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Shukla M, Pandey R. Emotional dampening in hypertension: Impaired recognition of implicit emotional content in auditory and cross-modal stimuli. Psych J 2024; 13:124-138. [PMID: 37942991 PMCID: PMC10917100 DOI: 10.1002/pchj.704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
Research shows a reduced responsivity to implicit as well as explicit facial emotion recognition (emotional dampening) in prehypertensives and hypertensives. This study explored auditory and audiovisual emotion recognition in prehypertensives and hypertensives. Participants (N = 175) who were normotensives, prehypertensives, and hypertensives (n = 57, 58, and 60, respectively) completed an auditory implicit task (matching auditory target with auditory distractors) and two cross-modal implicit tasks (matching visual target with auditory distractors, and vice-versa), and an auditory explicit task (labelling emotions in audio-clips). Findings showed an aberrant speed-accuracy trade-off, where prehypertensives focused more on accuracy at the cost of speed while hypertensives showed the opposite. Discriminant function analysis revealed that blood pressure (BP)-associated emotional dampening is a highly specific but moderately sensitive correlate of hypertension. Our study highlights that prehypertensives and hypertensives demonstrate emotional dampening in implicit (but not explicit) auditory emotion recognition and a greater deficit for auditory than visual recognition of implicit emotions. Findings show emotional dampening as an observable correlate of elevated BP and hypertension.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meenakshi Shukla
- Department of PsychologyBanaras Hindu UniversityVaranasiIndia
- Present address:
Department of PsychologyUniversity of AllahabadPrayagrajIndia
| | - Rakesh Pandey
- Department of PsychologyBanaras Hindu UniversityVaranasiIndia
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Loveless JP, Sullivan SN, Hall H, Danford J, Farley A, Trogdon N, Baldwin J. Linking Blood Pressure-Associated Emotional Dampening to Trait Empathy. Percept Mot Skills 2023; 130:2305-2326. [PMID: 37632294 DOI: 10.1177/00315125231197839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/27/2023]
Abstract
Gradual and sustained increases in resting blood pressure are accompanied by gradual and sustained reductions in the capacity to consciously experience several affective and somatosensory processes. Burgeoning theory suggests that this phenomenon, termed cardiovascular emotional dampening, contributes to heart disease risk by interfering with our ability to effectively respond to environmental demands. Interpersonal relationships are contexts in which this risk cascade likely occurs, but prior researchers have paid little attention to how emotional dampening might influence these relationships. As empathy is a construct used to describe facets of emotion-linked responding that facilitate interpersonal relationships, if emotional dampening influences interpersonal relationships, then we might expect resting blood pressure to covary with measures of empathy as it does with other previously studied aspects of affective responding. We recruited 175 healthy undergraduate college student participants (120 Women; M age = 19.17, SD age = 2.08) to complete a counterbalanced procedure in which we measured resting blood pressure and related it to participants' responses on the Toronto Alexithymia Scale, the Questionnaire of Cognitive and Affective Empathy, and a demographic survey. Bivariate comparisons revealed a significant inverse relationship between average resting systolic blood pressure (SBP) and cognitive empathy, as well as a significant inverse relationship between SBP and affective empathy. Multiple regression analyses revealed that SBP remained a significant predictor of cognitive empathy, but not affective empathy, after controlling for related covariates (i.e., sex, age, and alexithymia). SBP predicted cognitive empathy such that higher SBP was associated with lower cognitive empathy. Thus, people with higher resting blood pressures might experience increased interpersonal distress because of a reduced capacity for empathetic accuracy and perspective-taking. We discuss the implications and future directions of these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- James P Loveless
- Department of Psychology, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN, USA
| | - S Nichole Sullivan
- Department of Psychology, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN, USA
| | - Hailey Hall
- Department of Psychology, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN, USA
| | - Jamie Danford
- Department of Psychology, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN, USA
| | - Ally Farley
- Department of Psychology, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN, USA
| | - Nicholas Trogdon
- Department of Psychology, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN, USA
| | - Jameson Baldwin
- Department of Psychology, Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, TN, USA
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Abstract
Frameworks of emotional development have tended to focus on how environmental factors shape children's emotion understanding. However, individual experiences of emotion represent a complex interplay between both external environmental inputs and internal somatovisceral signaling. Here, we discuss the importance of afferent signals and coordination between central and peripheral mechanisms in affective response processing. We propose that incorporating somatovisceral theories of emotions into frameworks of emotional development can inform how children understand emotions in themselves and others. We highlight promising directions for future research on emotional development incorporating this perspective, namely afferent cardiac processing and interoception, immune activation, physiological synchrony, and social touch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly E Faig
- Department of Psychology, Hamilton College, 198 College Hill Road, Clinton, NY 13502
| | - Karen E Smith
- Department of Psychology, the University of Wisconsin, 1500 Highland Blvd, Madison, WI, 53705
| | - Stephanie J Dimitroff
- Department of Psychology, Universität Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
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Shukla M, Lau JYF, Pandey R. Behavioural approach-avoidance tendencies among individuals with elevated blood pressure. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2023; 43:1-9. [PMID: 36788977 PMCID: PMC9912239 DOI: 10.1007/s12144-023-04337-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
