scholarly journals Mapping the mental space of emotional concepts through kinematic measures of decision uncertainty

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura Barca ◽  
Matteo Candidi ◽  
Gian Luca Lancia ◽  
Valerio Maglianella ◽  
Giovanni Pezzulo
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Heart Rate Variability ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Mental Representations ◽  
Similarity Index ◽  
Similarity Judgment ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Valence And Arousal ◽  
Kinematic Measures ◽  
Emotional Concepts

Emotional concepts and their mental representations have been extensively studied. Yet, some ecologically relevant aspects, such as how emotional concepts are processed in ambiguous contexts, are incompletely known. We employed a similarity judgment of emotional concepts and manipulated the contextual congruency along the two main affective dimensions of hedonic valence and physiological activation, respectively. Behavioral and kinematics (mouse-tracking) measures were combined to gather a novel ‘similarity index’ between concepts, to derive topographical maps of their mental representations. Self-report (interoceptive sensibility, positive-negative affectivity, depression) and physiological measures (heart rate variability) have been tested to shape the emotional maps. Results indicate that low arousal concepts profit by contextual congruency, with faster responses and reduced uncertainty when contextual ambiguity decreases. The emotional maps exhibit two almost orthogonal axes of valence and arousal, and the similarity measure captures the smooth boundaries between emotions. The emotional map of individuals with low positive affectivity reveals a narrower conceptual distribution, with variations on positive emotions and on emotions with reduced arousal (as individuals with reduced heart rate variability). In sum, our work introduces a novel methodology for delve conceptual representations, bringing the dynamics of decision-making processes and choice uncertainty into the affective domain.

Effects of Smoking on Heart Rate Variability Through Information Based Similarity Index

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lokesh Roy ◽  
Sudipta Das ◽  
Sagnik Bhattacharya ◽  
Anushka Chakraborty ◽  
Anilesh Dey
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Heart Rate Variability ◽  
Similarity Index

scholarly journals A Pragmatic Controlled Trial of Forest Bathing Compared with Compassionate Mind Training in the UK: Impacts on Self-Reported Wellbeing and Heart Rate Variability

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 1380
Author(s):  
Kirsten McEwan ◽  
David Giles ◽  
Fiona J. Clarke ◽  
Yasu Kotera ◽  
Gary Evans ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Heart Rate Variability ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Increase Heart Rate ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Forest Bathing ◽  
Mind Training

Forest Bathing, where individuals use mindfulness to engage with nature, has been reported to increase heart rate variability and benefit wellbeing. To date, most Forest Bathing studies have been conducted in Asia. Accordingly, this paper reports the first pragmatic controlled trial of Forest Bathing in the United Kingdom, comparing Forest Bathing with a control comprising an established wellbeing intervention also known to increase heart rate variability called Compassionate Mind Training. Sixty-one university staff and students (50 females, 11 males) were allocated to (i) Forest Bathing, (ii) Compassionate Mind Training or (iii) Forest Bathing combined with Compassionate Mind Training. Wellbeing and heart rate variability were measured at baseline, post-intervention and three-months follow-up. There were improvements in positive emotions, mood disturbance, rumination, nature connection and compassion and 57% of participants showed an increase in heart rate variability. There were no significant differences between conditions, showing that Forest Bathing had equivalence with an established wellbeing intervention. The findings will help healthcare providers and policy makers to understand the effects of Forest Bathing and implement it as a feasible social prescription to improve wellbeing. Future research needs to involve clinical populations and to assess the effects of Forest Bathing in a fully powered randomised controlled trial.

scholarly journals Vagal Tone Differences in Empathy Level Elicited by Different Emotions and a Co-Viewer

Sensors ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (11) ◽  
pp. 3136
Author(s):  
Suhhee Yoo ◽  
Mincheol Whang
Keyword(s):  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Vagal Tone ◽  
Cognitive Empathy ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Affective Empathy ◽  
Emotional Intensity ◽  
Factor Level ◽  
Positive Valence ◽  
Valence And Arousal ◽  
Different Levels

