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Boot E, Levy A, Gaeta G, Gunasekara N, Parkkinen E, Kontaris E, Jacquot M, Tachtsidis I. fNIRS a novel neuroimaging tool to investigate olfaction, olfactory imagery, and crossmodal interactions: a systematic review. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1266664. [PMID: 38356646 PMCID: PMC10864673 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1266664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Olfaction is understudied in neuroimaging research compared to other senses, but there is growing evidence of its therapeutic benefits on mood and well-being. Olfactory imagery can provide similar health benefits as olfactory interventions. Harnessing crossmodal visual-olfactory interactions can facilitate olfactory imagery. Understanding and employing these cross-modal interactions between visual and olfactory stimuli could aid in the research and applications of olfaction and olfactory imagery interventions for health and wellbeing. This review examines current knowledge, debates, and research on olfaction, olfactive imagery, and crossmodal visual-olfactory integration. A total of 56 papers, identified using the PRISMA method, were evaluated to identify key brain regions, research themes and methods used to determine the suitability of fNIRS as a tool for studying these topics. The review identified fNIRS-compatible protocols and brain regions within the fNIRS recording depth of approximately 1.5 cm associated with olfactory imagery and crossmodal visual-olfactory integration. Commonly cited regions include the orbitofrontal cortex, inferior frontal gyrus and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. The findings of this review indicate that fNIRS would be a suitable tool for research into these processes. Additionally, fNIRS suitability for use in naturalistic settings may lead to the development of new research approaches with greater ecological validity compared to existing neuroimaging techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew Levy
- Metabolight Ltd., London, United Kingdom
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College, London, United Kingdom
| | - Giuliano Gaeta
- Health and Well-being Centre of Excellence, Givaudan UK Limited, Ashford, United Kingdom
| | - Natalie Gunasekara
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Emilia Parkkinen
- Health and Well-being Centre of Excellence, Givaudan UK Limited, Ashford, United Kingdom
| | - Emily Kontaris
- Health and Well-being Centre of Excellence, Givaudan UK Limited, Ashford, United Kingdom
| | - Muriel Jacquot
- Health and Well-being Centre of Excellence, Givaudan UK Limited, Ashford, United Kingdom
| | - Ilias Tachtsidis
- Metabolight Ltd., London, United Kingdom
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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2
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Moreno-Verdú M, Hamoline G, Van Caenegem EE, Waltzing BM, Forest S, Valappil AC, Khan AH, Chye S, Esselaar M, Campbell MJ, McAllister CJ, Kraeutner SN, Poliakoff E, Frank C, Eaves DL, Wakefield C, Boe SG, Holmes PS, Bruton AM, Vogt S, Wright DJ, Hardwick RM. Guidelines for reporting action simulation studies (GRASS): Proposals to improve reporting of research in motor imagery and action observation. Neuropsychologia 2024; 192:108733. [PMID: 37956956 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108733] [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] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
Researchers from multiple disciplines have studied the simulation of actions through motor imagery, action observation, or their combination. Procedures used in these studies vary considerably between research groups, and no standardized approach to reporting experimental protocols has been proposed. This has led to under-reporting of critical details, impairing the assessment, replication, synthesis, and potential clinical translation of effects. We provide an overview of issues related to the reporting of information in action simulation studies, and discuss the benefits of standardized reporting. We propose a series of checklists that identify key details of research protocols to include when reporting action simulation studies. Each checklist comprises A) essential methodological details, B) essential details that are relevant to a specific mode of action simulation, and C) further points that may be useful on a case-by-case basis. We anticipate that the use of these guidelines will improve the understanding, reproduction, and synthesis of studies using action simulation, and enhance the translation of research using motor imagery and action observation to applied and clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Moreno-Verdú
- Brain, Action, And Skill Laboratory, Institute of Neuroscience (Cognition and Systems Division), UC Louvain, Belgium; Department of Radiology, Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain
| | - Gautier Hamoline
- Brain, Action, And Skill Laboratory, Institute of Neuroscience (Cognition and Systems Division), UC Louvain, Belgium
| | - Elise E Van Caenegem
- Brain, Action, And Skill Laboratory, Institute of Neuroscience (Cognition and Systems Division), UC Louvain, Belgium
| | - Baptiste M Waltzing
- Brain, Action, And Skill Laboratory, Institute of Neuroscience (Cognition and Systems Division), UC Louvain, Belgium
| | - Sébastien Forest
- Brain, Action, And Skill Laboratory, Institute of Neuroscience (Cognition and Systems Division), UC Louvain, Belgium
| | - Ashika C Valappil
- Simulating Movements to Improve Learning and Execution (SMILE) Research Group, School of Life and Health Sciences, University of Roehampton, UK
| | - Adam H Khan
- Simulating Movements to Improve Learning and Execution (SMILE) Research Group, School of Life and Health Sciences, University of Roehampton, UK
| | - Samantha Chye
- Simulating Movements to Improve Learning and Execution (SMILE) Research Group, School of Life and Health Sciences, University of Roehampton, UK
| | - Maaike Esselaar
- Research Centre for Musculoskeletal Science and Sports Medicine, Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
| | - Mark J Campbell
- Lero Esports Science Research Lab, Physical Education & Sport Sciences Department & Lero the Science Foundation Ireland Centre for Software Research, University of Limerick, Ireland
| | - Craig J McAllister
- Centre for Human Brain Health, School of Sport Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, UK
| | - Sarah N Kraeutner
- Neuroplasticity, Imagery, And Motor Behaviour Laboratory, Department of Psychology & Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, University of British Columbia, Okanagan, Canada
| | - Ellen Poliakoff
- Body Eyes and Movement (BEAM) Laboratory, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, UK
| | - Cornelia Frank
- Cognition, Imagery and Learning in Action Laboratory, Department of Sports and Movement Science, School of Educational and Cultural Studies, Osnabrueck University, Germany
| | - Daniel L Eaves
- Biomedical, Nutritional and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, UK
| | | | - Shaun G Boe
- Laboratory for Brain Recovery and Function, School of Physiotherapy and Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University, Canada
| | - Paul S Holmes
- Research Centre for Health, Psychology and Communities, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Education, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
| | - Adam M Bruton
- Simulating Movements to Improve Learning and Execution (SMILE) Research Group, School of Life and Health Sciences, University of Roehampton, UK; : Centre for Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, UK
| | - Stefan Vogt
- Perception and Action Group, Department of Psychology, Lancaster University, UK
| | - David J Wright
- Research Centre for Health, Psychology and Communities, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Education, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK
| | - Robert M Hardwick
- Brain, Action, And Skill Laboratory, Institute of Neuroscience (Cognition and Systems Division), UC Louvain, Belgium.
