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Bouzidi YS, Gendolla GHE. Cognitive conflict does not always mean high effort: Task difficulty's moderating effect on cardiac response. Psychophysiology 2024; 61:e14580. [PMID: 38615338 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14580] [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: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 03/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
This article presents an experiment (N = 127 university students) testing whether the previously found impact of conflict primes on effort-related cardiac response is moderated by objective task difficulty. Recently, it has been shown that primed cognitive conflict increases cardiac pre-ejection period (PEP) reactivity-an index of effort intensity-during the performance of relatively easy tasks. This effect could be attributed to conflict-related negative affect. Consequently, as it has been shown for other types of negative affect, we expected conflict primes' effect to be task-context dependent and thus to be moderated by objective task difficulty. In a between-persons design, we manipulated conflict via embedded pictures of conflict-related vs. non-conflict-related Stroop items in a memory task. We expected primed conflict to increase effort in a relatively easy version of the task but to lead to disengagement when task difficulty was objectively high. PEP reactivity corroborated our predictions. Rather than always increasing effort, cognitive conflict's effect on resource mobilization was context-dependent and resulted in weak responses in a difficult task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yann S Bouzidi
- FPSE, Section of Psychology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Guido H E Gendolla
- FPSE, Section of Psychology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
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2
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Duken SB, Keessen L, Hoijtink H, Kindt M, van Ast VA. Bayesian evaluation of diverging theories of episodic and affective memory distortions in dysphoria. Nat Commun 2024; 15:1320. [PMID: 38351107 PMCID: PMC10864297 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-45203-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
People suffering from dysphoria retrieve autobiographical memories distorted in content and affect, which may contribute to the aetiology and maintenance of depression. However, key memory difficulties in dysphoria remain elusive because theories disagree how memories of different valence are altered. Here, we assessed the psychophysiological expression of affect and retrieved episodic detail while participants with dysphoria (but without a diagnosed mental illness) and participants without dysphoria relived positive, negative, and neutral memories. We show that participants with dysphoria retrieve positive memories with diminished episodic detail and negative memories with enhanced detail, compared to participants without dysphoria. This is in line with negativity bias but not overgeneral memory bias theories. According to confirmatory analyses, participants with dysphoria also express diminished positive affect and enhanced negative affect when retrieving happy memories, but exploratory analyses suggest that this increase in negative affect may not be robust. Further confirmatory analyses showed that affective responses to memories are not related to episodic detail and already present during the experience of new emotional events. Our results indicate that affective memory distortions may not emerge from mnemonic processes but from general distortions in positive affect, which challenges assumptions of memory theories and therapeutics. Protocol registration: The Stage 1 protocol for this Registered Report was accepted in principle on the 18rd of March 2021. The protocol, as accepted by the journal, can be found at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.14605374.v1 .
