scholarly journals Not always a matter of context: direct effects of red on arousal but context-dependent moderations on valence

PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e2515 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa L. Buechner ◽  
Markus A. Maier
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Responses ◽  
Direct Effects ◽  
Arousal Theory ◽  
Valence Component ◽  
Context Dependent ◽  
Arousal And Valence ◽  
Context Theory

The arousal theory of color proposes that red is associated with arousal. Research on the color-in-context theory, in turn, states that the context in which red is perceived influences its valence-related meaning and behavioral responses to it. This study faces and integrates these theories by examining the influence of red on both arousal and valence perceptions of test-relevant and neutral stimuli, rendering a color 2 (red vs. blue) × context 2 (test vs. neutral) between-subjects design. Participants rated different pictures regarding their arousal and valence component, respectively. In line with the assumptions of both theories, red increased arousal perceptions of stimuli irrespective of their valence but a context × color interaction was found for valence perceptions: for participants viewing test-relevant pictures, red increased their perceptions of negativity compared to neutral pictures. The present study shows that both theories are actually compatible when differentiating the arousal and valence component.

scholarly journals Context-dependent decision making in a premotor circuit

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zheng Wu ◽  
Ashok Litwin-Kumar ◽  
Philip Shamash ◽  
Alexei Taylor ◽  
Richard Axel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pyramidal Neurons ◽  
Contextual Information ◽  
Sensory Information ◽  
Behavioral Responses ◽  
Association Cortex ◽  
Match To Sample ◽  
Subsequent Test ◽  
Layer 2 ◽  
Test Odor ◽  
Context Dependent

SummaryCognitive capacities afford contingent associations between sensory information and behavioral responses. We studied this problem using an olfactory delayed match to sample task whereby a sample odor specifies the association between a subsequent test odor and rewarding action. Multi-neuron recordings revealed representations of the sample and test odors in olfactory sensory and association cortex, which were sufficient to identify the test odor as match/non-match. Yet, inactivation of a downstream premotor area (ALM), but not orbitofrontal cortex, confined to the epoch preceding the test odor, led to gross impairment. Olfactory decisions that were not context dependent were unimpaired. Therefore, ALM may not receive the outcome of a match/non-match decision from upstream areas but contextual information—the identity of the sample—to establish the mapping between test odor and action. A novel population of pyramidal neurons in ALM layer 2 may mediate this process.

scholarly journals The sound of arousal in music is context-dependent

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 744-747 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel T. Blumstein ◽  
Gregory A. Bryant ◽  
Peter Kaye
Keyword(s):  
Recent Work ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Acoustic Stimulus ◽  
Video Image ◽  
Visual Modality ◽  
Vocal Cords ◽  
Nonlinear Simulations ◽  
Context Dependent ◽  
Influence Perceptions ◽  
Arousal And Valence

Humans, and many non-human animals, produce and respond to harsh, unpredictable, nonlinear sounds when alarmed, possibly because these are produced when acoustic production systems (vocal cords and syrinxes) are overblown in stressful, dangerous situations. Humans can simulate nonlinearities in music and soundtracks through the use of technological manipulations. Recent work found that film soundtracks from different genres differentially contain such sounds. We designed two experiments to determine specifically how simulated nonlinearities in soundtracks influence perceptions of arousal and valence. Subjects were presented with emotionally neutral musical exemplars that had neither noise nor abrupt frequency transitions, or versions of these musical exemplars that had noise or abrupt frequency upshifts or downshifts experimentally added. In a second experiment, these acoustic exemplars were paired with benign videos. Judgements of both arousal and valence were altered by the addition of these simulated nonlinearities in the first, music-only, experiment. In the second, multi-modal, experiment, valence (but not arousal) decreased with the addition of noise or frequency downshifts. Thus, the presence of a video image suppressed the ability of simulated nonlinearities to modify arousal. This is the first study examining how nonlinear simulations in music affect emotional judgements. These results demonstrate that the perception of potentially fearful or arousing sounds is influenced by the perceptual context and that the addition of a visual modality can antagonistically suppress the response to an acoustic stimulus.