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Hsu CT, Sato W, Yoshikawa S. An investigation of the modulatory effects of empathic and autistic traits on emotional and facial motor responses during live social interactions. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0290765. [PMID: 38194416 PMCID: PMC10775989 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0290765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
A close relationship between emotional contagion and spontaneous facial mimicry has been theoretically proposed and is supported by empirical data. Facial expressions are essential in terms of both emotional and motor synchrony. Previous studies have demonstrated that trait emotional empathy enhanced spontaneous facial mimicry, but the relationship between autistic traits and spontaneous mimicry remained controversial. Moreover, previous studies presented faces that were static or videotaped, which may lack the "liveliness" of real-life social interactions. We addressed this limitation by using an image relay system to present live performances and pre-recorded videos of smiling or frowning dynamic facial expressions to 94 healthy female participants. We assessed their subjective experiential valence and arousal ratings to infer the amplitude of emotional contagion. We measured the electromyographic activities of the zygomaticus major and corrugator supercilii muscles to estimate spontaneous facial mimicry. Individual differences measures included trait emotional empathy (empathic concern) and the autism-spectrum quotient. We did not find that live performances enhanced the modulatory effect of trait differences on emotional contagion or spontaneous facial mimicry. However, we found that a high trait empathic concern was associated with stronger emotional contagion and corrugator mimicry. We found no two-way interaction between the autism spectrum quotient and emotional condition, suggesting that autistic traits did not modulate emotional contagion or spontaneous facial mimicry. Our findings imply that previous findings regarding the relationship between emotional empathy and emotional contagion/spontaneous facial mimicry using videos and photos could be generalized to real-life interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Ting Hsu
- Psychological Process Research Team, Guardian Robot Project, RIKEN, Soraku-gun, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Wataru Sato
- Psychological Process Research Team, Guardian Robot Project, RIKEN, Soraku-gun, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Sakiko Yoshikawa
- Institute of Philosophy and Human Values, Kyoto University of the Arts, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
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Freeth M, Morgan EJ. I see you, you see me: the impact of social presence on social interaction processes in autistic and non-autistic people. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20210479. [PMID: 36871584 PMCID: PMC9985964 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0479] [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] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 03/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Environments that require social interaction are complex, challenging and sometimes experienced as overwhelming by autistic people. However, all too often theories relating to social interaction processes are created, and interventions are proposed, on the basis of data collected from studies that do not involve genuine social encounters nor do they consider the perception of social presence to be a potentially influential factor. In this review, we begin by considering why face-to-face interaction research is important in this field. We then discuss how the perception of social agency and social presence can influence conclusions about social interaction processes. We then outline some insights gained from face-to-face interaction research conducted with both autistic and non-autistic people. We finish by considering the impact of social presence on cognitive processes more broadly, including theory of mind. Overall, we demonstrate that choice of stimuli in studies assessing social interaction processes has the potential to substantially alter conclusions drawn. Ecological validity matters and social presence, in particular, is a critical factor that fundamentally impacts social interaction processes in both autistic and non-autistic people. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Face2face: advancing the science of social interaction'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Freeth
- Department of Psychology, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, Sheffield S1 2LT, UK
| | - Emma J. Morgan
- Department of Psychology, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, Sheffield S1 2LT, UK
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Proulx JDE, Aknin LB, Barasch A. Let's Give Together: Can Collaborative Giving Boost Generosity? NONPROFIT AND VOLUNTARY SECTOR QUARTERLY 2023; 52:50-74. [PMID: 36643076 PMCID: PMC9829957 DOI: 10.1177/08997640221074699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
A growing number of people donate to charity together with others, such as a spouse, friend, or stranger. Does giving to charity collectively with another person-called collaborative giving-promote generosity? Existing data offer unsatisfactory insight; most studies are correlational, present mixed findings, or examine other concepts. Yet, theory suggests that collaborative giving may increase generosity because giving with others could be intrinsically enjoyable. We conducted two well-powered, pre-registered experiments to test whether collaborative giving boosts generosity. In Experiment 1 (N = 202; 101 dyads) and Experiment 2 (N = 310; 155 dyads), pairs of unacquainted undergraduates earned money and were randomly assigned to donate collaboratively (Experiments 1-2), individually in each other's presence (Experiments 1-2), or privately (Experiment 2). Across studies, we observed no condition differences on generosity. However, collaborative (vs. individual) giving predicted greater intrinsic enjoyment, which, in turn, predicted larger donations, suggesting a promising potential mechanism for future research and practice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lara B. Aknin
- Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Alixandra Barasch
- New York University, Stern School of Business, New York City, New York, USA
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Schmitz L, Reader AT. Smaller preferred interpersonal distance for joint versus parallel action. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0285202. [PMID: 37130118 PMCID: PMC10153701 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023] Open
Abstract
During social interaction, humans prefer to keep a certain distance between themselves and other individuals. This preferred 'interpersonal distance' (IPD) is known to be sensitive to social context, and in the present study we aimed to further investigate the extent to which IPD is affected by the specific type of social interaction. In particular, we focused on the contrast between joint actions, where two or more individuals coordinate their actions in space and time to achieve a shared goal, and parallel actions, where individuals act alongside each other but individually. We predicted that joint action would be associated with a smaller preferred IPD compared to parallel action. Additionally, given that this research took place in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, we aimed to assess whether IPD preferences are affected by individuals' concerns about infection in general, as well as COVID-19 in particular. We predicted that higher individual concerns would be associated with greater preferred IPD. To test these hypotheses, we asked participants to imagine different social scenarios (involving either joint or parallel actions alongside a stranger) and indicate, on a visual scale, their preferred IPD. The results of two experiments (n = 211, n = 212) showed that participants preferred a shorter distance when they imagined acting jointly compared to when they imagined acting in parallel. Moreover, participants who reported higher discomfort for potential pathogen contact and who were more aware of the COVID-19 context in which the study took place preferred a larger IPD in general. Our results provide further evidence that different types of social interaction shape IPD preference. We discuss potential reasons for this phenomenon and highlight remaining questions for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Schmitz
