scholarly journals The Effect of Valence and Arousal on Spatial Attention

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Polly M. Schaverien
Keyword(s):  
Reaction Time ◽  
Spatial Attention ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Arousal Level ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Emotional Words ◽  
Affective Tone ◽  
Affective Stimuli ◽  
Valence And Arousal ◽  
The Relationship

<p>Conceptual metaphor theory suggests that to mentally represent abstract concepts we use metaphorical associations to map them onto more concrete constructs (Lakoff & Johnson, 1980; 1999). Using a choice reaction time (CRT) task, Meier and Robinson (2004) found that positively valenced words primed attention to higher areas in vertical space, while negatively valenced words primed attention to lower areas in vertical space, consistent with the good is up/bad is down conceptual metaphor. Meier and Robinson (2004; 2005) suggest this provides evidence that emotional words create an automatic and obligatory metaphor-congruent shift in spatial attention, driven by a Valence x Position interaction. However, other research shows that the arousal level, not just the valence of emotional words can affect reaction time (Robinson, Storbeck, Meier & Kirkeby, 2004). This means concluding that valence alone is driving the shift in attention is premature. Furthermore, Brookshire, Irvy and Casasanto (2010) dispute Meier and Robinson’s claim that the relationship between affect and metaphor is automatic, instead suggesting that affect-metaphor associations are optional and only accessed under certain contextual conditions. The purpose of this thesis was therefore two-fold. First, it aimed to explore whether valence, arousal, or an interaction between the two was responsible for driving the metaphor-consistent shift in spatial attention observed by Meier and Robinson (2004). Second, it aimed to progress the discussion about when affective stimuli, in the form of emotional words, automatically activate the good is up/bad is down conceptual metaphor. Three CRT experiments were conducted in which (a) emotional stimulus words were differentiated by arousal level as well as valence and (b) the evaluation of stimulus words’ affective tone (pleasant/unpleasant) was manipulated. A Valence x Position interaction in relation to the good is up but not bad is down conceptual metaphor was found when the valence of priming words was evaluated, suggesting valence, rather than arousal or a combination of both, is driving the affect-metaphor relationship. No evidence for the automatic activation of affect-metaphor associations was found when the word’s affective tone was not evaluated. These findings suggest that while driven by valence, affect-metaphor associations are not fully automatic and occur only under certain contextual conditions. The implications for our understanding of how emotion impacts spatial attention are discussed, suggesting metaphors enrich, rather than monopolise our mental representation of abstract, affective concepts.</p>

scholarly journals The Effect of Valence and Arousal on Spatial Attention

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Polly M. Schaverien
Keyword(s):  
Reaction Time ◽  
Spatial Attention ◽  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Arousal Level ◽  
Abstract Concepts ◽  
Emotional Words ◽  
Affective Tone ◽  
Affective Stimuli ◽  
Valence And Arousal ◽  
The Relationship

<p>Conceptual metaphor theory suggests that to mentally represent abstract concepts we use metaphorical associations to map them onto more concrete constructs (Lakoff & Johnson, 1980; 1999). Using a choice reaction time (CRT) task, Meier and Robinson (2004) found that positively valenced words primed attention to higher areas in vertical space, while negatively valenced words primed attention to lower areas in vertical space, consistent with the good is up/bad is down conceptual metaphor. Meier and Robinson (2004; 2005) suggest this provides evidence that emotional words create an automatic and obligatory metaphor-congruent shift in spatial attention, driven by a Valence x Position interaction. However, other research shows that the arousal level, not just the valence of emotional words can affect reaction time (Robinson, Storbeck, Meier & Kirkeby, 2004). This means concluding that valence alone is driving the shift in attention is premature. Furthermore, Brookshire, Irvy and Casasanto (2010) dispute Meier and Robinson’s claim that the relationship between affect and metaphor is automatic, instead suggesting that affect-metaphor associations are optional and only accessed under certain contextual conditions. The purpose of this thesis was therefore two-fold. First, it aimed to explore whether valence, arousal, or an interaction between the two was responsible for driving the metaphor-consistent shift in spatial attention observed by Meier and Robinson (2004). Second, it aimed to progress the discussion about when affective stimuli, in the form of emotional words, automatically activate the good is up/bad is down conceptual metaphor. Three CRT experiments were conducted in which (a) emotional stimulus words were differentiated by arousal level as well as valence and (b) the evaluation of stimulus words’ affective tone (pleasant/unpleasant) was manipulated. A Valence x Position interaction in relation to the good is up but not bad is down conceptual metaphor was found when the valence of priming words was evaluated, suggesting valence, rather than arousal or a combination of both, is driving the affect-metaphor relationship. No evidence for the automatic activation of affect-metaphor associations was found when the word’s affective tone was not evaluated. These findings suggest that while driven by valence, affect-metaphor associations are not fully automatic and occur only under certain contextual conditions. The implications for our understanding of how emotion impacts spatial attention are discussed, suggesting metaphors enrich, rather than monopolise our mental representation of abstract, affective concepts.</p>

