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Goodwyn E. The Human Body is the Collective Unconscious: Archetypal Images as Innate Embodied Metaphors. THE JOURNAL OF ANALYTICAL PSYCHOLOGY 2024; 69:411-433. [PMID: 38812091 DOI: 10.1111/1468-5922.12998] [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: 10/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024]
Abstract
For a significant part of its history, archetype theory has been undermined by criticisms containing unexamined Cartesian assumptions. Such assumptions treat all cognition as disembodied, consisting of mere manipulation of abstract, inherently meaningless signs mimicked from verbal instruction or cultural learning. Since the 1980s, due to the results of many independent disciplines, however, this view is being replaced with one of embodied cognition. This shift has important consequences for archetype theory, allowing us to provide a non-reductive biological anchor that explains many characteristics of the archetypal image.
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2
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Lu L, Jian L. Emotional sociology applied: predictive influence of affective neuroscience personality traits on Chinese preschool teachers' performance and wellbeing. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1372694. [PMID: 38882513 PMCID: PMC11179556 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1372694] [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: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The interplay between teaching engagement and performance has garnered attention in both theoretical and empirical research, primarily due to its influence on student academic achievement, teacher well-being, and the realization of institutional goals. This is especially pertinent in the realm of preschool education, where the scope of learning extends beyond academic content to encompass the broader socialization of children. Drawing from Affective Neuroscience research, this study investigates the role of affective tendencies as mediators in the relationship between work engagement and job performance. Objective The primary aim of this research is to examine a chain mediation model that hypothesizes the predictive role of teacher engagement. This model posits the intermediary influence of four basic emotions-CARING, SEEKING, ANGER, and FEAR-followed by the mediating effect of job satisfaction on teacher job performance. Method The study utilized a sample of 842 Chinese preschool teachers. Data were collected through an online questionnaire, employing a time-lagged design. The analysis was conducted using Model 80 of the PROCESS Macros. Results The findings reveal that both positive and negative emotions significantly predict teachers' job satisfaction. However, job satisfaction does not influence job performance. The analysis confirmed the direct and total effects of teacher engagement, as well as the indirect effects, particularly through the positive emotion of Caring. Implications The results are instrumental in informing and refining interventions designed to enhance teacher engagement and performance, underscoring the importance of emotional factors in the educational environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling Lu
- Faculty of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- College of Teacher Education, Xichang University, Xichang, China
| | - Lu Jian
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
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3
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Goodwyn E. Understanding Spontaneous Symbolism in Psychotherapy Using Embodied Thought. Behav Sci (Basel) 2024; 14:319. [PMID: 38667115 PMCID: PMC11047384 DOI: 10.3390/bs14040319] [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: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Spontaneous, unwilled subjective imagery and symbols (including dreams) often emerge in psychotherapy that can appear baffling and confound interpretation. Early psychoanalytic theories seemed to diverge as often as they agreed on the meaning of such content. Nevertheless, after reviewing key findings in the empirical science of spontaneous thought as well as insights gleaned from neuroscience and especially embodied cognition, it is now possible to construct a more coherent theory of interpretation that is clinically useful. Given that thought is so thoroughly embodied, it is possible to demonstrate that universalities in human physiology yield universalities in thought. Such universalities can then be demonstrated to form a kind of biologically directed universal "code" for understanding spontaneous symbolic expressions that emerge in psychotherapy. An example is given that illustrates how this can be applied to clinical encounters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Goodwyn
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
- College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA;
- The Billings Clinic, Billings, MT 59105, USA
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4
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Bao L, Rao J, Yu D, Zheng B, Yin B. Decoding the language of fear: Unveiling objective and subjective indicators in rodent models through a systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 157:105537. [PMID: 38215801 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105537] [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: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 12/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
While rodent models are vital for studying mental disorders, the underestimation of construct validity of fear indicators has led to limitations in translating to effective clinical treatments. Addressing this gap, we systematically reviewed 5054 articles from the 1960 s, understanding underlying theoretical advancement, and selected 68 articles with at least two fear indicators for a three-level meta-analysis. We hypothesized correlations between different indicators would elucidate similar functions, while magnitude differences could reveal distinct neural or behavioral mechanisms. Our findings reveal a shift towards using freezing behavior as the primary fear indicator in rodent models, and strong, moderate, and weak correlations between freezing and conditioned suppression ratios, 22-kHz ultrasonic vocalizations, and autonomic nervous system responses, respectively. Using freezing as a reference, moderator analysis shows treatment types and fear stages significantly influenced differences in magnitudes between two indicators. Our analysis supports a two-system model of fear in rodents, where objective and subjective fears could operate on a threshold-based mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lili Bao
- School of Psychology, Fujian Normal University, China; Key Laboratory for Learning and Behavioral Sciences, Fujian Normal University, China
| | - Jiaojiao Rao
- School of Psychology, Fujian Normal University, China; Key Laboratory for Learning and Behavioral Sciences, Fujian Normal University, China
| | - Delin Yu
- School of Psychology, Fujian Normal University, China; Key Laboratory for Learning and Behavioral Sciences, Fujian Normal University, China
| | - Benhuiyuan Zheng
- School of Psychology, Fujian Normal University, China; Key Laboratory for Learning and Behavioral Sciences, Fujian Normal University, China
| | - Bin Yin
- School of Psychology, Fujian Normal University, China; Key Laboratory for Learning and Behavioral Sciences, Fujian Normal University, China.
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5
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Klingner CM, Guntinas-Lichius O. Facial expression and emotion. Laryngorhinootologie 2023; 102:S115-S125. [PMID: 37130535 PMCID: PMC10171334 DOI: 10.1055/a-2003-5687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Human facial expressions are unique in their ability to express our emotions and communicate them to others. The mimic expression of basic emotions is very similar across different cultures and has also many features in common with other mammals. This suggests a common genetic origin of the association between facial expressions and emotion. However, recent studies also show cultural influences and differences. The recognition of emotions from facial expressions, as well as the process of expressing one's emotions facially, occurs within an extremely complex cerebral network. Due to the complexity of the cerebral processing system, there are a variety of neurological and psychiatric disorders that can significantly disrupt the coupling of facial expressions and emotions. Wearing masks also limits our ability to convey and recognize emotions through facial expressions. Through facial expressions, however, not only "real" emotions can be expressed, but also acted ones. Thus, facial expressions open up the possibility of faking socially desired expressions and also of consciously faking emotions. However, these pretenses are mostly imperfect and can be accompanied by short-term facial movements that indicate the emotions that are actually present (microexpressions). These microexpressions are of very short duration and often barely perceptible by humans, but they are the ideal application area for computer-aided analysis. This automatic identification of microexpressions has not only received scientific attention in recent years, but its use is also being tested in security-related areas. This article summarizes the current state of knowledge of facial expressions and emotions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carsten M Klingner
- Hans Berger Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Germany
- Biomagnetic Center, Jena University Hospital, Germany
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6
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Yankouskaya A, Lovett G, Sui J. The relationship between self, value-based reward, and emotion prioritisation effects. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2023; 76:942-960. [PMID: 35543595 PMCID: PMC10031635 DOI: 10.1177/17470218221102887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
People show systematic biases in perception, memory, attention, and decision-making to prioritise information related to self, reward, and positive emotion. A long-standing set of experimental findings points towards putative common properties of these effects. However, the relationship between them remains largely unknown. Here, we addressed this question by assessing and linking these prioritisation effects generated by a common associative matching procedure in three experiments. Self, reward, and positive emotion prioritisation effects were assessed using cluster and shift function analyses to explore and test associations between these effects across individuals. Cluster analysis revealed two distinct patterns of the relationship between the biases. Individuals with faster responses showed a smaller reward and linear positive association between reward and emotion biases. Individuals with slower responses demonstrated a large reward and no association between reward and emotion biases. No evidence of the relationship between self and value-based reward or positive emotion prioritisation effects was found among the clusters. A shift function indicated a partial dominance of high-reward over low-reward distributions at later processing stages in participants with slower but not faster responses. Full stochastic dominance of self-relevance over others and positive over neutral emotion was pertinent to each subgroup of participants. Our findings suggest the independent origin of the self-prioritisation effect. In contrast, commonalities in cognitive mechanisms supporting value-based reward and positive emotion processing are subject to individual differences. These findings add important evidence to a steadily growing research base about the relationship between basic behavioural drivers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gemma Lovett