- Department of Neurology, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- Institute of Sports Science, Leibniz University Hannover, Hannover, Germany
| | - Arran T Reader
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom
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Straulino E, Scarpazza C, Sartori L. What is missing in the study of emotion expression? Front Psychol 2023; 14:1158136. [PMID: 37179857 PMCID: PMC10173880 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1158136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
While approaching celebrations for the 150 years of "The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals", scientists' conclusions on emotion expression are still debated. Emotion expression has been traditionally anchored to prototypical and mutually exclusive facial expressions (e.g., anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness, and surprise). However, people express emotions in nuanced patterns and - crucially - not everything is in the face. In recent decades considerable work has critiqued this classical view, calling for a more fluid and flexible approach that considers how humans dynamically perform genuine expressions with their bodies in context. A growing body of evidence suggests that each emotional display is a complex, multi-component, motoric event. The human face is never static, but continuously acts and reacts to internal and environmental stimuli, with the coordinated action of muscles throughout the body. Moreover, two anatomically and functionally different neural pathways sub-serve voluntary and involuntary expressions. An interesting implication is that we have distinct and independent pathways for genuine and posed facial expressions, and different combinations may occur across the vertical facial axis. Investigating the time course of these facial blends, which can be controlled consciously only in part, is recently providing a useful operational test for comparing the different predictions of various models on the lateralization of emotions. This concise review will identify shortcomings and new challenges regarding the study of emotion expressions at face, body, and contextual levels, eventually resulting in a theoretical and methodological shift in the study of emotions. We contend that the most feasible solution to address the complex world of emotion expression is defining a completely new and more complete approach to emotional investigation. This approach can potentially lead us to the roots of emotional display, and to the individual mechanisms underlying their expression (i.e., individual emotional signatures).
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Straulino
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- *Correspondence: Elisa Straulino,
| | - Cristina Scarpazza
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- IRCCS San Camillo Hospital, Venice, Italy
| | - Luisa Sartori
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
- Luisa Sartori,
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8
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Alıcı YH, Öztoprak H, Rızaner N, Baskak B, Devrimci Özgüven H. Deep neural network to differentiate brain activity between patients with euthymic bipolar disorders and healthy controls during verbal fluency performance: A multichannel near-infrared spectroscopy study. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2022; 326:111537. [PMID: 36088826 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2022.111537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
In this study, we aimed to differentiate between euthymic bipolar disorder (BD) patients and healthy controls (HC) based on frontal activity measured by fNIRS that were converted to spectrograms with Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN). And also, we investigated brain regions that cause this distinction. In total, 29 BD patients and 28 HCs were recruited. Their brain cortical activities were measured using fNIRS while performing letter versions of VFT. Each one of the 24 fNIRS channels was converted to a 2D spectrogram on which a CNN architecture was designed and utilized for classification. We found that our CNN algorithm using fNIRS activity during a VFT is able to differentiate subjects with BD from healthy controls with 90% accuracy, 80% sensitivity, and 100% specificity. Moreover, validation performance reached an AUC of 94%. From our individual channel analyses, we observed channels corresponding to the left inferior frontal gyrus (left-IFC), medial frontal cortex (MFC), right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), Broca area, and right premotor have considerable activity variation to distinguish patients from HC. fNIRS activity during VFT can be used as a potential marker to classify euthymic BD patients from HCs. Activity particularly in the MFC, left-IFC, Broca's area, and DLPFC have a considerable variation to distinguish patients from healthy controls.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hüseyin Öztoprak
- Cyprus InternationalUniversity, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Haspolat, Mersin 10, North Cyprus, Turkey
| | - Nahit Rızaner
- Cyprus International University, Biotechnology Research Centre, Haspolat, Mersin 10, North Cyprus, Turkey
| | - Bora Baskak
- Ankara University, Department of Interdisciplinary Neuroscience, Health Science Institute, Ankara, Turkey; Ankara University, School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Ankara, Turkey
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9
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Mustile M, Kourtis D, Edwards MG, Donaldson DI, Ietswaart M. The neural response is heightened when watching a person approaching compared to walking away: Evidence for dynamic social neuroscience. Neuropsychologia 2022; 175:108352. [PMID: 36007672 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2022.108352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The action observation network has been proposed to play a key role in predicting the action intentions (or goals) of others, thereby facilitating social interaction. Key information when interacting with others is whether someone (an agent) is moving towards or away from us, indicating whether we are likely to interact with the person. In addition, to determine the nature of a social interaction, we also need to take into consideration the distance of the agent relative to us as the observer. How this kind of information is processed within the brain is unknown, at least in part because prior studies have not involved live whole-body motion. Consequently, here we recorded mobile EEG in 18 healthy participants, assessing the neural response to the modulation of direction (walking towards or away) and distance (near vs. far distance) during the observation of an agent walking. We evaluated whether cortical alpha and beta oscillations were modulated differently by direction and distance during action observation. We found that alpha was only modulated by distance, with a stronger decrease of power when the agent was further away from the observer, regardless of direction. Critically, by contrast, beta was found to be modulated by both distance and direction, with a stronger decrease of power when the agent was near and facing the participant (walking towards) compared to when they were near but viewed from the back (walking away). Analysis revealed differences in both the timing and distribution of alpha and beta oscillations. We argue that these data suggest a full understanding of action observation requires a new dynamic neuroscience, investigating actual interactions between real people, in real world environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magda Mustile
- Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK.