Emotional dampening (blunted responses to affective stimuli or experiences) has been reported in individuals with clinical and subclinical levels of elevated blood pressure (BP). Our aim in the present study was to explore how the basic motivational systems of approach and avoidance to positively- and negatively-valenced stimuli are affected in elevated BP. High BP (n = 27) and Low BP (n = 29) participants completed an approach-avoidance task. In this task, participants pulled the joystick towards them when viewing a happy face (approach) and pushing it away when viewing an angry face (avoid) in the congruent condition, and reversed these action-to-emotion pairings in the incongruent condition. A mixed-design ANOVA revealed a significant main effect of condition, such that overall participants were faster across trials in the congruent than trials of the incongruent condition. There was also an emotion x BP interaction. Among the Low BP group, there were no RT differences to happy and angry expressions (across congruent and incongruent conditions) but those with High BP were quicker to respond to actions paired with angry than happy facial expressions (across conditions). Findings suggest that valence-specific motivational reactions are not dampened with an increase in BP, and are rather sensitized for the negative emotion of anger. Supplementary information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12144-023-04337-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meenakshi Shukla
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Allahabad, 211002 Prayagraj, India
| | - Jennifer Y. F. Lau
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
- Youth Resilience Unit, Wolfson Institute of Population Health, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Rakesh Pandey
- Department of Psychology, Banaras Hindu University, 221005 Varanasi, India
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Auer A, von Känel R, Lang I, Thomas L, Zuccarella-Hackl C, Degroote C, Gideon A, Wiest R, Wirtz PH. Do Hypertensive Men Spy With an Angry Little Eye? Anger Recognition in Men With Essential Hypertension - Cross-sectional and Prospective Findings. Ann Behav Med 2022; 56:875-889. [PMID: 35323902 DOI: 10.1093/abm/kaab108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Higher trait anger has inconsistently been associated with hypertension and hypertension development, but social context in terms of recognition of other persons' anger has been neglected in this context. PURPOSE Here, we investigated anger recognition of facial affect and trait anger in essential hypertensive and normotensive men in addition to prospective associations with blood pressure (BP) increases. METHODS Baseline assessment comprised a total of 145 participants including 57 essential hypertensive and 65 normotensive men who were otherwise healthy and medication-free. Seventy-two eligible participants additionally completed follow-up assessment 3.1 (±0.08 SEM) years later to analyze BP changes over time. We assessed emotion recognition of facial affect with a paradigm displaying mixed facial affect of two morphed basic emotions including anger, fear, sadness, and happiness. Trait anger was assessed with the Spielberger trait anger scale. RESULTS Cross-sectionally, we found that with increasing BP, hypertensive men overrated anger displayed in facial expressions of mixed emotions as compared to normotensive men (ps ≤ .019) while there were no differences in trait anger (p = .16). Prospectively, the interaction between mean anger recognition and trait anger independently predicted BP increases from baseline to follow-up (ps ≤ .043), in that overrating displayed anger predicted future BP increases only if trait anger was high. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate an anger recognition bias in men with essential hypertension and that overrating displayed anger in combination with higher trait anger seems to predict future BP increases. This might be of clinical relevance for the development and progression of hypertension and cardiovascular disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisa Auer
- Biological Work and Health Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Roland von Känel
- Department of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ilona Lang
- Biological Work and Health Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Livia Thomas
- Biological Work and Health Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Claudia Zuccarella-Hackl
- Department of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Clinical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Department of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Cathy Degroote
- Biological Work and Health Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Angelina Gideon
- Biological Work and Health Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Roland Wiest
- Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, University Hospital Bern, and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Petra H Wirtz
- Biological Work and Health Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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Shukla M, Lau JYF, Lissek S, Pandey R, Kumari V. Reduced emotional responsiveness in individuals with marginal elevation in blood pressure within the normal range: Evidence from altered affect-modulated startle response. Int J Psychophysiol 2020; 153:18-26. [PMID: 32320713 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2020.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Reduced responsiveness to emotional stimuli ('emotional dampening') has been observed in normotensives with elevated blood pressure (BP) and hypertensives but it is not known whether this is due to aberrant responding to emotional information at the involuntary level and whether it is also associated with minimal elevations in BP in the normal range. In this study, we examined emotional dampening using the affect-modulated startle paradigm given its proven sensitivity to motivational states of approach and withdrawal, typically independent of conscious intentional control. Acoustically elicited startle eye-blink modulation was measured using electromyography of the orbicularis oculi muscle beneath the left eye in 59 healthy individuals while they viewed pleasant, unpleasant and neutral standardized pictures. The expected startle attenuation to pleasant pictures, and startle potentiation to unpleasant pictures, relative to neutral pictures, was found in people in the comparison (N = 29) but not elevated BP (N = 30) group. This finding was further supported by significant moderating effect (assessed using ANCOVA and sub-sample analysis) of BP on valence-startle amplitude relationship. The comparison BP group also showed slower latencies to response onset for pleasant stimuli compared to neutral and unpleasant, with no effect of valence in the elevated BP group. However, BP did not moderate the valence-onset latency relationship. Our findings indicate that previously reported emotional dampening associated with elevated BP extends to reduced involuntary emotional reactivity and to individuals with even minimal BP elevations (i.e. higher but still within the normal range). Future research needs to confirm these findings in hypertensive individuals, preferably using within-subjects designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meenakshi Shukla
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Jennifer Y F Lau
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Shmuel Lissek
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Rakesh Pandey
- Department of Psychology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India.
| | - Veena Kumari
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, College of Health and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK
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