- Department of Psychology, Bournemouth University, Poole, UK
| | - Jie Sui
- The School of Psychology, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
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7
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Normandin L, Alan Weiner, Karin Ensink. An Integrated Developmental Approach to Personality Disorders in Adolescence: Expanding Kernberg's Object Relations Theory. Am J Psychother 2023; 76:9-14. [PMID: 36695537 DOI: 10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.20220023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
This article is a tribute to Dr. Otto F. Kernberg and his contribution to the theoretical understanding of personality pathology in adolescence. In his object relations theory of the structure of personality, an integrated identity is considered central to healthy personality functioning and is contrasted with identity diffusion, which is posited to underlie the maladaptive interpersonal functioning of patients with severe personality disorders. His work provided an early theoretical foundation for the understanding and treatment of personality disorders in adults, but a need remained for a deeper understanding of the development and treatment of personality disorders during adolescence. During the past 10 years, Kernberg has led a group of clinicians and developmental researchers focusing on childhood and adolescence to elaborate an understanding of the development, assessment, and treatment of personality disorders among adolescents. He proposed that in the context of typical development, adolescence is important to the expansion of identity, because it represents the period when sexual and aggressive impulses are integrated and earlier representations of the self and others are revised and become more realistic and nuanced. Furthermore, adolescence entails a reorganization of the moral system and enrichment of the ego ideal. This article presents two methods for assessing personality disorders in adolescence that are based on Kernberg's theory and demonstrates the use of transference-focused psychotherapy for adolescents with personality disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lina Normandin
- Department of Psychology, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada (Normandin, Ensink); Department of Psychology, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York City (Weiner); Personality Disorders Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York City (Weiner)
| | - Alan Weiner
- Department of Psychology, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada (Normandin, Ensink); Department of Psychology, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York City (Weiner); Personality Disorders Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York City (Weiner)
| | - Karin Ensink
- Department of Psychology, Université Laval, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada (Normandin, Ensink); Department of Psychology, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York City (Weiner); Personality Disorders Institute, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York City (Weiner)
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8
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Moya-Higueras J, March-Llanes J, Prat Q, Muñoz-Arroyave V, Lavega-Burgués P. Traditional Sporting Games as an emotional induction procedure. Front Psychol 2023; 13:1082646. [PMID: 36687961 PMCID: PMC9853288 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1082646] [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: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Experimental designs to induct emotional states have frequently used still procedures. However, more naturalistic methods of emotional induction by letting participants move and interact freely with other participants should be considered. Traditional Sporting Games (TSG) have the above-mentioned characteristics. The general aim of this study was to determine whether the different roles which allowed executing ambivalent interactions induced different emotional states in college students. We developed three studies with three paradoxical TSG (Sitting Ball Game, Four Corners Game, and Pitcher's Game). Before beginning to play, all the participants answered the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) in a mood version. After playing, participants were asked to report retrospectively the emotional state they were feeling in each role of the game, responding to the Self-Assessment Manikin, PANAS, and Games and Emotion Scale-II. Statistical analyses were performed by ANOVA, calculating corresponding effect sizes. Consistently, but specifically, in each game, roles still induced less positive and more negative emotions. Regarding the active roles, more positive and less negative emotions were kindled when the role allowed catching other players. On the contrary, when developing an active role that implied an increased likelihood of being caught, more negative and less positive emotions were experienced. We found some significant interaction effects between the moods and the role played before playing. To conclude, TSG could be an adequate procedure to induct emotional states and to study emotional conditions in a naturalistic way, showing ecological validity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Moya-Higueras
- Department of Psychology, University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain,Centre for Biomedical Research Network on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Queralt Prat
- National Institute of Physical Education of Catalonia (INEFC), University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain,Motor Action Research Group (GIAM), Lleida, Spain,Institut de Recerca de Desenvolupament Social i Territorial (INDEST), University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain
| | - Verónica Muñoz-Arroyave
- National Institute of Physical Education of Catalonia (INEFC), University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain,Motor Action Research Group (GIAM), Lleida, Spain,Institut de Recerca de Desenvolupament Social i Territorial (INDEST), University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain
| | - Pere Lavega-Burgués
- National Institute of Physical Education of Catalonia (INEFC), University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain,Motor Action Research Group (GIAM), Lleida, Spain,Institut de Recerca de Desenvolupament Social i Territorial (INDEST), University of Lleida, Lleida, Spain,*Correspondence: Pere Lavega-Burgués ✉
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9
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Sánchez MAA, González JA, Sánchez Fonseca JD, Calderón NP, Cárdenas-Poveda DC, López JML. Analysis of EEG and ECG in women with intimate partner violence experience during an emotional task. Int J Psychophysiol 2023; 183:148-158. [PMID: 36502937 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2022.12.001] [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: 03/01/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) has been associated with cognitive, emotional, physical and physiological alterations, and with the presence of anxiety disorders. There is not enough research on this problem from an interdisciplinary approach despite the above. Therefore, this research compared the emotion perception and electrophysiological responses, elicited by an emotional task, in women who had experienced IPV and women who had not (WIPV). Forty-five participants (22 with and 23 without IPV experience) were presented with nine images from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) database and performed a self-report using the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM). In parallel, electrophysiological signals (ECG and EEG) were acquired, for the analysis of emotional response. In the between-group analysis, the IPV group showed lower perceived dominance and greater central asymmetry in the alpha band than the WIPV group; additionally, the IPV group exhibited a significant positive correlation between the valence of the images and the alpha band power in central areas. In the within-group analysis, the WIPV group showed greater activation in the alpha band and alpha/beta ratio in frontal areas during the emotional elicitation, as compared to baseline. Furthermore, the ECG analysis showed that, for the IPV group, there was a decrease in the power of the high-frequency (HF) band and an increase in the power of the very-low-frequency (VLF) band of heart rate variability (HRV) during the elicitation stage. It is hypothesized that the IPV group could present higher stress levels and greater physiological activity during emotional stimuli than the WIPV group. Possible changes in emotional regulation and anxiety levels due to IPV experiences are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Angel Angulo Sánchez
- Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios Uniminuto, Psychology Program, CRA 73 A 81B-70, Bogotá 111021, Bogotá D.C, Colombia.
| | - Juan Andrés González
- Escuela Colombiana de Ingeniería Julio Garavito, Biomedical Engineering Program, Av. CRA 40 205-59, Bogotá 111166, Bogotá D.C, Colombia
| | - Jessica D Sánchez Fonseca
- Escuela Colombiana de Ingeniería Julio Garavito, Biomedical Engineering Program, Av. CRA 40 205-59, Bogotá 111166, Bogotá D.C, Colombia
| | - Natalia Perea Calderón
- Escuela Colombiana de Ingeniería Julio Garavito, Biomedical Engineering Program, Av. CRA 40 205-59, Bogotá 111166, Bogotá D.C, Colombia
| | - D Carolina Cárdenas-Poveda
- Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios Uniminuto, Psychology Program, CRA 73 A 81B-70, Bogotá 111021, Bogotá D.C, Colombia
| | - Juan Manuel López López
- Escuela Colombiana de Ingeniería Julio Garavito, Biomedical Engineering Program, Av. CRA 40 205-59, Bogotá 111166, Bogotá D.C, Colombia
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10
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Yurchenko SB. From the origins to the stream of consciousness and its neural correlates. Front Integr Neurosci 2022; 16:928978. [PMID: 36407293 PMCID: PMC9672924 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2022.928978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
There are now dozens of very different theories of consciousness, each somehow contributing to our understanding of its nature. The science of consciousness needs therefore not new theories but a general framework integrating insights from those, yet not making it a still-born "Frankenstein" theory. First, the framework must operate explicitly on the stream of consciousness, not on its static description. Second, this dynamical account must also be put on the evolutionary timeline to explain the origins of consciousness. The Cognitive Evolution Theory (CET), outlined here, proposes such a framework. This starts with the assumption that brains have primarily evolved as volitional subsystems of organisms, inherited from primitive (fast and random) reflexes of simplest neural networks, only then resembling error-minimizing prediction machines. CET adopts the tools of critical dynamics to account for metastability, scale-free avalanches, and self-organization which are all intrinsic to brain dynamics. This formalizes the stream of consciousness as a discrete (transitive, irreflexive) chain of momentary states derived from critical brain dynamics at points of phase transitions and mapped then onto a state space as neural correlates of a particular conscious state. The continuous/discrete dichotomy appears naturally between the brain dynamics at the causal level and conscious states at the phenomenal level, each volitionally triggered from arousal centers of the brainstem and cognitively modulated by thalamocortical systems. Their objective observables can be entropy-based complexity measures, reflecting the transient level or quantity of consciousness at that moment.