| | - Dimitrios Kourtis
- Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
| | - Martin G Edwards
- Institute of Research in the Psychological Sciences, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain- la- Neuve, Belgium
| | - David I Donaldson
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St. Andrews, UK
| | - Magdalena Ietswaart
- Psychology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK
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10
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Achterhof R, Kirtley OJ, Schneider M, Hagemann N, Hermans KSFM, Hiekkaranta AP, Lecei A, Decoster J, Derom C, De Hert M, Gülöksüz S, Jacobs N, Menne-Lothmann C, Rutten BPF, Thiery E, van Os J, van Winkel R, Wichers M, Myin-Germeys I. General psychopathology and its social correlates in the daily lives of youth. J Affect Disord 2022; 309:428-436. [PMID: 35500686 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.04.147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adolescence is a period of both great social change, and of vulnerability to psychiatric distress. However, little is known about the associations between early psychopathology and social interactions at the fundamental level of daily life. To better understand the social correlates of subclinical psychopathology in adolescence, we assessed associations between general psychopathology and the quantity and quality of daily-life social interactions. METHODS During a six-day experience sampling period, adolescent and young adult participants in Study 1 (n = 663) and Study 2 (n = 1027) reported the quantity and quality of their everyday social interactions. General psychopathology was assessed using the Symptom Checklist-90 and Brief Symptom Inventory-53. The relationship between psychopathology and each outcome variable was tested in separate multilevel linear and logistic regression models. RESULTS General psychopathology was associated with social interaction quality. Associations between psychopathology and the number of social interactions were less apparent: In Study 1, participants with more psychopathology were not more alone, whereas Study 2 participants with higher levels of psychopathology were alone more. LIMITATIONS Limitations include no separate investigation of distinct types of psychopathology, and relatively low compliance to the experience sampling in Study 2. CONCLUSIONS Consistent associations between subclinical psychopathology and the quality of social interactions support the fundamentally social nature of early psychopathology. Moreover, negative experiences of social interactions may be more valuable markers of early psychopathology than a reduced quantity of social behaviors. Conceptualizations of daily-life social functioning, and prevention/intervention efforts would benefit from a greater consideration of the quality of everyday social experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Achterhof
- KU Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Research Group Psychiatry, Center for Contextual Psychiatry, Leuven, Belgium.
| | - Olivia J Kirtley
- KU Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Research Group Psychiatry, Center for Contextual Psychiatry, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Maude Schneider
- KU Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Research Group Psychiatry, Center for Contextual Psychiatry, Leuven, Belgium; Clinical Psychology Unit for Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Noëmi Hagemann
- KU Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Research Group Psychiatry, Center for Contextual Psychiatry, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Karlijn S F M Hermans
- KU Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Research Group Psychiatry, Center for Contextual Psychiatry, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Anu P Hiekkaranta
- KU Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Research Group Psychiatry, Center for Contextual Psychiatry, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Aleksandra Lecei
- KU Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Research Group Psychiatry, Center for Clinical Psychiatry, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Jeroen Decoster
- Sint-Kamillus, University Psychiatric Center, Bierbeek, Belgium
| | - Catherine Derom
- KU Leuven, Department of Human Genetics, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Marc De Hert
- KU Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Research Group Psychiatry, Center for Clinical Psychiatry, Leuven, Belgium; Sint-Kamillus, University Psychiatric Center, Bierbeek, Belgium; Antwerp Health Law and Ethics Chair, AHLEC, University Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Sinan Gülöksüz
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience MHeNS, South Limburg Mental Health and Teaching Network, EURON, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, the Netherlands; Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Nele Jacobs
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience MHeNS, South Limburg Mental Health and Teaching Network, EURON, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, the Netherlands; Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Open University of the Netherlands, Heerlen, the Netherlands
| | - Claudia Menne-Lothmann
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience MHeNS, South Limburg Mental Health and Teaching Network, EURON, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, the Netherlands
| | - Bart P F Rutten
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience MHeNS, South Limburg Mental Health and Teaching Network, EURON, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, the Netherlands
| | - Evert Thiery
- Department of Neurology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jim van Os
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience MHeNS, South Limburg Mental Health and Teaching Network, EURON, Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Maastricht University, the Netherlands; Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands; Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, King's Health Partners, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Ruud van Winkel
- KU Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Research Group Psychiatry, Center for Clinical Psychiatry, Leuven, Belgium; Sint-Kamillus, University Psychiatric Center, Bierbeek, Belgium
| | - Marieke Wichers
- University Medical Center Groningen, Interdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion Regulation, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Inez Myin-Germeys
- KU Leuven, Department of Neurosciences, Research Group Psychiatry, Center for Contextual Psychiatry, Leuven, Belgium
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11
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Goh PH, Ong JZ. It's a guy thing: Sex as a moderator of the relationship between social anxiety and perception of interpersonal warmth in initial heterosexual interactions. ASIAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/ajsp.12536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Pei Hwa Goh
- Department of Psychology Monash University Subang Jaya Malaysia
| | - Jonathan Z. Ong
- Department of Psychology Monash University Subang Jaya Malaysia
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12
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Morgan EJ, Carroll DJ, Chow CKC, Freeth M. The Effect of Social Presence on Mentalizing Behavior. Cogn Sci 2022; 46:e13126. [PMID: 35411971 PMCID: PMC9287020 DOI: 10.1111/cogs.13126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Our behavior is frequently influenced by those around us. However, the majority of social cognition research is conducted using socially isolated paradigms, without the presence of real people (i.e., without a "social presence"). The current study aimed to test the influence of social presence upon a measure of mentalizing behavior in adults. Study 1 used a first-order theory of mind task; and study 2 used a second-order theory of mind task. Both studies included two conditions: live, where the task protagonists were physically present acting out the task, or recorded, where the same task protagonists demonstrated the task in a video recording. In both experiments, participants were affected by the social presence and demonstrated significantly different patterns of behavior in response to the presence of real people. This study, therefore, highlights the critical importance of understanding the effect of a social presence in mentalizing research, and suggests that the inclusion of a social presence needs to be given strong consideration across social cognition paradigms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma J Morgan
- Department of Psychology, The University of Sheffield
| | | | | | - Megan Freeth
- Department of Psychology, The University of Sheffield
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13
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Development of an Ecologically Valid Assessment for Social Cognition Based on Real Interaction: Preliminary Results. Behav Sci (Basel) 2022; 12:bs12020054. [PMID: 35200305 PMCID: PMC8869373 DOI: 10.3390/bs12020054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Many social cognitive assessment measures that are appropriate for clinical use are currently available, but there is a general concern about their ecological validity. This study aimed to develop an applicable real interaction-based test to assess social cognition. A sample of 50 subjects (mean age 22 ± 5.8, 56% women) took the Social Interaction Test as well as two instruments for assessing social cognition: (1) the Movie for Assessment of Social Cognition (MASC) and (2) branch 4 from the Mayer–Salovey–Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT). The test showed no incidence on its application. The reliability of the 18-item final version of the test was a medium-high level (Cronbach’s alpha = 0.701). To assess the internal structure of the test, a multidimensional scaling procedure was used. The common space of coordinates for the two-dimensional solution showed a normalized raw stress of 0.076 and Tucker’s congruence coefficient of 0.965. The social interaction test showed stronger association with MASC (more realistic, video-based format) than with MSCEIT (less realistic, paper-based format). The Social Interaction Test is applicable and feasible to use it to assess social cognition in the general population.