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Affiliation(s)
- Sascha B Duken
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Liza Keessen
- Amsterdam School of Communication Research, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Herbert Hoijtink
- Department of Methodology and Statistics, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Merel Kindt
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Vanessa A van Ast
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
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3
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Meehan ZM, Hubbard JA, Moore CC, Mlawer F. Susceptibility to peer influence in adolescents: Associations between psychophysiology and behavior. Dev Psychopathol 2024; 36:69-81. [PMID: 36148857 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579422000967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The current study investigated in-the-moment links between adolescents' autonomic nervous system activity and susceptibility to three types of peer influence (indirect, direct, continuing) on two types of behavior (antisocial, prosocial). The sample included 144 racially ethnically diverse adolescents (46% male, 53% female, 1% other; M age = 16.02 years). We assessed susceptibility to peer influence behaviorally using the Public Goods Game (PGG) while measuring adolescents' mean heart rate (MHR) and pre-ejection period (PEP). Three key findings emerged from bivariate dual latent change score modeling: (1) adolescents whose MHR increased more as they transitioned from playing the PGG alone (pre-influence) to playing while simply observed by peers (indirect influence) displayed more prosocial behavior; (2) adolescents whose PEP activity increased more (greater PEP activity = shorter PEP latency) as they transitioned from indirect influence to being encouraged by peers to engage in antisocial behavior (direct influence) engaged in more antisocial behavior; and (3) adolescents whose PEP activity decreased less as they transitioned from direct influence on prosocial behavior to playing the PGG alone again (continuing influence) displayed more continuing prosocial behavior (marginal effect). The discussion focuses on the role of psychophysiology in understanding adolescents' susceptibility to peer influence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary M Meehan
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Delaware, 105 The Green, 108 Wolf Hall, Newark, DE19716, USA
| | - Julie A Hubbard
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Delaware, 105 The Green, 108 Wolf Hall, Newark, DE19716, USA
| | - Christina C Moore
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Delaware, 105 The Green, 108 Wolf Hall, Newark, DE19716, USA
| | - Fanny Mlawer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Delaware, 105 The Green, 108 Wolf Hall, Newark, DE19716, USA
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4
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Bounoua N, Tabachnick AR, Eiden RD, Labella MH, Dozier M. Emotion dysregulation and reward responsiveness as predictors of autonomic reactivity to an infant cry task among substance-using pregnant and postpartum women. Dev Psychobiol 2024; 66:e22449. [PMID: 38131244 PMCID: PMC10752434 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2023] [Revised: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Maternal substance use may interfere with optimal parenting, lowering maternal responsiveness during interactions with their children. Previous work has identified maternal autonomic nervous system (ANS) reactivity to parenting-relevant stressors as a promising indicator of real-world parenting behaviors. However, less is known about the extent to which individual differences in emotion dysregulation and reward processing, two mechanisms of substance use, relate to maternal ANS reactivity in substance-using populations. The current study examined associations among emotion dysregulation, reward responsiveness, and ANS reactivity to an infant cry task among 77 low-income and substance-using women who were either pregnant (n = 63) or postpartum (n = 14). Two indicators of ANS functioning were collected during a 9 min computerized infant cry task (Crybaby task): respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and pre-ejection period. Mothers also completed self-reported measures of emotion dysregulation and reward responsiveness. Analyses revealed that trait emotion regulation was associated with RSA reactivity to the Crybaby task, such that greater emotion dysregulation was associated with greater RSA reduction during the infant cry task than lower emotion dysregulation. Reward responsiveness was not significantly associated with either indicator of ANS reactivity to the task. Findings revealed distinct patterns of associations linking emotion dysregulation with ANS reactivity during a parenting-related computerized task, suggesting that emotion regulation may be a key intervention target for substance-using mothers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Bounoua
- University of Maryland, College Park, Department of Psychology
| | | | - Rina D. Eiden
- The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Psychology, and the Social Science Research Institute
| | | | - Mary Dozier
- University of Delaware, Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences
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5
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Parra-Gaete C, Hermosa-Bosano C. A pilot exploration of the relationships between optimism, affect, and cardiovascular reactivity. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1233900. [PMID: 37908813 PMCID: PMC10613684 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1233900] [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: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Cardiovascular reactivity refers to changes in blood pressure and heart rate in response to internal or external stimuli. Previous research has shown that excessively high and low cardiovascular reactivity are associated with an increased risk of cardiac problems. Dispositional optimism has been associated with numerous health benefits, including better cardiovascular responses to stressors, and reduced mortality risk. Conversely, pessimism has been associated with negative health outcomes and worse cardiovascular reactivity to stress. Mood, comprising positive and negative affect, can significantly impact psychological adjustment and physical health. Therefore, it is important to consider mood as a potential confounding variable in the link between optimism and cardiovascular reactivity. The study hypothesized that optimism and pessimism would still influence cardiovascular reactivity even when mood variables were controlled for. Methods A within-subjects correlational design with 107 young adult participants was used. Sociodemographic and clinical questionnaires were administered to collect information on participants' characteristics. The Dispositional Optimism Scale (LOT-R) and the Positive and Negative Affect Scale (PANAS) were used to assess participants' levels of optimism, pessimism, and mood. Measures of cardiovascular reactivity, including systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and heart rate (HR), were taken during a stressor task (PASAT). Results There is a moderate positive correlation between dispositional optimism and positive affect, while pessimism demonstrated a moderate positive association with negative affect. Linear regression analyses were conducted, controlling baseline reactivity variables, gender, and body mass index. The results showed that pessimism had a significant negative effect on SBP reactivity, suggesting that higher levels of pessimism decreased SBP response. Optimism had a significant positive effect on DBP reactivity, while pessimism had a significant negative effect. Discussion Overall, these results suggest that dispositional optimism and pessimism are related to cardiovascular reactivity, even after controlling for positive and negative affect. Pessimism was associated with lower SBP reactivity, while both optimism and pessimism influenced DBP reactivity. These findings are consistent with previous research indicating that optimism enables more effective stress management during challenging events, whereas pessimism can serve as a risk factor, heightening the likelihood of experiencing future cardiac issued caused by blunted cardiovascular reactivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cesar Parra-Gaete
- Grupo de Investigación Bienestar, Salud y Sociedad, Escuela de Psicología y Educación, Universidad de Las Américas, Quito, Ecuador
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Fernandez A, Quigley L, Dobson K, Sears C. Coherence of attention and memory biases in currently and previously depressed women. Cogn Emot 2022; 36:1239-1254. [PMID: 35819001 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2022.2099348] [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: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Previous research has found that depression is characterised by biased processing of emotional information. Although most studies have examined cognitive biases in isolation, simultaneous examination of multiple biases is required to understand how they may interact and influence one another to produce depression vulnerability. In this study, the attention and memory biases of currently depressed, previously depressed, and never depressed women were examined using the same stimuli and a unified methodology. Participants viewed negative, positive, and neutral words while their eye gaze was tracked and recorded. After a distraction task, participants completed an incidental recognition test that included words from the eye-tracking task and new words. The results supported the hypothesised mediation model for positive words: currently depressed women had a reduced attention bias for positive words and, in turn, had poorer memory for positive words relative to never depressed women. Previously depressed women, however, showed a lack of coherence between attention and memory biases for positive words. The groups did not differ in their attention or memory biases for negative words. The findings provide novel evidence in support of a causal link between the absence of protective attention and memory biases for positive information in clinical depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Fernandez
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Leanne Quigley
- Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Keith Dobson
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
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7
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Décombe A, Brinkmann K, Merenciano M, Capdevielle D, Gendolla GHE, Raffard S. Cognitive effort in Schizophrenia: Dissimilar effects on cardiovascular activity and subjective effort. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-03145-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Mazeres F, Brinkmann K, Richter M. Explicit achievement motive strength determines effort-related myocardial beta-adrenergic activity if task difficulty is unclear but not if task difficulty is clear. Int J Psychophysiol 2021; 169:11-19. [PMID: 34480970 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2021.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Work on physiological and other behavioral correlates of motives often assumes that motives exert a direct effect on behavior once activated. Motivational intensity theory, however, suggests that this does not always apply. In the context of task engagement, motive strength should exert a direct effect on myocardial beta-adrenergic activity if task difficulty is unclear, but not if task difficulty is known. The presented study tested this prediction for the impact of the explicit achievement motive on myocardial beta-adrenergic activity-assessed as pre-ejection period (PEP) reactivity during task performance. Seventy-eight participants performed one of two versions of a mental arithmetic task. After having completed the achievement motive scale of the Personality Research Form, participants were either informed about the difficulty of the task or not before working on it. Participants' PEP reactivity during task performance provided evidence for the predicted moderating impact of clarity of task difficulty: PEP reactivity increased with increasing achievement motive strength if task difficulty was unclear, but not if it was clear. These findings demonstrate that the explicit achievement motive impact on myocardial beta-adrenergic activity is moderated by clarity of task difficulty and suggest that motive strength does not always translate into direct effects on physiology and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florence Mazeres
- Geneva Motivation Lab, Department of Psychology, FPSE, University of Geneva, 40 Bd. Du Pont-d'Arve, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland.