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Porter K, Miles PJ, Donaldson DI. Teachers’ emotions in the time of COVID: Thematic analysis of interview data reveals drivers of professional agency. Front Psychol 2022; 13:987690. [DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.987690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
PurposeWe explored two complex phenomena associated with effective education. First, teachers’ professional agency, the volitional actions they take in response to perceived opportunities, was examined to consider individual differences in its enactment. Second, “strong” emotions have been proposed as important in teaching and learning, and we wished to clarify which basic emotions might be involved, besides curiosity, which is a known emotional factor in engagement in teaching. We also explored how agency and basic emotions might be related.ApproachThirteen teachers working in Scottish secondary schools were interviewed at the start of the covid pandemic in 2020 to discuss relevant feelings, thoughts and actions arising from unprecedented changes in their lives and professional practices. Thematic analysis was used to identify aspects of agentic behavior and basic emotions expressed.FindingsTeacher agency was expressed through adaptability, collective agency, constrained agency, and non-action. Four basic emotion percepts were identified, which we label as “CARE”, “CURIOSITY”, “COOPERATION”, and “CHALLENGE”.OriginalityWe extend the definition of agency to include volitional non-action as a response to opportunity. In contrast to prior research emphasizing emotions as an outcome of volitional behavior, we explore emotions preceding agency. We develop four theoretical propositions related to teacher emotions. (1) Four emotion percepts substantially influence teachers’ voluntary motivated behavior. (2) The amount and proportion of emotions experienced varies between individual teachers. (3) The four percepts are experienced concurrently or in rapid succession in engaged teaching contexts. (4) Professional experience and specific situational factors also influence teachers’ behavioral choices. For future consideration, we suggest that awareness of emotion percepts may encourage both teachers’ engagement and their professional agency for the benefit of their pedagogical practice and outcomes for their students.
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12
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An EEG-based subject-independent emotion recognition model using a differential-evolution-based feature selection algorithm. Knowl Inf Syst 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10115-022-01762-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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13
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Surov IA. Quantum core affect. Color-emotion structure of semantic atom. Front Psychol 2022; 13:838029. [PMID: 36248471 PMCID: PMC9554469 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.838029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Psychology suffers from the absence of mathematically-formalized primitives. As a result, conceptual and quantitative studies lack an ontological basis that would situate them in the company of natural sciences. The article addresses this problem by describing a minimal psychic structure, expressed in the algebra of quantum theory. The structure is demarcated into categories of emotion and color, renowned as elementary psychological phenomena. This is achieved by means of quantum-theoretic qubit state space, isomorphic to emotion and color experiences both in meaning and math. In particular, colors are mapped to the qubit states through geometric affinity between the HSL-RGB color solids and the Bloch sphere, widely used in physics. The resulting correspondence aligns with the recent model of subjective experience, producing a unified spherical map of emotions and colors. This structure is identified as a semantic atom of natural thinking-a unit of affectively-colored personal meaning, involved in elementary acts of a binary decision. The model contributes to finding a unified ontology of both inert and living Nature, bridging previously disconnected fields of research. In particular, it enables theory-based coordination of emotion, decision, and cybernetic sciences, needed to achieve new levels of practical impact.
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Santana-Martins M, Nascimento JL, Sánchez-Hernández MI. Employees’ emotional awareness as an antecedent of organizational commitment—The mediating role of affective commitment to the leader. Front Psychol 2022; 13:945304. [PMID: 35992470 PMCID: PMC9387681 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.945304] [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: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Commitment has been perceived as a strategic topic in organizations due to its positive effect on retaining talent, increasing performance, or boosting employees’ innovative behavior. However there are many focis of commitment in the workplace, which has represented a challenge to human resources management, who need implement measures to improve the employee’s commitment. Recent research has suggested a need to conduct studies about commitment, namely antecedents and the relationship between different focis, to understand the dynamic and directionality between them. Hence, the purpose of this work is to analyze how employees’ emotional awareness relates with two focis of commitment (the leader and the organization), also assessing the mediating role of affective commitment to the leader. The study uses structural equation modeling and Lisrel to test the hypotheses considering the multidimensionality of organizational commitment (affective; normative; and continuance), employees emotional awareness (understanding self-emotions; self-control when facing criticism; and understanding others’ emotions), and the affective commitment to the leader, under the scope of Social Exchange Theory. The Mackinon’s Z Test was used to assess the mediation role of affective commitment to the leader. The sample is composed for 403 employees from two multinational companies. The results provide empirical evidence about the mediating role of affective commitment to the leader in the relationship between employees’ emotional awareness and organizational commitment, and the employees’ emotional awareness as an antecedent of commitment. The implications for theory and practice are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marisa Santana-Martins
- Business Administration and Sociology Department, School of Economics Sciences and Management, University of Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain
- *Correspondence: Marisa Santana-Martins,
| | - José Luís Nascimento
- Centro de Administração e Politicas Públicas, Intituto Superior de Ciencias Sociais e Politicas, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Maria Isabel Sánchez-Hernández
- Business Administration and Sociology Department, School of Economics Sciences and Management, University of Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain
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Xie T, Zheng L, Liu G, Liu L. Exploring structural relations among computer self-efficacy, perceived immersion, and intention to use virtual reality training systems. VIRTUAL REALITY 2022; 26:1725-1744. [PMID: 35730035 PMCID: PMC9197332 DOI: 10.1007/s10055-022-00656-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The use of virtual reality (VR) training systems for education has grown in popularity in recent years. Scholars have reported that self-efficacy and interactivity are important predictors of learning outcomes in virtual learning environments, but little empirical research has been conducted to explain how computer self-efficacy (as a subcategory of self-efficacy) and perceived immersion (as a correlate of interactivity) are connected to the intention to use VR training systems. The present study aims to determine which factors significantly influence behavioral intention when students are exposed to VR training systems via an updated technology acceptance frame by incorporating the constructs of computer self-efficacy and perceived immersion simultaneously. We developed a VR training system regarding circuit connection and a reliable and validated instrument including 9 subscales. The sample data were collected from 124 junior middle school students and 210 senior high school students in two schools located in western China. The samples were further processed into a structural equation model with path analysis and cohort analysis. The results showed that the intention to use VR training systems was indirectly influenced by computer self-efficacy but directly influenced by perceived immersion (β = 0.451). However, perceived immersion seemed to be influenced mostly by learner interaction (β = 0.332). Among external variables, learner interaction (β = 0.149) had the largest total effect on use intention, followed by facilitating conditions (β = 0.138), computer self-efficacy (β = 0.104), experimental fidelity (β = 0.083), and subjective norms (β = 0.077). The moderating roles of gender differences, grade level, and previous experience in structural relations were also identified. The findings of the present study highlight the ways in which factors and associations are considered in the practical development of VR training systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Xie
- Faculty of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715 China
| | - Ling Zheng
- Faculty of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715 China
- Faculty of Yibin Radio and TV University, Sichuan, China
| | - Geping Liu
- Faculty of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715 China
| | - Leping Liu
- College of Education, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557 USA
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16
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Shades of shame: Embarrassment as a covert marker of self-stigma in a sample case study of patients with schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2022; 241:10-11. [PMID: 35066430 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2022.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2020] [Revised: 12/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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17
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Higher emotional awareness is associated with greater domain-general reflective tendencies. Sci Rep 2022; 12:3123. [PMID: 35210517 PMCID: PMC8873306 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-07141-3] [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: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The tendency to reflect on the emotions of self and others is a key aspect of emotional awareness (EA)—a trait widely recognized as relevant to mental health. However, the degree to which EA draws on general reflective cognition vs. specialized socio-emotional mechanisms remains unclear. Based on a synthesis of work in neuroscience and psychology, we recently proposed that EA is best understood as a learned application of domain-general cognitive processes to socio-emotional information. In this paper, we report a study in which we tested this hypothesis in 448 (125 male) individuals who completed measures of EA and both general reflective cognition and socio-emotional performance. As predicted, we observed a significant relationship between EA measures and both general reflectiveness and socio-emotional measures, with the strongest contribution from measures of the general tendency to engage in effortful, reflective cognition. This is consistent with the hypothesis that EA corresponds to the application of general reflective cognitive processes to socio-emotional signals.