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14
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Suchan J, Bhatt M, Varadarajan S. Commonsense visual sensemaking for autonomous driving – On generalised neurosymbolic online abduction integrating vision and semantics. ARTIF INTELL 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.artint.2021.103522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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15
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Era V, Aglioti SM, Candidi M. Inhibitory Theta Burst Stimulation Highlights the Role of Left aIPS and Right TPJ during Complementary and Imitative Human-Avatar Interactions in Cooperative and Competitive Scenarios. Cereb Cortex 2021; 30:1677-1687. [PMID: 31667496 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2018] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Competitive and cooperative interactions are based on anticipation or synchronization with the partner's actions. Both forms of interaction may either require performing imitative or complementary movements with respect to those performed by our partner. We explored how parietal regions involved in the control of imitative behavior (temporo-parietal junction, TPJ), goal coding and visuo-motor integration (anterior intraparietal sulcus, aIPS) contribute to the execution of imitative and complementary movements during cooperative and competitive interactions. To this aim, we delivered off-line non-invasive inhibitory brain stimulation to healthy individuals' left aIPS and right TPJ before they were asked to reach and grasp an object together with a virtual partner by either performing imitative or complementary interactions. In different blocks, participants were asked to compete or cooperate with the virtual partner that varied its behavior according to cooperative or competitive contexts. Left aIPS and right TPJ inhibition impaired individuals' performance (i.e., synchrony in cooperative task and anticipation in competition) during complementary and imitative interactions, respectively, in both cooperative and competitive contexts, indicating that aIPS and TPJ inhibition affects own-other action integration and action imitation (that are different in complementary vs imitative interactions) more than action synchronization or anticipation (that are different in cooperative vs competitive contexts).
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Era
- SCNLab Department of Psychology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS, Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Salvatore Maria Aglioti
- SCNLab Department of Psychology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS, Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Candidi
- SCNLab Department of Psychology, "Sapienza" University of Rome, 00185, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS, Fondazione Santa Lucia, 00185, Rome, Italy
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16
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Gallagher S, O'Súilleabháin PS, Smith MA. The cardiovascular response to acute psychological stress is related to subjectively giving and receiving social support. Int J Psychophysiol 2021; 164:95-102. [PMID: 33741367 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2021.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 11/15/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The pathways linking giving and receiving emotional and instrumental social support, and cardiovascular reactivity (CVR) are not yet fully understood. Eight-two healthy young adults completed psychometric measures of giving and receiving emotional and instrumental social support and participated in a standardised laboratory stress task. Cardiovascular and hemodynamic parameters were monitored throughout. Both giving and receiving emotional support were positively associated with systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), such that those reporting giving and receiving more emotional support had higher reactivity. Only receiving instrumental was associated with DBP, with those receiving more instrumental support having higher reactivity. Moreover, while the significant association between giving social support and CVR withstood adjustment for several confounding factors (e.g., BMI, sex) it was abolished when receiving support was controlled for. These findings are novel and extend the literature on social support and CVR. Taken together, these findings suggest that receipt of support, rather than giving, may be more influential in this context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Gallagher
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Social Issues Research, Study of Anxiety, Stress and Health Laboratory, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland; Health Research Institute, University of Limerick, Ireland.
| | - Páraic S O'Súilleabháin
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Social Issues Research, Study of Anxiety, Stress and Health Laboratory, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland; Health Research Institute, University of Limerick, Ireland
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17
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Martins D, Rademacher L, Gabay AS, Taylor R, Richey JA, Smith DV, Goerlich KS, Nawijn L, Cremers HR, Wilson R, Bhattacharyya S, Paloyelis Y. Mapping social reward and punishment processing in the human brain: A voxel-based meta-analysis of neuroimaging findings using the social incentive delay task. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 122:1-17. [PMID: 33421544 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.12.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Social rewards or punishments motivate human learning and behaviour, and alterations in the brain circuits involved in the processing of these stimuli have been linked with several neuropsychiatric disorders. However, questions still remain about the exact neural substrates implicated in social reward and punishment processing. Here, we conducted four Anisotropic Effect Size Signed Differential Mapping voxel-based meta-analyses of fMRI studies investigating the neural correlates of the anticipation and receipt of social rewards and punishments using the Social Incentive Delay task. We found that the anticipation of both social rewards and social punishment avoidance recruits a wide network of areas including the basal ganglia, the midbrain, the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, the supplementary motor area, the anterior insula, the occipital gyrus and other frontal, temporal, parietal and cerebellar regions not captured in previous coordinate-based meta-analysis. We identified decreases in the BOLD signal during the anticipation of both social reward and punishment avoidance in regions of the default-mode network that were missed in individual studies likely due to a lack of power. Receipt of social rewards engaged a robust network of brain regions including the ventromedial frontal and orbitofrontal cortices, the anterior cingulate cortex, the amygdala, the hippocampus, the occipital cortex and the brainstem, but not the basal ganglia. Receipt of social punishments increased the BOLD signal in the orbitofrontal cortex, superior and inferior frontal gyri, lateral occipital cortex and the insula. In contrast to the receipt of social rewards, we also observed a decrease in the BOLD signal in the basal ganglia in response to the receipt of social punishments. Our results provide a better understanding of the brain circuitry involved in the processing of social rewards and punishment. Furthermore, they can inform hypotheses regarding brain areas where disruption in activity may be associated with dysfunctional social incentive processing during disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Martins
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK.