| | - Kerstin Brinkmann
- Geneva Motivation Lab, Department of Psychology, FPSE, University of Geneva, 40 Bd. Du Pont-d'Arve, CH-1211 Geneva 4, Switzerland.
| | - Michael Richter
- Effort Lab, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Liverpool John Moores University, Byrom Street, L3 3AF Liverpool, UK.
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9
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Horne SJ, Topp TE, Quigley L. Depression and the willingness to expend cognitive and physical effort for rewards: A systematic review. Clin Psychol Rev 2021; 88:102065. [PMID: 34274800 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2021.102065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Depression is associated with reduced motivation to engage in previously enjoyed activities. In particular, anhedonia has been linked to reduced motivation, though other depressive symptoms may also play a role. The purposes of this systematic review were to 1) examine the relationship between depression and motivation, as operationalized by a willingness to expend effort for rewards, 2) examine the relationship between anhedonia and motivation, and 3) examine potential methodological moderators of these relationships. Forty-three articles met our inclusion criteria for the review. Our review found that individuals with depression and anhedonia demonstrate reduced willingness to expend cognitive and physical effort for rewards, though the effect has been more robustly demonstrated for physical effort expenditure. Task design impacted the strength of these relationships, with stronger effects for tasks that used indices of decision-making and accuracy rather than response time. These findings have clinical implications for behavioral activation, which seeks to improve depressive symptoms by encouraging individuals to increase their activity level. Future research should examine the determinants of motivation in individuals with depression and anhedonia, to ultimately help these individuals become more active and hopefully improve their quality of life as a result.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah J Horne
- Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY, United States of America.
| | - Tzippora E Topp
- Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY, United States of America
| | - Leanne Quigley
- Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University, Bronx, NY, United States of America
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10
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Abstract
Abstract. Attaining sports or health goals requires not only high motivation but also the willpower to translate sport-behavior intentions into successful action. This volitional regulation calls for the mobilization of effort to overcome obstacles in the pursuit of goals. The present article provides a theoretical and empirical overview of motivation intensity theory ( Brehm & Self, 1989 ) – a conceptual framework that makes clear and testable predictions about effort mobilization in various contexts. First, we present the guiding principles of this theory and its operationalizations by measures of effort-related cardiovascular reactivity and physical handgrip force. Second, we review a selection of empirical tests of the basic assumptions of this theory and the impact of psychological moderator variables such as affect, fatigue, pain, and personality on effort mobilization. Finally, we discuss important implications of these findings for the sports and health domains and make suggestions for future research.