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18
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Blum LD. Minding our Minds: Obsessive-Compulsiveness, Psychiatry, and Psychology. Cult Med Psychiatry 2022; 47:543-554. [PMID: 35066727 PMCID: PMC10167162 DOI: 10.1007/s11013-022-09767-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Obsessive-compulsive features are commonly found in high-achieving people including psychiatrists, psychologists, and scientists. These traits have a substantial but unrecognized cultural influence on psychiatric and psychological science and practice. This article reviews obsessive-compulsive mechanisms and discusses the ways they both promote and impede psychiatric and psychological science and practice. It examines them in relation to two of the dominant psychiatric and psychological paradigms of our era, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM), and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. Finally, the article suggests that better awareness of our collective obsessive-compulsive tendencies can facilitate a cultural shift toward a broader, more useful science of mind and brain, as well as therapies informed by more comprehensive scientific understanding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lawrence D Blum
- , 2400 Chestnut St., Suite 2810, Philadelphia, PA, 19103, USA.
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19
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Brideau-Duquette M, Boucher O, Tremblay J, Robert M, Bouthillier A, Lepore F, Nguyen DK. Insular Cortex Response to Static Visual Sexual Stimuli. J PSYCHOPHYSIOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1027/0269-8803/a000285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Abstract. According to previous research, the insula is important for processing salient and emotional stimuli, but its precise role remains elusive. By combining high spatial and temporal resolution, intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG) might contribute to filling this gap. Four drug-resistant epileptic patients with intracranial electrodes in the insula were instructed to watch and rate pictures with sexual content and neutral pictures. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were computed separately for both types of stimuli. Ninety-three percent of the anterior insula (AI) and 85% of the posterior insula (PI) contacts showed differences between ERPs. AI-positive deflections tended to have an earlier onset than PI-positive deflections. The results suggest that the AI generates a P300-like response and contributes to the early phase of the late positive potential, both components found enhanced while viewing emotional stimuli in the ERP literature. The present findings are interpreted as congruent with the role of the AI in maintaining attention to salient stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Brideau-Duquette
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montréal, Canada
- Département de Psychologie, Université de Montréal, Canada
- Centre de Recherche en Neuropsychologie et Cognition (CERNEC), Montréal, Canada
| | - Olivier Boucher
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montréal, Canada
- Département de Psychologie, Université de Montréal, Canada
- CHUM, Service de Psychologie, Montréal, Canada
| | - Julie Tremblay
- Centre de recherche du CHU Sainte-Justine, Montréal, Canada
| | - Manon Robert
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montréal, Canada
| | | | - Franco Lepore
- Département de Psychologie, Université de Montréal, Canada
- Centre de Recherche en Neuropsychologie et Cognition (CERNEC), Montréal, Canada
| | - Dang Khoa Nguyen
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), Montréal, Canada
- CHUM, Service de Neurologie, Montréal, Canada
- Département de Neurosciences, Université de Montréal, Canada
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20
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Lane RD, Smith R. Levels of Emotional Awareness: Theory and Measurement of a Socio-Emotional Skill. J Intell 2021; 9:42. [PMID: 34449662 PMCID: PMC8395748 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence9030042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2021] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Emotional awareness is the ability to conceptualize and describe one's own emotions and those of others. Over thirty years ago, a cognitive-developmental theory of emotional awareness patterned after Piaget's theory of cognitive development was created as well as a performance measure of this ability called the Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale (LEAS). Since then, a large number of studies have been completed in healthy volunteers and clinical populations including those with mental health or systemic medical disorders. Along the way, there have also been further refinements and adaptations of the LEAS such as the creation of a digital version in addition to further advances in the theory itself. This review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of the evolving theoretical background, measurement methods, and empirical findings with the LEAS. The LEAS is a reliable and valid measure of emotional awareness. Evidence suggests that emotional awareness facilitates better emotion self-regulation, better ability to navigate complex social situations and enjoy relationships, and better physical and mental health. This is a relatively new but promising area of research in the domain of socio-emotional skills. The paper concludes with some recommendations for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard D. Lane
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Arizona, 1501 N. Campbell Ave., Tucson, AZ 85724, USA
| | - Ryan Smith
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, 6655 South Yale Ave., Tulsa, OK 74136, USA;
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21
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Manfredi P, Massardi E. Affective Neuroscience: The Suitability of a Web App to Monitor Affective States at Work. Front Psychol 2021; 12:592143. [PMID: 34149497 PMCID: PMC8211734 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.592143] [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: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
This work describes in detail the use of a new tool, a web-app, based on the conceptual framework of affective neuroscience, in particular on Panksepp’s 7 basic emotional systems. Affective neuroscience has been used effectively in many areas, but there have been very few applications in the workplace, due to the lack of a smart implementation tool. The novelty of this work does not lie in the new information, but in a new “clinical” approach. There is a theoretical framework that allows data to be interpreted rather than simply described. Furthermore, the knowledge of working realities through the web app is specific and longitudinal. Finally, emotions are detected in hic et nunc, so the role of reflexive-cognitive mediation and recall bias are minor. This “more situated” knowledge can then guide specific leadership strategies. This paper presents the results of the tool’s application in a company in Northern Italy. The findings of our project, which recorded basic affective states and the functioning of several working teams, are detailed herein. The project’s 488 web-app records are summarized in this report, alongside our examination of related mood tags. Through this project, our analysis has enabled to determine affective neuroscience profiles of the teams analyzed, allowing the researchers to identify areas of possible interventions. The data appear very encouraging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Manfredi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.,University Research Center Integrated Models for Prevention and Protection in Environmental and Occupational Health (MISTRAL), University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Elena Massardi
- Self Employed, Clinical Psychotherapist and Organizational Consultant, OPL, and NPSA Association, Brescia, Italy. Registered at the professional psychological association, Lombardia, Italy
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22
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MacKinnon NJ, Hoey J. Operationalizing the Relation Between Affect and Cognition With the Somatic Transform. EMOTION REVIEW 2021. [DOI: 10.1177/17540739211014946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This article introduces the somatic transform that operationalizes the relation between affect and cognition at the psychological level of analysis by capitalizing on the relation between the cognitive-denotative and affective-connotative meaning of concepts as measured with semantic differential rating scales. Following discussion of levels of analysis, the importance of language at the psychological level, and two principles (inextricability and complementarity) summarizing the relation between affect and cognition that are rendered explicit by the somatic transform, we present affect control theory (ACT) and its Bayesian extension (BayesACT) containing the somatic transform. We conclude by identifying examples of inextricability and complementarity in the social science and neuroscience literatures and discussing how our psychological model might be implemented in a realistic neural model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neil J. MacKinnon
- Department of Sociology & Anthropology, University of Guelph, Canada
| | - Jesse Hoey
- Cheriton School of Computer Science, University of Waterloo, Canada
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23
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Zych AD, Gogolla N. Expressions of emotions across species. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 68:57-66. [PMID: 33548631 PMCID: PMC8259711 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
What are emotions and how should we study them? These questions give rise to ongoing controversy amongst scientists in the fields of neuroscience, psychology and philosophy, and have resulted in different views on emotions [1-6]. In this review, we define emotions as functional states that bear essential roles in promoting survival and thus have emerged through evolution. Emotions trigger behavioral, somatic, hormonal, and neurochemical reactions, referred to as expressions of emotion. We discuss recent studies on emotion expression across species and highlight emerging common principles. We argue that detailed and multidimensional analyses of emotion expressions are key to develop biology-based definitions of emotions and to reveal their neuronal underpinnings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna D Zych
- Circuits for Emotion Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany; International Max-Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Nadine Gogolla
- Circuits for Emotion Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology, Martinsried, Germany.