| | - L Rademacher
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Lübeck, Germany and Department of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - A S Gabay
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, New Radcliffe House, Oxford, OX2 6NW, UK
| | - R Taylor
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - J A Richey
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, USA
| | - D V Smith
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, 19122, USA
| | - K S Goerlich
- Department of Biomedical Sciences of Cells & Systems, Section Cognitive Neuroscience, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - L Nawijn
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - H R Cremers
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - R Wilson
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, United Kingdom
| | - S Bhattacharyya
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, United Kingdom
| | - Y Paloyelis
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, UK
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18
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Abstract
Sense of Agency, the phenomenology associated with causing one's own actions and corresponding effects, is a cornerstone of human experience. Social Agency can be defined as the Sense of Agency experienced in any situation in which the effects of our actions are related to a conspecific. This can be implemented as the other's reactions being caused by our action, joint action modulating our Sense of Agency, or the other's mere social presence influencing our Sense of Agency. It is currently an open question how such Social Agency can be conceptualized and how it relates to its nonsocial variant. This is because, compared with nonsocial Sense of Agency, the concept of Social Agency has remained oversimplified and underresearched, with disparate empirical paradigms yielding divergent results. Reviewing the empirical evidence and the commonalities and differences between different instantiations of Social Agency, we propose that Social Agency can be conceptualized as a continuum, in which the degree of cooperation is the key dimension that determines our Sense of Agency, and how it relates to nonsocial Sense of Agency. Taking this perspective, we review how the different factors that typically influence Sense of Agency affect Social Agency, and in the process highlight outstanding empirical questions within the field. Finally, concepts from wider research areas are discussed in relation to the ecological validity of Social Agency paradigms, and we provide recommendations for future methodology.
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19
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Enhanced mirroring upon mutual gaze: multimodal evidence from TMS-assessed corticospinal excitability and the EEG mu rhythm. Sci Rep 2020; 10:20449. [PMID: 33235329 PMCID: PMC7687883 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77508-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous research has demonstrated that eye contact between actor and observer specifically enhances the 'mirroring' of others' actions, as measured by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)-induced motor evoked potentials (MEPs). However, it remains unknown whether other markers of mirror system activation, such as suppression of the EEG mu rhythm (8-13 Hz) over the sensorimotor strip, are also susceptible to perceived eye contact. Here, both TMS-induced MEPs and EEG mu suppression indices were assessed (in separate sessions) while 32 participants (mean age: 24y; 8m) observed a simple hand movement combined with direct or averted gaze from the actor. Both measures were significantly modulated by perceived eye gaze during action observation; showing an increase in MEP amplitude and an attenuation of the mu rhythm during direct vs. averted gaze. Importantly, while absolute MEP and mu suppression scores were not related, a significant association was identified between gaze-related changes in MEPs and mu suppression, indicating that both measures are similarly affected by the modulatory impact of gaze cues. Our results suggest that although the neural substrates underlying TMS-induced MEPs and the EEG mu rhythm may differ, both are sensitive to the social relevance of the observed actions, which might reflect a similar neural gating mechanism.
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20
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Enhanced emotional and motor responses to live versus videotaped dynamic facial expressions. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16825. [PMID: 33033355 PMCID: PMC7544832 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73826-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Facial expression is an integral aspect of non-verbal communication of affective information. Earlier psychological studies have reported that the presentation of prerecorded photographs or videos of emotional facial expressions automatically elicits divergent responses, such as emotions and facial mimicry. However, such highly controlled experimental procedures may lack the vividness of real-life social interactions. This study incorporated a live image relay system that delivered models' real-time performance of positive (smiling) and negative (frowning) dynamic facial expressions or their prerecorded videos to participants. We measured subjective ratings of valence and arousal and facial electromyography (EMG) activity in the zygomaticus major and corrugator supercilii muscles. Subjective ratings showed that the live facial expressions were rated to elicit higher valence and more arousing than the corresponding videos for positive emotion conditions. Facial EMG data showed that compared with the video, live facial expressions more effectively elicited facial muscular activity congruent with the models' positive facial expressions. The findings indicate that emotional facial expressions in live social interactions are more evocative of emotional reactions and facial mimicry than earlier experimental data have suggested.
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21
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Prinsen J, Alaerts K. Eye contact enhances interpersonal motor resonance: comparing video stimuli to a live two-person action context. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2020; 14:967-976. [PMID: 31506688 PMCID: PMC6917019 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsz064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2019] [Revised: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous research has shown a link between eye contact and interpersonal motor resonance, indicating that the mirroring of observed movements is enhanced when accompanied with mutual eye contact between actor and observer. Here, we further explored the role of eye contact within a naturalistic two-person action context. Twenty-two participants observed simple hand movements combined with direct or averted gaze presented via a live model in a two-person setting or via video recordings, while transcranial magnetic stimulation was applied over the primary motor cortex (M1) to measure changes in M1 excitability. Skin conductance responses and gaze behavior were also measured to investigate the role of arousal and visual attention herein. Eye contact significantly enhanced excitability of the observer's M1 during movement observation within a two-person setting. Notably, participants with higher social responsiveness (Social Communication subscale of the Social Responsiveness Scale) displayed a more pronounced modulation of M1 excitability by eye gaze. Gaze-related modulations in M1 excitability were, however, not associated with differences in visual attention or autonomic arousal. In summary, the current study highlights the effectiveness and feasibility of adopting paradigms with high ecological validity for studying the modulation of mirror system processes by subtle social cues, such as eye gaze.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jellina Prinsen
- Research Group for Neurorehabilitation, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kaat Alaerts
- Research Group for Neurorehabilitation, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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22