Empathy can bring different benefits depending on what kind of emotions people empathize with. For example, empathy with negative emotions can raise donations to charity while empathy with positive emotions can increase participation during remote education. However, few studies have focused on the physiological differences depending on what kind of emotions people empathize with. Furthermore, co-viewer can influence the elicitation of different levels of empathy, but this has been less discussed. Therefore, this study investigated vagal response differences according to each empathy factor level elicited by different emotions and co-viewer. Fifty-nine participants were asked to watch 4 videos and to evaluate subjective valence, arousal scores, and undertake an empathy questionnaire, which included cognitive, affective and identification empathy. Half of the participants watched the videos alone and the other half watched the videos with a co-viewer. Valence and arousal scores were categorized into three levels to figure out what kind of emotions they empathized with. Empathy level (high vs. low) was determined based on the self-report scores. Two-way MANOVA revealed an interaction effect of empathy level and emotions. High affective empathy level is associated with higher vagal response regardless of what kind of emotions they empathized with. However, vagal response differences in other empathy factor level showed a different pattern depending on what kind of emotions that participant empathized with. A high cognitive empathy level showed lower vagal responses when participants felt negative or positive valence. High identification level also showed increased cognitive burden when participants empathized with negative and neutral valence. The results implied that emotions and types of empathy should be considered when measuring empathic responses using vagal tone. Two-way MANOVA revealed empathic response differences between co-viewer condition and emotion. Participants with a co-viewer felt higher vagal responses and self-reporting empathy scores only when participants empathized with arousal. This implied that the effect of a co-viewer may impact on empathic responses only when participants felt higher emotional intensity.

Heat Stress Training Camps for Endurance Sport: A Descriptive Case Study of Successful Monitoring in 2 Ironman Triathletes

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 146-150
Author(s):  
Ed Maunder ◽  
Andrew E. Kilding ◽  
Christopher J. Stevens ◽  
Daniel J. Plews
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Heart Rate Variability ◽  
Heat Stress ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Endurance Athletes ◽  
Resting Heart Rate ◽  
Resting Heart Rate Variability ◽  
Stress Training

A common practice among endurance athletes is to purposefully train in hot environments during a “heat stress camp.” However, combined exercise-heat stress poses threats to athlete well-being, and therefore, heat stress training has the potential to induce maladaptation. This case study describes the monitoring strategies used in a successful 3-week heat stress camp undertaken by 2 elite Ironman triathletes, namely resting heart rate variability, self-report well-being, and careful prescription of training based on previously collected physiological data. Despite the added heat stress, training volume very likely increased in both athletes, and training load very likely increased in one of the athletes, while resting heart rate variability and self-report well-being were maintained. There was also some evidence of favorable metabolic changes during routine laboratory testing following the camp. The authors therefore recommend that practitioners working with endurance athletes embarking on a heat stress training camp consider using the simple strategies employed in the present case study to reduce the risk of maladaptation and nonfunctional overreaching.

scholarly journals Reduction of depressive symptoms during inpatient treatment is not associated with changes in heart rate variability

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. e0248686
Author(s):  
Sabrina Neyer ◽  
Michael Witthöft ◽  
Mark Cropley ◽  
Markus Pawelzik ◽  
Ricardo Gregorio Lugo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Heart Rate Variability ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Psychiatric Treatment ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Symptom Improvement ◽  
Vagal Activity ◽  
Before And After

Vagally mediated heart rate variability (HRV) is a psychophysiological indicator of mental and physical health. Limited research suggests there is reduced vagal activity and resulting lower HRV in patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD); however little is actually known about the association between HRV and symptoms of depression and whether the association mirrors symptom improvement following psychotherapy. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between antidepressant therapy, symptom change and HRV in 50 inpatients (68% females; 17–68 years) with a diagnosis of MDD. Severity of depressive symptoms was assessed by self-report (Beck Depression Inventory II) and the Hamilton Rating Scale of Depression. Measures of vagally mediated HRV (root mean square of successive differences and high-frequency) were assessed at multiple measurement points before and after inpatient psychotherapeutic and psychiatric treatment. Results showed an expected negative correlation between HRV and depressive symptoms at intake. Depressive symptoms improved (d = 0.84) without corresponding change in HRV, demonstrating a de-coupling between this psychophysiological indicator and symptom severity. To our knowledge, this study is the first to examine an association between HRV and depressive symptoms before and after psychotherapy. The observed de-coupling of depression and HRV, and its methodological implications for future research are discussed.