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24
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Hesp C, Smith R, Parr T, Allen M, Friston KJ, Ramstead MJD. Deeply Felt Affect: The Emergence of Valence in Deep Active Inference. Neural Comput 2021; 33:398-446. [PMID: 33253028 PMCID: PMC8594962 DOI: 10.1162/neco_a_01341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
The positive-negative axis of emotional valence has long been recognized as fundamental to adaptive behavior, but its origin and underlying function have largely eluded formal theorizing and computational modeling. Using deep active inference, a hierarchical inference scheme that rests on inverting a model of how sensory data are generated, we develop a principled Bayesian model of emotional valence. This formulation asserts that agents infer their valence state based on the expected precision of their action model-an internal estimate of overall model fitness ("subjective fitness"). This index of subjective fitness can be estimated within any environment and exploits the domain generality of second-order beliefs (beliefs about beliefs). We show how maintaining internal valence representations allows the ensuing affective agent to optimize confidence in action selection preemptively. Valence representations can in turn be optimized by leveraging the (Bayes-optimal) updating term for subjective fitness, which we label affective charge (AC). AC tracks changes in fitness estimates and lends a sign to otherwise unsigned divergences between predictions and outcomes. We simulate the resulting affective inference by subjecting an in silico affective agent to a T-maze paradigm requiring context learning, followed by context reversal. This formulation of affective inference offers a principled account of the link between affect, (mental) action, and implicit metacognition. It characterizes how a deep biological system can infer its affective state and reduce uncertainty about such inferences through internal action (i.e., top-down modulation of priors that underwrite confidence). Thus, we demonstrate the potential of active inference to provide a formal and computationally tractable account of affect. Our demonstration of the face validity and potential utility of this formulation represents the first step within a larger research program. Next, this model can be leveraged to test the hypothesized role of valence by fitting the model to behavioral and neuronal responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casper Hesp
- Department of Psychology and Amsterdam Brain and Cognition Centre, University of Amsterdam, 1098 XH Amsterdam, Netherlands; Institute for Advanced Study, University of Amsterdam, 1012 GC Amsterdam, Netherlands; and Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, U.K.
| | - Ryan Smith
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa, OK 74136, U.S.A.
| | - Thomas Parr
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, U.K.
| | - Micah Allen
- Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8000, Denmark; Centre of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus 8200, Denmark; and Cambridge Psychiatry, Cambridge University, Cambridge CB2 8AH, U.K.
| | - Karl J Friston
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, U.K.
| | - Maxwell J D Ramstead
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, U.K.; Division of Social and Transcultural Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Culture, Mind, and Brain Program, McGill University, Montreal H3A 0G4, QC, Canada
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25
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Goldstein Ferber S, Shoval G, Zalsman G, Mikulincer M, Weller A. Between Action and Emotional Survival During the COVID-19 era: Sensorimotor Pathways as Control Systems of Transdiagnostic Anxiety-Related Intolerance to Uncertainty. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:680403. [PMID: 34393847 PMCID: PMC8358206 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.680403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic and aligned social and physical distancing regulations increase the sense of uncertainty, intensifying the risk for psychopathology globally. Anxiety disorders are associated with intolerance to uncertainty. In this review we describe brain circuits and sensorimotor pathways involved in human reactions to uncertainty. We present the healthy mode of coping with uncertainty and discuss deviations from this mode. Methods: Literature search of PubMed and Google Scholar. Results: As manifestation of anxiety disorders includes peripheral reactions and negative cognitions, we suggest an integrative model of threat cognitions modulated by sensorimotor regions: "The Sensorimotor-Cognitive-Integration-Circuit." The model emphasizes autonomic nervous system coupling with the cortex, addressing peripheral anxious reactions to uncertainty, pathways connecting cortical regions and cost-reward evaluation circuits to sensorimotor regions, filtered by the amygdala and basal ganglia. Of special interest are the ascending and descending tracts for sensory-motor crosstalk in healthy and pathological conditions. We include arguments regarding uncertainty in anxiety reactions to the pandemic and derive from our model treatment suggestions which are supported by scientific evidence. Our model is based on systematic control theories and emphasizes the role of goal conflict regulation in health and pathology. We also address anxiety reactions as a spectrum ranging from healthy to pathological coping with uncertainty, and present this spectrum as a transdiagnostic entity in accordance with recent claims and models. Conclusions: The human need for controllability and predictability suggests that anxiety disorders reactive to the pandemic's uncertainties reflect pathological disorganization of top-down bottom-up signaling and neural noise resulting from non-pathological human needs for coherence in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sari Goldstein Ferber
- Psychology Department and Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Gal Shoval
- Geha Mental Health Center, Petah Tiqva, Israel.,Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, United States
| | - Gil Zalsman
- Geha Mental Health Center, Petah Tiqva, Israel.,Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Division of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, United States
| | - Mario Mikulincer
- Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzliya, Baruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Herzliya, Israel
| | - Aron Weller
- Psychology Department and Gonda Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
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26
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Smith R, Badcock P, Friston KJ. Recent advances in the application of predictive coding and active inference models within clinical neuroscience. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2021; 75:3-13. [PMID: 32860285 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.13138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2020] [Revised: 08/01/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Research in clinical neuroscience is founded on the idea that a better understanding of brain (dys)function will improve our ability to diagnose and treat neurological and psychiatric disorders. In recent years, neuroscience has converged on the notion that the brain is a 'prediction machine,' in that it actively predicts the sensory input that it will receive if one or another course of action is chosen. These predictions are used to select actions that will (most often, and in the long run) maintain the body within the narrow range of physiological states consistent with survival. This insight has given rise to an area of clinical computational neuroscience research that focuses on characterizing neural circuit architectures that can accomplish these predictive functions, and on how the associated processes may break down or become aberrant within clinical conditions. Here, we provide a brief review of examples of recent work on the application of predictive processing models of brain function to study clinical (psychiatric) disorders, with the aim of highlighting current directions and their potential clinical utility. We offer examples of recent conceptual models, formal mathematical models, and applications of such models in empirical research in clinical populations, with a focus on making this material accessible to clinicians without expertise in computational neuroscience. In doing so, we aim to highlight the potential insights and opportunities that understanding the brain as a prediction machine may offer to clinical research and practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Smith
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Paul Badcock
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Orygen, Victoria, Australia.,Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Karl J Friston
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
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27
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Vukelić M, Lingelbach K, Pollmann K, Peissner M. Oscillatory EEG Signatures of Affective Processes during Interaction with Adaptive Computer Systems. Brain Sci 2020; 11:35. [PMID: 33396330 PMCID: PMC7824422 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11010035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2020] [Revised: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Affect monitoring is being discussed as a novel strategy to make adaptive systems more user-oriented. Basic knowledge about oscillatory processes and functional connectivity underlying affect during naturalistic human-computer interactions (HCI) is, however, scarce. This study assessed local oscillatory power entrainment and distributed functional connectivity in a close-to-naturalistic HCI-paradigm. Sixteen participants interacted with a simulated assistance system which deliberately evoked positive (supporting goal-achievement) and negative (impeding goal-achievement) affective reactions. Electroencephalography (EEG) was used to examine the reactivity of the cortical system during the interaction by studying both event-related (de-)synchronization (ERD/ERS) and event-related functional coupling of cortical networks towards system-initiated assistance. Significantly higher α-band and β-band ERD in centro-parietal and parieto-occipital regions and β-band ERD in bi-lateral fronto-central regions were observed during impeding system behavior. Supportive system behavior activated significantly higher γ-band ERS in bi-hemispheric parietal-occipital regions. This was accompanied by functional coupling of remote β-band and γ-band activity in the medial frontal, left fronto-central and parietal regions, respectively. Our findings identify oscillatory signatures of positive and negative affective processes as reactions to system-initiated assistance. The findings contribute to the development of EEG-based neuroadaptive assistance loops by suggesting a non-obtrusive method for monitoring affect in HCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathias Vukelić
- Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany; (K.P.); (M.P.)
| | - Katharina Lingelbach
- Institute of Human Factors and Technology Management IAT, University of Stuttgart, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany;
- Department of Psychology, University of Oldenburg, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Kathrin Pollmann
- Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany; (K.P.); (M.P.)
| | - Matthias Peissner
- Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany; (K.P.); (M.P.)