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Ross P, Flack T. Removing Hand Form Information Specifically Impairs Emotion Recognition for Fearful and Angry Body Stimuli. Perception 2019; 49:98-112. [PMID: 31801026 DOI: 10.1177/0301006619893229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Emotion perception research has largely been dominated by work on facial expressions, but emotion is also strongly conveyed from the body. Research exploring emotion recognition from the body tends to refer to “the body” as a whole entity. However, the body is made up of different components (hands, arms, trunk, etc.), all of which could be differentially contributing to emotion recognition. We know that the hands can help to convey actions and, in particular, are important for social communication through gestures, but we currently do not know to what extent the hands influence emotion recognition from the body. Here, 93 adults viewed static emotional body stimuli with either the hands, arms, or both components removed and completed a forced-choice emotion recognition task. Removing the hands significantly reduced recognition accuracy for fear and anger but made no significant difference to the recognition of happiness and sadness. Removing the arms had no effect on emotion recognition accuracy compared with the full-body stimuli. These results suggest the hands may play a key role in the recognition of emotions from the body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paddy Ross
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, UK
| | - Tessa Flack
- School of Psychology, University of Lincoln, UK
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23
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Betti S, Castiello U, Guerra S, Granziol U, Zani G, Sartori L. Gaze and body cues interplay during interactive requests. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0223591. [PMID: 31634344 PMCID: PMC6802846 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Although observing other's gaze and body movements provides a crucial source of information to successfully interact with other people, it remains unclear whether observers weigh differently these cues and whether the convergence of gaze and body's directions determines facilitation effects. Here we aim to shed more light on this issue by testing the reliance upon these cues from both a behavioral and a neurophysiological perspective in a social interactive context. In Experiment 1, we manipulated the convergence between the direction of an actor's upper limb movement and gaze direction while he attempts to socially interact with the participants observing the scene. We determined the direction of gaze as well as the duration of participants' ocular fixations during the observation of the scene. In Experiment 2, we measured and correlated the effect of the body/gaze manipulation on corticospinal excitability and on the readiness to interact-a disposition to engage in social situations. Eye-tracking data revealed that participants fixated chiefly the actor's head when his hand and gaze directions were divergent. Possibly a strategy to disambiguate the scene. Whereas participants mainly fixated the actor's hand when he performed an interactive request toward the participants. From a neurophysiological point of view, the more participants felt involved in the interaction, the lower was motor preparation in the muscle potentially needed to fulfill the actor's request. We contend that social contexts are more likely to elicit motor preparation compared to non-social ones, and that muscular inhibition is a necessary mechanism in order to prevent unwanted overt reactions during action observation tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Betti
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | | | - Silvia Guerra
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Umberto Granziol
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Giovanni Zani
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
| | - Luisa Sartori
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
- Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padua, Padua, Italy
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24
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Era V, Boukarras S, Candidi M. Neural correlates of action monitoring and mutual adaptation during interpersonal motor coordination: Comment on "The body talks: Sensorimotor communication and its brain and kinematic signatures" by G. Pezzulo et al. Phys Life Rev 2019; 28:43-45. [PMID: 30718195 DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2019.01.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2019] [Accepted: 01/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Era
- SCNLab, Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185, Rome, Italy; IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306, 00100, Rome, Italy.
| | - Sarah Boukarras
- SCNLab, Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185, Rome, Italy; IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306, 00100, Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Candidi
- SCNLab, Department of Psychology, Sapienza University, Via dei Marsi 78, 00185, Rome, Italy; IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Via Ardeatina 306, 00100, Rome, Italy.
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25
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Reader AT, Holmes NP. The left ventral premotor cortex is involved in hand shaping for intransitive gestures: evidence from a two-person imitation experiment. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:181356. [PMID: 30473863 PMCID: PMC6227992 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.181356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2018] [Accepted: 09/13/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
The ventral premotor cortex (PMv) is involved in grasping and object manipulation, while the dorsal premotor cortex (PMd) has been suggested to play a role in reaching and action selection. These areas have also been associated with action imitation, but their relative roles in different types of action imitation are unclear. We examined the role of the left PMv and PMd in meaningful and meaningless action imitation by using repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS). Participants imitated meaningful and meaningless actions performed by a confederate actor while both individuals were motion-tracked. rTMS was applied over the left PMv, left PMd or a vertex control site during action observation or imitation. Digit velocity was significantly greater following stimulation over the PMv during imitation compared with stimulation over the PMv during observation, regardless of action meaning. Similar effects were not observed over the PMd or vertex. In addition, stimulation over the PMv increased finger movement speed in a (non-imitative) finger-thumb opposition task. We suggest that claims regarding the role of the PMv in object-directed hand shaping may stem from the prevalence of object-directed designs in motor control research. Our results indicate that the PMv may have a broader role in 'target-directed' hand shaping, whereby different areas of the hand are considered targets to act upon during intransitive gesturing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arran T. Reader
- Department of Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
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26
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Visuo-motor interference with a virtual partner is equally present in cooperative and competitive interactions. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2018; 84:810-822. [PMID: 30191316 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-018-1090-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 09/03/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Automatic imitation of observed actions is thought to be a powerful mechanism, one that may mediate the reward value of interpersonal interactions, but that could also generate visuo-motor interference when interactions involve complementary movements. Since interpersonal coordination seems to be crucial both when cooperating and competing with others, the questions arises as to whether imitation-and thus visuo-motor interference-occurs in both scenarios. To address this issue, we asked human participants to engage in high- or low-interactive (Interactive or Cued condition, respectively), cooperative or competitive, joint reach-to-grasps with a virtual partner. More specifically, interactions occurred in: (i) a Cued condition, where participants simply adapted their movement timing to synchronize with (during cooperation) or anticipate (during competition) the virtual partner's grasp; (ii) an Interactive condition requiring the same adaptation, as well as a real-time selection of their action according to the virtual character's movement. To simulate a realistic human-human interaction, the virtual character would change its movement speed in consecutive trials according to participants' behaviour. Results demonstrate that visuo-motor interference-as indexed by movement kinematics (higher maximum wrist height during complementary compared to imitative power grips)-emerge in both cooperative and competitive motor interactions only when predictions about the partner's movements are needed to perform one's own action (interactive condition). These results support the idea that simulative imitation is heavily present when individuals need to match their behaviours closely.