scholarly journals Cognitive Failures: Relationship with Perceived Emotions, Stress, and Resting Vagally-Mediated Heart Rate Variability

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (24) ◽  
pp. 13616
Author(s):  
Min You ◽  
Sylvain Laborde ◽  
Uirassu Borges ◽  
Robert Samuel Vaughan ◽  
Fabrice Dosseville
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Heart Rate Variability ◽  
Emotional Valence ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Psychological Variables ◽  
Cognitive Failures ◽  
Everyday Task ◽  
Cognitive Failures Questionnaire ◽  
Negative Predictor

Cognitive failures represent everyday task failures that individuals are normally capable of completing. While cognitive failures measured with the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire can be considered a trait, the psychophysiological states associated with cognitive failures are yet to be fully understood. The aim of this paper was to investigate the extent to which the perception of experiencing cognitive failures in daily life is associated with both psychological (i.e., perceived emotional valence, emotional intensity, and stress), as well as physiological (i.e., vagally-mediated heart rate variability, vmHRV) variables. A total of 69 participants were involved in this study (47 male, 22 female; Mage = 22.4 years). Participants underwent a 5-min heart rate variability measurement and filled out the self-report psychological variables, before completing the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire, providing scores for Distractibility, Forgetfulness, and False Triggering. When combining the predictors together into a hierarchical regression analysis, only the model related to the Distractibility subscale was found to be significant (unique significant negative predictor: resting vmHRV). Further research should investigate whether influencing resting vmHRV, with interventions such as slow-paced breathing, may decrease the perception of cognitive failures related to distractibility.

scholarly journals Measurement of Cancer-Related Fatigue Based on Heart Rate Variability: Observational Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chi-Huang Shih ◽  
Pai-Chien Chou ◽  
Ting-Ling Chou ◽  
Tsai-Wei Huang
Keyword(s):  
Lung Cancer ◽  
Heart Rate ◽  
Heart Rate Variability ◽  
Targeted Therapy ◽  
Subjective Experience ◽  
Assessment Method ◽  
Mapping Method ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Sleep Phase ◽  
Cancer Related Fatigue

BACKGROUND Cancer-related fatigue is a serious side effect of cancer, and its treatment can disrupt the quality of life of patients. Clinically, the standard method for assessing cancer-related fatigue relies on subjective experience retrieved from patient self-reports, such as the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI). However, most patients do not self-report their fatigue levels. OBJECTIVE In this study, we aim to develop an objective cancer-related fatigue assessment method to track and monitor fatigue in patients with cancer. METHODS In total, 12 patients with lung cancer who were undergoing chemotherapy or targeted therapy were enrolled. We developed frequency-domain parameters of heart rate variability (HRV) and BFI based on a wearable-based HRV measurement system. All patients completed the BFI-Taiwan version questionnaire and wore the device for 7 consecutive days to record HRV parameters such as low frequency (LF), high frequency (HF), and LF-HF ratio (LF-HF). Statistical analysis was used to map the correlation between subjective fatigue and objective data. RESULTS A moderate positive correlation was observed between the average LF-HF ratio and BFI in the sleep phase (ρ=0.86). The mapped BFI score derived by the BFI mapping method could approximate the BFI from the patient self-report. The mean absolute error rate between the subjective and objective BFI scores was 3%. CONCLUSIONS LF-HF is highly correlated with the cancer-related fatigue experienced by patients with lung cancer undergoing chemotherapy or targeted therapy. Beyond revealing fatigue levels objectively, continuous HRV recordings through the photoplethysmography watch device and the defined parameters (LF-HF) can define the active phase and sleep phase in patients with lung cancer who undergo chemotherapy or targeted chemotherapy, allowing a deduction of their sleep patterns. CLINICALTRIAL

scholarly journals Morality of the Heart: Heart Rate Variability and Moral Rule Adherence in Men