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28
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Bretl BL. Neural and Linguistic Considerations for Assessing Moral Intuitions Using Text-Based Stimuli. THE JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY 2020; 155:90-114. [PMID: 33180682 DOI: 10.1080/00223980.2020.1832034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
This review takes a focused look at neural and linguistic considerations for assessing moral intuitions using text-based stimuli. Relevant neural correlates of moral salience, emotional processing, moral emotions (shame and guilt), semantic processing, implicit stereotype activation (e.g., gender, age, and race stereotypes), and functional brain network development (the default mode network and salience network) are considered insofar as they relate to unique considerations for text-based instruments. What emerge are not only key considerations for researchers assessing moral intuitions using text-based stimuli but also considerations for the study of moral psychology more broadly, especially in developmental and educational contexts.
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29
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Kumfor F, Tracy LM, Wei G, Chen Y, Domínguez D JF, Whittle S, Wearne T, Kelly M. Social and affective neuroscience: an Australian perspective. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2020; 15:965-980. [PMID: 33025004 PMCID: PMC7647376 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsaa133] [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: 12/22/2019] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
While research in social and affective neuroscience has a long history, it is only in the last few decades that it has been truly established as an independent field of investigation. In the Australian region, despite having an even shorter history, this field of research is experiencing a dramatic rise. In this review, we present recent findings from a survey conducted on behalf of the Australasian Society for Social and Affective Neuroscience (AS4SAN) and from an analysis of the field to highlight contributions and strengths from our region (with a focus on Australia). Our results demonstrate that researchers in this field draw on a broad range of techniques, with the most common being behavioural experiments and neuropsychological assessment, as well as structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging. The Australian region has a particular strength in clinically driven research, evidenced by the types of populations under investigation, top cited papers from the region, and funding sources. We propose that the Australian region has potential to contribute to cross-cultural research and facilitating data sharing, and that improved links with international leaders will continue to strengthen this burgeoning field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiona Kumfor
- The University of Sydney, Brain & Mind Centre & School of Psychology, Sydney, Australia
| | - Lincoln M Tracy
- Monash University, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Grace Wei
- The University of Sydney, Brain & Mind Centre & School of Psychology, Sydney, Australia
| | - Yu Chen
- Capital Medical University, Department of Neurology, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, China National Clinical Research Center for Neurological Diseases, Beijing, China
| | | | - Sarah Whittle
- The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Travis Wearne
- University of New South Wales, School of Psychology, Sydney, Australia
| | - Michelle Kelly
- University of Newcastle, School of Psychology, Newcastle, Australia
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30
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Smith R, Steklis HD, Steklis NG, Weihs KL, Lane RD. The evolution and development of the uniquely human capacity for emotional awareness: A synthesis of comparative anatomical, cognitive, neurocomputational, and evolutionary psychological perspectives. Biol Psychol 2020; 154:107925. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2020.107925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Revised: 06/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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31
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The nuts and bolts of animal emotion. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 113:273-286. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.01.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2019] [Revised: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 01/22/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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32
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Demekas D, Parr T, Friston KJ. An Investigation of the Free Energy Principle for Emotion Recognition. Front Comput Neurosci 2020; 14:30. [PMID: 32390817 PMCID: PMC7189749 DOI: 10.3389/fncom.2020.00030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2019] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
This paper offers a prospectus of what might be achievable in the development of emotional recognition devices. It provides a conceptual overview of the free energy principle; including Markov blankets, active inference, and-in particular-a discussion of selfhood and theory of mind, followed by a brief explanation of how these concepts can explain both neural and cultural models of emotional inference. The underlying hypothesis is that emotion recognition and inference devices will evolve from state-of-the-art deep learning models into active inference schemes that go beyond marketing applications and become adjunct to psychiatric practice. Specifically, this paper proposes that a second wave of emotion recognition devices will be equipped with an emotional lexicon (or the ability to epistemically search for one), allowing the device to resolve uncertainty about emotional states by actively eliciting responses from the user and learning from these responses. Following this, a third wave of emotional devices will converge upon the user's generative model, resulting in the machine and human engaging in a reciprocal, prosocial emotional interaction, i.e., sharing a generative model of emotional states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daphne Demekas
- Department of Mathematics, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Parr
- Department of Mathematics, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Karl J. Friston
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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33
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Dolce P, Marocco D, Maldonato MN, Sperandeo R. Toward a Machine Learning Predictive-Oriented Approach to Complement Explanatory Modeling. An Application for Evaluating Psychopathological Traits Based on Affective Neurosciences and Phenomenology. Front Psychol 2020; 11:446. [PMID: 32265781 PMCID: PMC7105860 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper presents a procedure that aims to combine explanatory and predictive modeling for the construction of new psychometric questionnaires based on psychological and neuroscientific theoretical grounding. It presents the methodology and the results of a procedure for items selection that considers both the explanatory power of the theory and the predictive power of modern computational techniques, namely exploratory data analysis for investigating the dimensional structure and artificial neural networks (ANNs) for predicting the psychopathological diagnosis of clinical subjects. Such blending allows deriving theoretical insights on the characteristics of the items selected and their conformity with the theoretical framework of reference. At the same time, it permits the selection of those items that have the most relevance in terms of prediction by therefore considering the relationship of the items with the actual psychopathological diagnosis. Such approach helps to construct a diagnostic tool that both conforms with the theory and with the individual characteristics of the population at hand, by providing insights on the power of the scale in precisely identifying out-of-sample pathological subjects. The proposed procedure is based on a sequence of steps that allows the construction of an ANN capable of predicting the diagnosis of a group of subjects based on their item responses to a questionnaire and subsequently automatically selects the most predictive items by preserving the factorial structure of the scale. Results show that the machine learning procedure selected a set of items that drastically improved the prediction accuracy of the model (167 items reached a prediction accuracy of 88.5%, that is 25.6% of incorrectly classified), compared to the predictions obtained using all the original items (260 items with a prediction accuracy of 74.4%). At the same time, it reduced the redundancy of the items and eliminated those with less consistency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pasquale Dolce
- Department of Public Health, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Davide Marocco
- Department of Humanistic Studies, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Mauro Nelson Maldonato
- Department of Neuroscience and Reproductive and Odontostomatological Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Raffaele Sperandeo
- SiPGI Postgraduate School in Gestalt Integrated Psychotherapy, Torre Annunziata, Italy
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Arias JA, Williams C, Raghvani R, Aghajani M, Baez S, Belzung C, Booij L, Busatto G, Chiarella J, Fu CH, Ibanez A, Liddell BJ, Lowe L, Penninx BWJH, Rosa P, Kemp AH. The neuroscience of sadness: A multidisciplinary synthesis and collaborative review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 111:199-228. [PMID: 32001274 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2018] [Revised: 12/17/2019] [Accepted: 01/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Sadness is typically characterized by raised inner eyebrows, lowered corners of the mouth, reduced walking speed, and slumped posture. Ancient subcortical circuitry provides a neuroanatomical foundation, extending from dorsal periaqueductal grey to subgenual anterior cingulate, the latter of which is now a treatment target in disorders of sadness. Electrophysiological studies further emphasize a role for reduced left relative to right frontal asymmetry in sadness, underpinning interest in the transcranial stimulation of left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex as an antidepressant target. Neuroimaging studies - including meta-analyses - indicate that sadness is associated with reduced cortical activation, which may contribute to reduced parasympathetic inhibitory control over medullary cardioacceleratory circuits. Reduced cardiac control may - in part - contribute to epidemiological reports of reduced life expectancy in affective disorders, effects equivalent to heavy smoking. We suggest that the field may be moving toward a theoretical consensus, in which different models relating to basic emotion theory and psychological constructionism may be considered as complementary, working at different levels of the phylogenetic hierarchy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan A Arias