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11
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Duschek S, Bair A, Hoffmann A, Marksteiner J, Montoro CI, Reyes del Paso GA. Cardiovascular Variability and Reactivity in Major Depressive Disorder. J PSYCHOPHYSIOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1027/0269-8803/a000277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Abstract. This study investigated cardiovascular variability and stress reactivity in major depressive disorder (MDD). While previous research has documented reduced heart rate variability, knowledge about blood pressure variability in MDD remains scarce. Regarding reactivity, a particular focus was placed on the time courses of the cardiovascular responses, which may provide insight into the autonomic mechanisms underlying the hypo-reactivity expected in MDD. In 76 MDD patients and 71 healthy controls, blood pressure was continuously recorded at rest and during mental stress induced by a 3-min serial subtraction task. Compared to controls, patients exhibited lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate variability, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure variability. Moreover, smaller stress-related changes in heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, and sensitivity of the cardiac baroreflex arose in patients. Cardiovascular parameters did not differ between patients using antidepressants and unmedicated patients. According to time-course analysis, reduced hemodynamic modulations in MDD mainly occurred after 50 s of the stress period. Low heart rate variability in MDD reflects deficient top-down integration of the brain mechanisms allowing flexible autonomic and behavioral control; diminished blood pressure variability is indicative of poor homeostatic capacity with respect to the regulation of blood pressure and organ perfusion. Moreover, blunted cardiovascular reactivity implies poor adjustment of energetic resources to internal and environmental demands and may be a correlate of deficient motivational dynamics characterizing MDD. While cardiovascular hypo-reactivity in MDD may be mediated by baroreflex and adrenergic mechanisms, the fast-acting parasympathetic system may play a subordinate role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Duschek
- UMIT – University of Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology, Institute of Psychology, Hall in Tirol, Austria
| | - Angela Bair
- UMIT – University of Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology, Institute of Psychology, Hall in Tirol, Austria
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12
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Silvia PJ, Eddington KM, Harper KL, Burgin CJ, Kwapil TR. Appetitive Motivation in Depressive Anhedonia: Effects of Piece-Rate Cash Rewards on Cardiac and Behavioral Outcomes. MOTIVATION SCIENCE 2020; 6:259-265. [PMID: 33778105 PMCID: PMC7989634 DOI: 10.1037/mot0000151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Deficits in self-regulation and motivation are central to depression. Using motivational intensity theory (Brehm & Self, 1989), the present research examined how depressive anhedonia influences effort during a piece-rate appetitive task. In piece-rate tasks, people can work at their own pace and are rewarded for each correct response, so they can gain rewards more quickly by expending more effort. A sample of community adults (n = 78) was evaluated for depressive anhedonia using a structured clinical interview, yielding depressive anhedonia and control groups. Participants completed a self-paced cognitive task, and each correct response yielded a cash reward (3 cents or 15 cents, manipulated within-person). Using impedance cardiography, effort-related physiological activity was assessed via the cardiac pre-ejection period (PEP). The results indicated lower reward responsiveness in the anhedonia group. Compared to the control group, the depressive anhedonia group showed significantly less baseline-to-task change in PEP, and they performed marginally worse on the task. The experiment supports the predictions made by applying motivational intensity theory to depression and offers a useful paradigm for evaluating anhedonic effects on effort while people are striving for appealing rewards.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul J Silvia
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
| | - Kari M Eddington
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
| | - Kelly L Harper
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
| | | | - Thomas R Kwapil
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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13
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Silvia PJ, Eddington KM, Harper KL, Burgin CJ, Kwapil TR. Reward-Seeking Deficits in Major Depression: Unpacking Appetitive Task Performance with Ex-Gaussian Response Time Variability Analysis. MOTIVATION SCIENCE 2020; 7:219-224. [PMID: 34504900 DOI: 10.1037/mot0000208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) has extensive ties to motivation, including impaired response time (RT) performance. Average RT, however, conflates response speed and variability, so RT differences can be complex. Because recent studies have shown inconsistent effects of MDD on RT variability, the present research sought to unpack RT performance with several key improvements: (1) a sample of adults (n = 78; 18 MDD, 60 Control) free of antidepressant medication; (2) an unambiguously appetitive task with appealing incentives at stake; and (3) ex-Gaussian RT modeling, which can unconfound speed and variability by estimating parameters for the mean (Mu) and standard deviation (Sigma) of the normal component and the mean of the exponential component (Tau). The groups had comparable Mu and Sigma parameters, but the MDD group had a significantly larger Tau, reflecting greater intraindividual RT variability. The findings suggest that MDD's effect on average RT can stem from greater intraindividual variability, not from overall slowness. Possible mechanisms, such as impaired executive processes in MDD and difficulties maintaining stable mental representations of incentives, are considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul J Silvia