The Effect of Retest Practice on the Speed-Ability Relationship

2004 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 24-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sybille Rockstroh ◽  
Karl Schweizer
Keyword(s):  
Reaction Time ◽  
Skill Acquisition ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Cognitive Tasks ◽  
General Intelligence ◽  
Attention Switching ◽  
Letter Comparison ◽  
Sternberg Paradigm ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Elementary Cognitive Tasks

Effects of four retest-practice sessions separated by 2 h intervals on the relationship between general intelligence and four reaction time tasks (two memory tests: Sternberg's memory scanning, Posner's letter comparison; and two attention tests: continuous attention, attention switching) were examined in a sample of 83 male participants. Reaction times on all tasks were shortened significantly. The effects were most pronounced with respect to the Posner paradigm and smallest with respect to the Sternberg paradigm. The relationship to general intelligence changed after practice for two reaction time tasks. It increased to significance for continuous attention and decreased for the Posner paradigm. These results indicate that the relationship between psychometric intelligence and elementary cognitive tasks depends on the ability of skill acquisition. In the search for the cognitive roots of intelligence the concept of learning seems to be of importance.

Neuroticism and Speed-Accuracy Tradeoff in Self-Paced Speeded Mental Addition and Comparison

2010 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 130-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hagen C. Flehmig ◽  
Michael B. Steinborn ◽  
Karl Westhoff ◽  
Robert Langner
Keyword(s):  
Reaction Time ◽  
Response Speed ◽  
Time Variability ◽  
Reaction Time Variability ◽  
Comparison Task ◽  
Processing Efficiency ◽  
Mental Addition ◽  
Speed Accuracy ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Accuracy Tradeoff

Previous research suggests a relationship between neuroticism (N) and the speed-accuracy tradeoff in speeded performance: High-N individuals were observed performing less efficiently than low-N individuals and compensatorily overemphasizing response speed at the expense of accuracy. This study examined N-related performance differences in the serial mental addition and comparison task (SMACT) in 99 individuals, comparing several performance measures (i.e., response speed, accuracy, and variability), retest reliability, and practice effects. N was negatively correlated with mean reaction time but positively correlated with error percentage, indicating that high-N individuals tended to be faster but less accurate in their performance than low-N individuals. The strengthening of the relationship after practice demonstrated the reliability of the findings. There was, however, no relationship between N and distractibility (assessed via measures of reaction time variability). Our main findings are in line with the processing efficiency theory, extending the relationship between N and working style to sustained self-paced speeded mental addition.

Use of Metaphors

2020 ◽  
pp. 408-425
Author(s):  
Göran Eidevall
Keyword(s):  
Conceptual Metaphor ◽  
Human Existence ◽  
Book Of Isaiah ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Feminine Roles

This chapter reviews major trends and trajectories within previous research on metaphors in Isaiah, including rhetorical, structuralist, redaction-critical, ideological, and feminist approaches. In addition, it surveys recurring types of imagery that inform this prophetic book’s perspective on the relationship between Yhwh and his people. Various images of empires are discussed as examples of propagandistic rhetoric. Some metaphors are analyzed in more detail. It is thus demonstrated that the conceptual metaphor “people are plants,” with its emphasis on the transience of human existence, pervades the book of Isaiah. Among metaphors used about Yhwh, special attention is paid to “God is a parent.” The concluding section discusses the various feminine roles ascribed to personified Zion in several passages in chapters 40–66: daughter, wife, and mother.

scholarly journals Caffeine and Cognitive Functions in Sports: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 868
Author(s):  
Jorge Lorenzo Calvo ◽  
Xueyin Fei ◽  
Raúl Domínguez ◽  
Helios Pareja-Galeano
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Reaction Time ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Cognitive Functions ◽  
Web Of Science ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Caffeine Intake ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Research Protocols ◽  
The Relationship

Cognitive functions are essential in any form of exercise. Recently, interest has mounted in addressing the relationship between caffeine intake and cognitive performance during sports practice. This review examines this relationship through a structured search of the databases Medline/PubMed and Web of Science for relevant articles published in English from August 1999 to March 2020. The study followed PRISMA guidelines. Inclusion criteria were defined according to the PICOS model. The identified records reported on randomized cross-over studies in which caffeine intake (as drinks, capsules, energy bars, or gum) was compared to an identical placebo situation. There were no filters on participants’ training level, gender, or age. For the systematic review, 13 studies examining the impacts of caffeine on objective measures of cognitive performance or self-reported cognitive performance were selected. Five of these studies were also subjected to meta-analysis. After pooling data in the meta-analysis, the significant impacts of caffeine only emerged on attention, accuracy, and speed. The results of the 13 studies, nevertheless, suggest that the intake of a low/moderate dose of caffeine before and/or during exercise can improve self-reported energy, mood, and cognitive functions, such as attention; it may also improve simple reaction time, choice reaction time, memory, or fatigue, however, this may depend on the research protocols.