scholarly journals Defensive symbiosis and the evolution of virulence

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul G. Nelson ◽  
Georgiana May
Keyword(s):  
Entire Range ◽  
Direct Effects ◽  
Continuous Trait ◽  
Defensive Symbiosis ◽  
Evolution Of Virulence ◽  
Host Mortality ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Context Dependent ◽  
Counterintuitive Result

AbstractAlthough environments rife with enemies should cause selection for defensive traits, such enemy-rich environments should also select for greater virulence in co-occurring symbionts, yet many defensive symbionts cause little to no damage while protecting their hosts from enemies. Thus, co-infection of a defensive symbiont and a parasite is predicted to select both for increased virulence in co-infecting symbionts and for increased defense in the protective symbiont. Why then do we observe defensive mutualists that protect hosts while causing little damage? To address this question, we build a symbiont-centered model that incorporates the evolution of two independent traits: defense and virulence. Virulence is modeled as a continuous trait spanning mutualism (negative virulence) and parasitism (virulence) and thus accounts for the entire range of direct effects that symbionts have on host mortality. Defense is modeled as a continuous trait that ameliorates the costs to the host associated with co-infection with a deleterious parasite. We obtain the counterintuitive result that the evolution of increased defense in one symbiont largely leads to the evolution of lower virulence in both symbionts and may even facilitate pathogens evolving to mutualism. However, results are context-dependent and when defensive traits are costly, the evolution of greater defense may also lead to higher virulence.

The Conceptual Nervous System and Personality

1997 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 139-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan D. Pickering
Keyword(s):  
Neural Network ◽  
Nervous System ◽  
System Approach ◽  
Behavioral Responses ◽  
Behavioral Effects ◽  
Personality Theory ◽  
Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory ◽  
Sensitivity Theory ◽  
Arousal Theory ◽  
Reinforcement Sensitivity

In this paper the conceptual nervous system approach to the study of personality is traced back to the ideas of Pavlov. The links between his ideas and two strands of modern European personality theory ( Eysenck's, 1967 , arousal theory of extraversion; Gray's, 1970 , reinforcement sensitivity theory) are emphasized. Recent data concerning reinforcement sensitivity theory have revealed a diversity of relationships between personality trait measures and the behavioral responses to the signals of reinforcement present. In view of these data, a reappraisal of the basics of reinforcement sensitivity theory are then presented, using neural network techniques to explore the conceptual nervous system features fundamental to reinforcement sensitivity theory. Simulations using these techniques are also presented which provide possible explanations for the variations in the experimental data, thereby suggesting that reinforcement sensitivity theory should be revised, rather than abandoned. One revision proposes that the fundamental brain systems involved may produce their behavioral effects solely via the influences of their outputs on arousal levels, with arousal linked to aspects of performance in a manner resembling Pavlovian transmarginal inhibition.

Creating the mood for humor: arousal level priming in humor advertising

2018 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 491-501
Author(s):  
Hye Jin Yoon
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Context Effects ◽  
Arousal Level ◽  
Contrast Effects ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Arousal Theory ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Arousal And Valence

Purpose Surprise has been recognized as a key process in humor. Past studies have seldom tested elements that could increase the surprise in humor advertising, subsequently increasing perceived humor and positive ad outcomes. The purpose of this paper was to test the effects of priming a lower arousal baseline before humor ad exposure. It proposed that this would generate greater humor ad surprise because of contrast effects, leading to greater perceived humor and positive ad effects. Design/methodology/approach Three experiments tested the effects of arousal and valence of primes on humor ads. Attention, perceived humor and ad effectiveness of the humor ads were measured. Findings Evidence of lower (vs higher) arousal primes leading to greater humor ad evaluations was found across three experiments. Felt arousal of the ad mediated the relationship between the prime conditions and perceived humor. Originality/value No study has focused on context effects of the unique process of humor ads. This study advanced the arousal theory of incongruity-resolution humor and further emphasized the role of surprise. The findings implicate that the surroundings of the humor ad could increase its effectiveness.

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