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
| | - Kari M Eddington
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
| | - Kelly L Harper
- National Center for PTSD, Behavioral Science Division, VA Boston Healthcare System
| | - Chris J Burgin
- Department of Counseling and Psychology, Tennessee Tech University
| | - Thomas R Kwapil
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
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14
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Lin XX, Sun YB, Wang YZ, Fan L, Wang X, Wang N, Luo F, Wang JY. Ambiguity Processing Bias Induced by Depressed Mood Is Associated with Diminished Pleasantness. Sci Rep 2019; 9:18726. [PMID: 31822749 PMCID: PMC6904491 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55277-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2018] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Depressed individuals are biased to perceive, interpret, and judge ambiguous cues in a negative/pessimistic manner. Depressed mood can induce and exacerbate these biases, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. We theorize that depressed mood can bias ambiguity processing by altering one's subjective emotional feelings (e.g. pleasantness/unpleasantness) of the cues. This is because when there is limited objective information, individuals often rely on subjective feelings as a source of information for cognitive processing. To test this theory, three groups (induced depression vs. spontaneous depression vs. neutral) were tested in the Judgement Bias Task (JBT), a behavioral assay of ambiguity processing bias. Subjective pleasantness/unpleasantness of cues was measured by facial electromyography (EMG) from the zygomaticus major (ZM, "smiling") and from the corrugator supercilii (CS, "frowning") muscles. As predicted, induced sad mood (vs. neutral mood) yielded a negative bias with a magnitude comparable to that in a spontaneous depressed mood. The facial EMG data indicates that the negative judgement bias induced by depressed mood was associated with a decrease in ZM reactivity (i.e., diminished perceived pleasantness of cues). Our results suggest that depressed mood may bias ambiguity processing by affecting the reward system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Xiao Lin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ya-Bin Sun
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yu-Zheng Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lu Fan
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research, Beijing, China
| | - Ning Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Fei Luo
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jin-Yan Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Beijing, China.
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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15
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Mazeres F, Brinkmann K, Richter M. Implicit achievement motive limits the impact of task difficulty on effort-related cardiovascular response. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN PERSONALITY 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jrp.2019.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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16
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Kang J, Derva D, Kwon DY, Wallraven C. Voluntary and spontaneous facial mimicry toward other's emotional expression in patients with Parkinson's disease. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0214957. [PMID: 30973893 PMCID: PMC6459535 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0214957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 03/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
A "masked face", that is, decreased facial expression is considered as one of the cardinal symptoms among individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD). Both spontaneous and voluntary mimicry toward others' emotional expressions is essential for both social communication and emotional sharing with others. Despite many studies showing impairments in facial movements in PD in general, it is still unclear whether voluntary, spontaneous, or both types of mimicry are affected and how the impairments affect the patients' quality of life. We investigated to verify whether impairments in facial movements happen for spontaneous as well as for voluntary expressions by quantitatively comparing muscle activations using surface electromyography. Dynamic facial expressions of Neutral, Anger, Joy, and Sad were presented during recordings in corrugator and zygomatic areas. In the spontaneous condition, participants were instructed to simply watch clips, whereas in the voluntary condition they were instructed to actively mimic the stimuli. We found that PD patients showed decreased mimicry in both spontaneous and voluntary conditions compared to a matched control group, although movement patterns in each emotion were similar in the two groups. Moreover, whereas the decrease in mimicry correlated with the decrease not in a health-related quality of life index (PDQ), it did so in a more subjective measurement of general quality of life index (SWB). The correlation between facial mimicry and subjective well-being index suggests that the 'masked face' symptom deteriorates patients' quality of life in a complex way affecting social and psychological aspects, which in turn may be linked to the increased depression risk among individuals with PD.
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Affiliation(s)
- June Kang
- Korea University, Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Seoul, South Korea
- Empathy Research Institute, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Dilara Derva
- Korea University, Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Do-Young Kwon
- Korea University Ansan hospital, Department of Neurology, Ansan City, South Korea
| | - Christian Wallraven
- Korea University, Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Seoul, South Korea
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