scholarly journals PROBING THE CONSTRUCT VALIDITY OF LLAMA_D AS A MEASURE OF IMPLICIT LEARNING APTITUDE

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Yuichi Suzuki
Keyword(s):  
Reaction Time ◽  
Construct Validity ◽  
Implicit Learning ◽  
Incidental Learning ◽  
The Other ◽  
Aptitude Test ◽  
Oral Fluency ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Potential Test ◽  
Confidence Ratings

Abstract A subtest of the LLAMA test battery (LLAMA_D) has been proposed as a potential test of implicit learning aptitude. To improve its construct validity, in the present study, the original LLAMA_D (a) instructions for incidental learning were modified, and (b) confidence ratings of test responses and (c) reaction time (RT) measurements were added. This revised LLAMA_D was administered along with the other LLAMA subtests (LLAMA-B, -E, and -F). Unconscious knowledge that may (not) result from the exposure was assessed through the relationship between the accuracy/RT and confidence ratings. The results suggest that LLAMA_D accuracy largely reflects conscious retrieval of previously heard sound sequences. However, an index derived from the LLAMA_D RT measure (coefficient of variance) was associated with an aspect of oral fluency, which is presumably dependent on proceduralization. Several recommendations are proposed to redesign and extend LLAMA_D as a potential aptitude test for proceduralization.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the Severity of Major Depression Using a Voice Index for Emotional Arousal

Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (18) ◽  
pp. 5041
Author(s):  
Shuji Shinohara ◽  
Hiroyuki Toda ◽  
Mitsuteru Nakamura ◽  
Yasuhiro Omiya ◽  
Masakazu Higuchi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Rating Scale ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
Emotional Arousal ◽  
Arousal Level ◽  
National Defense ◽  
College Hospital ◽  
Medical College ◽  
National Defense Medical College ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Relationship

Recently, the relationship between emotional arousal and depression has been studied. Focusing on this relationship, we first developed an arousal level voice index (ALVI) to measure arousal levels using the Interactive Emotional Dyadic Motion Capture database. Then, we calculated ALVI from the voices of depressed patients from two hospitals (Ginza Taimei Clinic (H1) and National Defense Medical College hospital (H2)) and compared them with the severity of depression as measured by the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAM-D). Depending on the HAM-D score, the datasets were classified into a no depression (HAM-D < 8) and a depression group (HAM-D ≥ 8) for each hospital. A comparison of the mean ALVI between the groups was performed using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test and a significant difference at the level of 10% (p = 0.094) at H1 and 1% (p = 0.0038) at H2 was determined. The area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic was 0.66 when categorizing between the two groups for H1, and the AUC for H2 was 0.70. The relationship between arousal level and depression severity was indirectly suggested via the ALVI.

scholarly journals Endogenous Spatial Attention Modulates the Magnitude of the Colavita Visual Dominance Effect

i-Perception ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 204166952110271
Author(s):  
Aijun Wang ◽  
Heng Zhou ◽  
Yuanyuan Hu ◽  
Qiong Wu ◽  
Tianyang Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reaction Time ◽  
Spatial Attention ◽  
Dominance Effect ◽  
Uncued Location ◽  
Reaction Time Difference ◽  
Spatial Cues ◽  
Auditory Cues ◽  
Colavita Effect ◽  
Shed Light ◽  
Visual Dominance Effect

The Colavita effect refers to the phenomenon wherein people tend to not respond to an auditory stimulus when a visual stimulus is simultaneously presented. Although previous studies have shown that endogenous modality attention influences the Colavita effect, whether the Colavita effect is influenced by endogenous spatial attention remains unknown. In the present study, we established endogenous spatial cues to investigate whether the size of the Colavita effect changes under visual or auditory cues. We measured three indexes to investigate the effect of endogenous spatial attention on the size of the Colavita effect. These three indexes were developed based on the following observations in bimodal trials: (a) The proportion of the “only vision” response was significantly higher than that of the “only audition” response; (b) the proportion of the “vision precedes audition” response was significantly higher than that of the “audition precedes vision” response; and (c) the reaction time difference of the “vision precedes audition” response was significantly higher than that of the “audition precedes vision” response. Our results showed that the Colavita effect was always influenced by endogenous spatial attention and that its size was larger at the cued location than at the uncued location; the cue modality (visual vs. auditory) had no effect on the size of the Colavita effect. Taken together, the present results shed light on how endogenous spatial attention affects the Colavita effect.

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