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander Lischke ◽  
Matthias Weippert ◽  
Anett Mau-Moeller ◽  
Rike Pahnke
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Heart Rate Variability ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Moral Rule ◽  
Physiological Processes ◽  
Neural Processes ◽  
Efficient Integration ◽  
Moral Rules ◽  
Report Measure

Moral rules are a cornerstone of many societies. Most moral rules are concerned with the welfare of other individuals, reflecting individuals’ innate aversion against harming other individuals. Harming others is associated with aversive experiences, implying that individuals who are sensitive to the aversiveness of these experiences are more likely to follow moral rules than individuals who are insensitive to the aversiveness of these experiences. Individuals’ sensitivity for aversive experiences depends on individuals’ ability to integrate the underlying neural and physiological processes: Individuals who are more efficient in integrating these processes are more sensitive to the aversiveness that is associated with moral rule violations than individuals who are less efficient in integrating these processes. Individuals who differ in their ability to integrate these processes may, thus, also differ in their inclination to follow moral rules. We tested this assumption in a sample of healthy individuals (67 males) who completed measures of moral rule adherence and integration abilities. Moral rule adherence was assessed with self-report measure and integration abilities were assessed with a resting state measure of heart rate variability (HRV), which reflects prefrontal–(para-)limbic engagement during the integration of physical and neural processes. We found a positive association between individuals’ HRV and individuals’ moral rule adherence, implying that individuals with efficient integration abilities were more inclined to follow moral rules than individuals with inefficient integration abilities. Our findings support the assumption that individuals with different integration abilities also differ in moral rule adherence, presumably because of differences in aversiveness sensitivity.

Integrating Mindfulness and Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback Therapies to Foster Courage, Confidence, and Resilience

Biofeedback ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 26-29
Author(s):  
Leah M. Lagos
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Heart Rate Variability ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Laboratory Research ◽  
Somatic Awareness ◽  
Negative Experiences ◽  
Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback ◽  
Training Approach

Field studies and laboratory research have documented that resilient individuals employ positive emotions to reduce their physiological arousal and bounce back from negative experiences. In the present article, we present a protocol for integrating mindfulness and heart rate variability biofeedback to increase an individual's ability to identify as well as access resonance-producing emotions, increase low frequency heart rhythms, and improve cardiovascular recovery from stressful situations. The proposed training approach introduces mindfulness-based strategies to help individuals amplify their abilities to flexibly alter affective as well as physiological responses and match the demands of frequently changing environmental stressors. Participants will learn to develop somatic awareness, connect to physiological experiences, and train the heart to access courage and confidence on demand.

scholarly journals Effects of Different Stroking Styles on Behaviour and Cardiac Parameters in Heifers

Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 426 ◽  
Author(s):  
Annika Lange ◽  
Sandra Franzmayr ◽  
Vera Wisenöcker ◽  
Andreas Futschik ◽  
Susanne Waiblinger ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Rate ◽  
Heart Rate Variability ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Affective States ◽  
Positive Perception ◽  
Human Interactions ◽  
Body Regions ◽  
Human Animal ◽  
Mean Heart Rate

Gentle animal–human interactions, such as stroking, can promote positive emotions and thus welfare in cattle. While previous studies showed that stroking at the ventral neck elicited the most positive reactions in cows, intra-specific allogrooming in cattle includes different body regions and is probably guided partly by the receiver. Thus, we compared heifers’ (n = 28) reactions to stroking with the experimenter either reactively responding to perceived momentary preferences of the heifers or exclusively stroking the ventral neck. Independently of the stroking style, longer durations of neck stretching and contact occurred during stroking, supporting our hypothesis of a positive perception of stroking. We did not confirm the predicted decrease in heart rate and increase in heart rate variability, but instead found a slightly increased mean heart rate during stroking. The different stroking styles elicited differences in the heifers’ ear positions: “reactive” stroking led to longer durations of low ear positions during stroking, while during “ventral neck” stroking, the duration of back up increased. However, no other behaviours differed significantly between different stroking styles, indicating that the exact manner of stroking applied in our treatments seemed to be less important in the promotion of positive affective states in cattle through gentle human–animal interactions.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document