- Department of Psychology, Swansea University, United Kingdom; Department of Statistics, Mathematical Analysis, and Operational Research, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Claire Williams
- Department of Psychology, Swansea University, United Kingdom
| | - Rashmi Raghvani
- Department of Psychology, Swansea University, United Kingdom
| | - Moji Aghajani
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Location VUMC, GGZ InGeest Research & Innovation, Amsterdam Neuroscience, the Netherlands
| | | | | | - Linda Booij
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University Montreal, Canada; CHU Sainte-Justine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | | | - Julian Chiarella
- Department of Psychology, Concordia University Montreal, Canada; CHU Sainte-Justine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Cynthia Hy Fu
- School of Psychology, University of East London, United Kingdom; Centre for Affective Disorders, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, United Kingdom
| | - Agustin Ibanez
- Institute of Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience (INCYT), INECO Foundation, Favaloro University, Buenos Aires, Argentina; National Scientific and Technical Research Council (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina; Center for Social and Cognitive Neuroscience (CSCN), School of Psychology, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, Santiago, Chile; Universidad Autonoma del Caribe, Barranquilla, Colombia; Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Australian Research Council (ARC), New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Leroy Lowe
- Neuroqualia (NGO), Turo, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Brenda W J H Penninx
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Location VUMC, GGZ InGeest Research & Innovation, Amsterdam Neuroscience, the Netherlands
| | - Pedro Rosa
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Andrew H Kemp
- Department of Psychology, Swansea University, United Kingdom; Department of Psychiatry, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil; Discipline of Psychiatry, and School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
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35
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Siegel JP. Digging Deeper: An Object Relations Couple Therapy Update. FAMILY PROCESS 2020; 59:10-20. [PMID: 31778213 DOI: 10.1111/famp.12509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Over the past two decades, neurobiology research has added clarity to the process of emotional and behavioral change. In turn, this has led to endorsement of interventions that appear to be most helpful in individual and couple therapy. In addition to research on emotional dysregulation, contemporary studies have focused on the construction of meaning and its relevance to interpersonal relationships. According to Lisa Barrett, Richard Lane, and others, the brain references concepts to rapidly arrive at the most probable conclusions. Encoded experience and memory fragments guide this process and are vital in understanding partners' emotional responses. These findings support an object relations perspective that emphasizes the importance of past relational experiences that inform the present. This is particularly relevant in work with couples, as each individual's beliefs, expectations, and capacity for intimacy are invariably tied to earlier relationships. Research findings on memory reconstruction provide a basis for interventions that can add to the existing treatment approach, as it is suggested that working in a specific way with emotionally based memories has the potential to modify and reduce their predictive power and ability to unleash beliefs and behaviors that work against intimacy. The therapist who is informed by emerging neuroscience research can better uncover and actively work with memories that may be compromising a couple's relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith P Siegel
- Silver School of Social Work, New York University, New York, NY
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36
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Linson A, Parr T, Friston KJ. Active inference, stressors, and psychological trauma: A neuroethological model of (mal)adaptive explore-exploit dynamics in ecological context. Behav Brain Res 2020; 380:112421. [PMID: 31830495 PMCID: PMC6961115 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2019] [Revised: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
This paper offers a formal account of emotional inference and stress-related behaviour, using the notion of active inference. We formulate responses to stressful scenarios in terms of Bayesian belief-updating and subsequent policy selection; namely, planning as (active) inference. Using a minimal model of how creatures or subjects account for their sensations (and subsequent action), we deconstruct the sequences of belief updating and behaviour that underwrite stress-related responses - and simulate the aberrant responses of the sort seen in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Crucially, the model used for belief-updating generates predictions in multiple (exteroceptive, proprioceptive and interoceptive) modalities, to provide an integrated account of evidence accumulation and multimodal integration that has consequences for both motor and autonomic responses. The ensuing phenomenology speaks to many constructs in the ecological and clinical literature on stress, which we unpack with reference to simulated inference processes and accompanying neuronal responses. A key insight afforded by this formal approach rests on the trade-off between the epistemic affordance of certain cues (that resolve uncertainty about states of affairs in the environment) and the consequences of epistemic foraging (that may be in conflict with the instrumental or pragmatic value of 'fleeing' or 'freezing'). Starting from first principles, we show how this trade-off is nuanced by prior (subpersonal) beliefs about the outcomes of behaviour - beliefs that, when held with unduly high precision, can lead to (Bayes optimal) responses that closely resemble PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Linson
- Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK; Faculty of Arts and Humanities, University of Stirling, Stirling, UK.
| | - Thomas Parr
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Karl J Friston
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
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37
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Oxytocin & well-being as promoters of affect regulation and homeostasis: a neuroscientific review. PSICO 2020. [DOI: 10.15448/1980-8623.2020.2.30291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Neurohormone oxytocin release affects mood and behavior in humans, regulating emotional and physiologic aspects. Neuroscience associates well-being to oxytocin to characterize a general positive-valenced emotional state. However, the terms well-being and oxytocin are absent, or present in a limited way, in most indexes of psychological terminology and health science descriptors. This study aimed at studying how this association occurs in literature, based on a systematic review on oxytocin and well-being in the last five years. Main results: the neuroscientific context seemed to be the most adequate to the study between oxytocin and well-being; association between psychological and neuroendocrine aspects was unusual; medical templates predominated over psychological references; oxytocin release and feelings of well-being were associated to stimuli of the affective-sensorial type, to psychiatric interventions, to familiarity; results varied according to age, gender, context and personality.
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38
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Paul ES, Sher S, Tamietto M, Winkielman P, Mendl MT. Towards a comparative science of emotion: Affect and consciousness in humans and animals. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 108:749-770. [PMID: 31778680 PMCID: PMC6966324 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Revised: 10/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The componential view of human emotion recognises that affective states comprise conscious, behavioural, physiological, neural and cognitive elements. Although many animals display bodily and behavioural changes consistent with the occurrence of affective states similar to those seen in humans, the question of whether and in which species these are accompanied by conscious experiences remains controversial. Finding scientifically valid methods for investigating markers for the subjective component of affect in both humans and animals is central to developing a comparative understanding of the processes and mechanisms of affect and its evolution and distribution across taxonomic groups, to our understanding of animal welfare, and to the development of animal models of affective disorders. Here, contemporary evidence indicating potential markers of conscious processing in animals is reviewed, with a view to extending this search to include markers of conscious affective processing. We do this by combining animal-focused approaches with investigations of the components of conscious and non-conscious emotional processing in humans, and neuropsychological research into the structure and functions of conscious emotions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth S Paul
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Langford House, Langford, Bristol, BS40 5DU, UK.
