basic personality structure. For the purposes of research a new experiment was created, where affective priming was measured in a lexical decision task. The term affective priming stands for facilitation in recognition of the stimuli that comes after the presentation of stimuli of the same valence. In this experiment, two words were presented on a screen in front of the subject (stimuli-prime and stimuli-target). Those two words were of the same or different affective valence, and the subject's were instructed to respond whether the second word on the screen had a meaning or not. The basic personality structure was defined by the 'Big five' model and the Disintegration model and measured by NEO PI-R and Delta 10 questionnaires. The results of the affective priming experiment indicated a strong effect of positive facilitation and much weaker effect off negative facilitation. Two significant functions were extracted by quasicanonical correlation analysis. The first function showed correlation between the effect of positive facilitation and all of the subscales of Neuroticism, Extraversion and Conscientiousness (NEO PI-R), as well as all sub dimensions of Disintegration (DELTA 10). The second one indicated to a correlation between the negative facilitation effect and some subscales of Neuroticism, Extraversion and Agreeableness (NEO PI-R), as well as all subscales of Disintegration (DELTA 10).

A Quantitative Analysis and Qualitative Explanation of the Individual Differences in Affective Responses to Prescribed and Self-Selected Exercise Intensities

2007 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 281-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elaine A. Rose ◽  
Gaynor Parfitt
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Mixed Method ◽  
Lactate Threshold ◽  
Treadmill Exercise ◽  
Affective Response ◽  
Affective Responses ◽  
Affective Valence ◽  
Dual Mode ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Method Approach

Using a mixed-method approach, the aim of this study was to explore affective responses to exercise at intensities below-lactate threshold (LT), at-LT, and above-LT to test the proposals of the dual-mode model (Ekkekakis, 2003). These intensities were also contrasted with a self-selected intensity. Further, the factors that influenced the generation of those affective responses were explored. Nineteen women completed 20 min of treadmill exercise at each intensity. Affective valence and activation were measured, pre-, during and postexercise. Afterward, participants were asked why they had felt the way they had during each intensity. Results supported hypotheses showing affect to be least positive during the above-LT condition and most positive during the self-selected and below-LT conditions. Individual differences were greatest in the below-LT and at-LT conditions. Qualitative results showed that factors relating to perceptions of ability, interpretation of exercise intensity, exercise outcomes, focus of concentration, and perceptions of control influenced the affective response and contributed to the individual differences shown in the quantitative data.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document