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27
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Betti S, Zani G, Granziol U, Guerra S, Castiello U, Sartori L. Look at Me: Early Gaze Engagement Enhances Corticospinal Excitability During Action Observation. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1408. [PMID: 30140243 PMCID: PMC6095062 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Direct gaze is a powerful social cue able to capture the onlooker’s attention. Beside gaze, head and limb movements as well can provide relevant sources of information for social interaction. This study investigated the joint role of direct gaze and hand gestures on onlookers corticospinal excitability (CE). In two experiments we manipulated the temporal and spatial aspects of observed gaze and hand behavior to assess their role in affecting motor preparation. To do this, transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) on the primary motor cortex (M1) coupled with electromyography (EMG) recording was used in two experiments. In the crucial manipulation, we showed to participants four video clips of an actor who initially displayed eye contact while starting a social request gesture, and then completed the action while directing his gaze toward a salient object for the interaction. This way, the observed gaze potentially expressed the intention to interact. Eye tracking data confirmed that gaze manipulation was effective in drawing observers’ attention to the actor’s hand gesture. In the attempt to reveal possible time-locked modulations, we tracked CE at the onset and offset of the request gesture. Neurophysiological results showed an early CE modulation when the actor was about to start the request gesture looking straight to the participants, compared to when his gaze was averted from the gesture. This effect was time-locked to the kinematics of the actor’s arm movement. Overall, data from the two experiments seem to indicate that the joint contribution of direct gaze and precocious kinematic information, gained while a request gesture is on the verge of beginning, increases the subjective experience of involvement and allows observers to prepare for an appropriate social interaction. On the contrary, the separation of gaze cues and body kinematics can have adverse effects on social motor preparation. CE is highly susceptible to biological cues, such as averted gaze, which is able to automatically capture and divert observer’s attention. This point to the existence of heuristics based on early action and gaze cues that would allow observers to interact appropriately.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia Betti
- Dipartimento di Psicologia Generale, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Giovanni Zani
- Dipartimento di Psicologia Generale, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Umberto Granziol
- Dipartimento di Psicologia Generale, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Silvia Guerra
- Dipartimento di Psicologia Generale, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Umberto Castiello
- Dipartimento di Psicologia Generale, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy.,Centro Beniamino Segre, Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei, Rome, Italy
| | - Luisa Sartori
- Dipartimento di Psicologia Generale, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy.,Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy
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Reader AT, Royce BP, Marsh JE, Chivers KJ, Holmes NP. Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation reveals a role for the left inferior parietal lobule in matching observed kinematics during imitation. Eur J Neurosci 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Arran T. Reader
- Department of Neuroscience; Karolinska Insitutet; Retzius väg 8 Stockholm Sweden
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics; School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences; University of Reading; Reading UK
| | - Ben P. Royce
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics; School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences; University of Reading; Reading UK
| | - Jade E. Marsh
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics; School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences; University of Reading; Reading UK
| | - Katy-Jayne Chivers
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics; School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences; University of Reading; Reading UK
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How can the study of action kinematics inform our understanding of human social interaction? Neuropsychologia 2017; 105:101-110. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2017.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2016] [Revised: 01/17/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Cronin KA, Jacobson SL, Bonnie KE, Hopper LM. Studying primate cognition in a social setting to improve validity and welfare: a literature review highlighting successful approaches. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3649. [PMID: 28791199 PMCID: PMC5545107 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2016] [Accepted: 07/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studying animal cognition in a social setting is associated with practical and statistical challenges. However, conducting cognitive research without disturbing species-typical social groups can increase ecological validity, minimize distress, and improve animal welfare. Here, we review the existing literature on cognitive research run with primates in a social setting in order to determine how widespread such testing is and highlight approaches that may guide future research planning. SURVEY METHODOLOGY Using Google Scholar to search the terms "primate" "cognition" "experiment" and "social group," we conducted a systematic literature search covering 16 years (2000-2015 inclusive). We then conducted two supplemental searches within each journal that contained a publication meeting our criteria in the original search, using the terms "primate" and "playback" in one search and the terms "primate" "cognition" and "social group" in the second. The results were used to assess how frequently nonhuman primate cognition has been studied in a social setting (>3 individuals), to gain perspective on the species and topics that have been studied, and to extract successful approaches for social testing. RESULTS Our search revealed 248 unique publications in 43 journals encompassing 71 species. The absolute number of publications has increased over years, suggesting viable strategies for studying cognition in social settings. While a wide range of species were studied they were not equally represented, with 19% of the publications reporting data for chimpanzees. Field sites were the most common environment for experiments run in social groups of primates, accounting for more than half of the results. Approaches to mitigating the practical and statistical challenges were identified. DISCUSSION This analysis has revealed that the study of primate cognition in a social setting is increasing and taking place across a range of environments. This literature review calls attention to examples that may provide valuable models for researchers wishing to overcome potential practical and statistical challenges to studying cognition in a social setting, ultimately increasing validity and improving the welfare of the primates we study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine A. Cronin
- Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Sarah L. Jacobson
- Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Kristin E. Bonnie
- Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL, United States of America
- Department of Psychology, Beloit College, Beloit, WI, United States of America
| | - Lydia M. Hopper
- Lester E. Fisher Center for the Study and Conservation of Apes, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, IL, United States of America
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Virtual Reality for Research in Social Neuroscience. Brain Sci 2017; 7:brainsci7040042. [PMID: 28420150 PMCID: PMC5406699 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci7040042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Revised: 03/28/2017] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of social neuroscience has significantly advanced our understanding of the relationship that exists between social processes and their neurobiological underpinnings. Social neuroscience research often involves the use of simple and static stimuli lacking many of the potentially important aspects of real world activities and social interactions. Whilst this research has merit, there is a growing interest in the presentation of dynamic stimuli in a manner that allows researchers to assess the integrative processes carried out by perceivers over time. Herein, we discuss the potential of virtual reality for enhancing ecological validity while maintaining experimental control in social neuroscience research. Virtual reality is a technology that allows for the creation of fully interactive, three-dimensional computerized models of social situations that can be fully controlled by the experimenter. Furthermore, the introduction of interactive virtual characters—either driven by a human or by a computer—allows the researcher to test, in a systematic and independent manner, the effects of various social cues. We first introduce key technical features and concepts related to virtual reality. Next, we discuss the potential of this technology for enhancing social neuroscience protocols, drawing on illustrative experiments from the literature.
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