| | - Shlomi Sher
- Department of Psychology, Pomona College, Claremont, CA, USA
| | - Marco Tamietto
- Department of Medical and Clinical Psychology, Tilburg University, Tilburg, the Netherlands; Department of Psychology, University of Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Piotr Winkielman
- Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA; Faculty of Psychology, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, 03-815, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Michael T Mendl
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Langford House, Langford, Bristol, BS40 5DU, UK
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39
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Inside the Fish Brain: Cognition, Learning and Consciousness. Anim Welf 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-41675-1_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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40
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Commentary: Should the Belmont Report Be Extended to Animal Research. Camb Q Healthc Ethics 2019; 29:58-66. [PMID: 31858948 DOI: 10.1017/s0963180119000781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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41
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Smith R, Parr T, Friston KJ. Simulating Emotions: An Active Inference Model of Emotional State Inference and Emotion Concept Learning. Front Psychol 2019; 10:2844. [PMID: 31920873 PMCID: PMC6931387 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to conceptualize and understand one's own affective states and responses - or "Emotional awareness" (EA) - is reduced in multiple psychiatric populations; it is also positively correlated with a range of adaptive cognitive and emotional traits. While a growing body of work has investigated the neurocognitive basis of EA, the neurocomputational processes underlying this ability have received limited attention. Here, we present a formal Active Inference (AI) model of emotion conceptualization that can simulate the neurocomputational (Bayesian) processes associated with learning about emotion concepts and inferring the emotions one is feeling in a given moment. We validate the model and inherent constructs by showing (i) it can successfully acquire a repertoire of emotion concepts in its "childhood", as well as (ii) acquire new emotion concepts in synthetic "adulthood," and (iii) that these learning processes depend on early experiences, environmental stability, and habitual patterns of selective attention. These results offer a proof of principle that cognitive-emotional processes can be modeled formally, and highlight the potential for both theoretical and empirical extensions of this line of research on emotion and emotional disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Smith
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa, OK, United States
| | - Thomas Parr
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Karl J. Friston
- Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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42
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Smith R, Lane RD, Parr T, Friston KJ. Neurocomputational mechanisms underlying emotional awareness: Insights afforded by deep active inference and their potential clinical relevance. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 107:473-491. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2019] [Revised: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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43
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Kessler L, Kessler RJ. Neuropsychoanalytic Explorations: Linking Practice, Theory, and Research. PSYCHOANALYTIC INQUIRY 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/07351690.2019.1671079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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44
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Marshall L, McCormick WD, Cooke GM. Perception of the ethical acceptability of live prey feeding to aquatic species kept in captivity. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0216777. [PMID: 31437256 PMCID: PMC6705797 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2018] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous research into public perceptions of live prey feeding has been focused on terrestrial animals. The reasons for this likely relate to the difficulty humans have in being compassionate to animals who are phylogenetically distantly related. In order to test these assumptions, the general public (two groups; one who had just visited an aquarium; and one group who had just visited a zoo), aquarium professionals in the UK/US and terrestrial zoo animal professionals (UK) were investigated to see how they would differ in their responses when asked about feeding various live aquatic animals to one another. Likert based surveys were used to obtain data face to face and via online social media. Demographics in previous research identified a lower acceptance of live prey feeding by females, however in aquatic animals this was not reflected. Instead, separations in perception were seen to exist between participants dependent on whether they had just visited a zoo or aquarium, or worked with animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy Marshall
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Langford Veterinary School, Bristol, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Wanda D. McCormick
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Health & Society, University of Northampton, Northampton, United Kingdom
| | - Gavan M. Cooke
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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45
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Colombetti G, Zavala E. Are emotional states based in the brain? A critique of affective brainocentrism from a physiological perspective. BIOLOGY & PHILOSOPHY 2019; 34:45. [PMID: 31485092 PMCID: PMC6704080 DOI: 10.1007/s10539-019-9699-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2018] [Revised: 08/13/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
We call affective brainocentrism the tendency to privilege the brain over other parts of the organism when defining or explaining emotions. We distinguish two versions of this tendency. According to brain-sufficient, emotional states are entirely realized by brain processes. According to brain-master, emotional states are realized by both brain and bodily processes, but the latter are entirely driven by the brain: the brain is the master regulator of bodily processes. We argue that both these claims are problematic, and we draw on physiological accounts of stress to make our main case. These accounts illustrate the existence of complex interactions between the brain and endocrine systems, the immune system, the enteric nervous system, and even gut microbiota. We argue that, because of these complex brain-body interactions, the brain cannot be isolated and identified as the basis of stress. We also mention recent evidence suggesting that complex brain-body interactions characterize the physiology of depression and anxiety. Finally, we call for an alternative dynamical, systemic, and embodied approach to the study of the physiology of emotions that does not privilege the brain, but rather aims at understanding how mutually regulating brain and bodily processes jointly realize a variety of emotional states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanna Colombetti
- Department of Sociology, Philosophy, and Anthropology, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4RJ UK
| | - Eder Zavala
- Living Systems Institute, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QD UK
- EPSRC Centre for Predictive Modelling in Healthcare, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QD UK
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Biomedical Modelling and Analysis, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QD UK
- College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QD UK
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46
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Abstract
The study of the origin and evolution of consciousness presents several problems. The first problem concerns terminology. The word consciousness comes from the Latin term conscĭentĭa that means "knowledge shared with others." However, the term consciousness also refers to several other aspects involving both its levels (sleep, coma, dreams and waking state) and contents (subjective, phenomenal and objective). A second issue is the problem of other minds, namely, the possibility to establish whether others have minds very like our own. Moreover, human consciousness has been linked to three different forms of memory: procedural/implicit, semantic and episodic. All these different aspects of consciousness will be discussed in the first part of the chapter. In the second part, we discuss different neuroscientific theories on consciousness and examine how research from developmental psychology, clinical neurology (epilepsy, coma, vegetative state and minimal state of consciousness), neuropsychology (blindsight, agnosia, neglect, split-brain and ocular rivalry), and comparative neuropsychophysiology contribute to the study of consciousness. Finally, in the last part of the chapter we discuss the distinctive features of human consciousness and in particular the ability to travel mentally through time, the phenomenon of joint intentionality, theory of mind and language.
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47
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Smith R, Kaszniak AW, Katsanis J, Lane RD, Nielsen L. The importance of identifying underlying process abnormalities in alexithymia: Implications of the three-process model and a single case study illustration. Conscious Cogn 2019; 68:33-46. [DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2018.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Revised: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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48
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Smith R, Sanova A, Alkozei A, Lane RD, Killgore WDS. Higher levels of trait emotional awareness are associated with more efficient global information integration throughout the brain: a graph-theoretic analysis of resting state functional connectivity. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2019; 13:665-675. [PMID: 29931125 PMCID: PMC6121141 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsy047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have suggested that trait differences in emotional awareness (tEA) are clinically relevant, and associated with differences in neural structure/function. While multiple leading theories suggest that conscious awareness requires widespread information integration across the brain, no study has yet tested the hypothesis that higher tEA corresponds to more efficient brain-wide information exchange. Twenty-six healthy volunteers (13 females) underwent a resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan, and completed the Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale (LEAS; a measure of tEA) and the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI-II; a measure of general intelligence quotient [IQ]). Using a whole-brain (functionally defined) region of interest (ROI) atlas, we computed several graph theory metrics to assess the efficiency of brain-wide information exchange. After statistically controlling for differences in age, gender and IQ, we first observed a significant relationship between higher LEAS scores and greater average degree (i.e. overall whole-brain network density). When controlling for average degree, we found that higher LEAS scores were also associated with shorter average path lengths across the collective network of all included ROIs. These results jointly suggest that individuals with higher tEA display more efficient global information exchange throughout the brain. This is consistent with the idea that conscious awareness requires global accessibility of represented information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Smith
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Anna Sanova
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Anna Alkozei
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
| | - Richard D Lane
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
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49
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Solms M. The Hard Problem of Consciousness and the Free Energy Principle. Front Psychol 2019; 9:2714. [PMID: 30761057 PMCID: PMC6363942 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
This article applies the free energy principle to the hard problem of consciousness. After clarifying some philosophical issues concerning functionalism, it identifies the elemental form of consciousness as affect and locates its physiological mechanism (an extended form of homeostasis) in the upper brainstem. This mechanism is then formalized in terms of free energy minimization (in unpredicted contexts) where decreases and increases in expected uncertainty are felt as pleasure and unpleasure, respectively. Emphasis is placed on the reasons why such existential imperatives feel like something to and for an organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Solms
- Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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50
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Berlucchi G, Marzi CA. Neuropsychology of Consciousness: Some History and a Few New Trends. Front Psychol 2019; 10:50. [PMID: 30761035 PMCID: PMC6364520 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2018] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Consciousness is a global activity of the nervous system. Its physiological and pathological mechanisms have been studied in relation to the natural sleep-wake cycle and various forms of normal or morbid unconsciousness, mainly in neurophysiology and clinical neurology. Neuropsychology has been more interested in specific higher brain functions, such as perception and memory and their disorders, rather than in consciousness per se. However, neuropsychology has been at the forefront in the identification of conscious and unconscious components in the processing of sensory and mnestic information. The present review describes some historical steps in the formulation of consciousness as a global brain function with arousal and content as principal ingredients, respectively, instantiated in the subcortex and the neocortex. It then reports a few fresh developments in neuropsychology and cognitive neuroscience which emphasize the importance of the hippocampus for thinking and dreaming. Non-neocortical structures may contribute to the contents of consciousness more than previously believed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni Berlucchi
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
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