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Hachtel H, Deuring G, Graf M, Vogel T. Impact of psychosocial stress on facial emotion recognition in schizophrenia and controls: an experimental study in a forensic sample. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1358291. [PMID: 39081531 PMCID: PMC11287427 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1358291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Psychotic disorders have been associated with dysregulated stress reactions and adaptation. Little is known about the neuroendocrine responses to psychosocial stress in justice-involved individuals with schizophrenia. Methods Using an experimental research design, the present study aims to examine differences in the subjective and neuroendocrine responses to psychosocial stress and its impact on facial emotion recognition (FER) and performance on an arithmetic task in chronically ill justice-involved individuals with schizophrenia (PAT) and a healthy control group. PAT undergoing treatment in forensic psychiatric inpatient wards (n = 17) and a healthy control group (n = 17) were assessed regarding sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Additionally, salivary cortisol levels, measured before and after performing a psychosocial stress task [Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST)], and performance on an arithmetic problem-solving task and two FER tasks were recorded. Two participants dropped out, one from each group. Therefore, the final sample consisted of 32 individuals. Results Significant group differences in FER were recorded. There was a significant rise in subjective perception of momentary strain relating to the induction of psychosocial stress in both groups. Notably, the pre-stress level of subjective strain was higher in the PAT group than controls. Acute psychosocial stress induced an increase in FER performance in a sub-task related to naming emotions in individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorder. Discussion The results underline the importance of psychosocial and therapeutic interventions aimed at strengthening stress resilience in individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henning Hachtel
- Forensic Department, University Psychiatric Clinic Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Medical Faculty, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Gunnar Deuring
- Forensic Department, University Psychiatric Clinic Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marc Graf
- Medical Faculty, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Tobias Vogel
- Medical Faculty, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
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Ilkevič E, Hausmann M, Grikšienė R. Emotion recognition and regulation in males: Role of sex and stress steroids. Front Neuroendocrinol 2024; 74:101145. [PMID: 38862092 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2024.101145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2024] [Accepted: 06/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
Understanding emotions in males is crucial given their higher susceptibility to substance use, interpersonal violence, and suicide compared to females. Steroid hormones are assumed to be critical biological factors that affect and modulate emotion-related behaviors, together with psychological and social factors. This review explores whether males' abilities to recognize emotions of others and regulate their own emotions are associated with testosterone, cortisol, and their interaction. Higher levels of testosterone were associated with improved recognition and heightened sensitivity to threatening faces. In contrast, higher cortisol levels positively impacted emotion regulation ability. Indirect evidence from neuroimaging research suggested a link between higher testosterone levels and difficulties in cognitive emotion regulation. However, this notion must be investigated in future studies using different emotion regulation strategies and considering social status. The present review contributes to the understanding of how testosterone and cortisol affect psychological well-being and emotional behavior in males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik Ilkevič
- Department of Neurobiology and Biophysics, Life Science Center, Vilnius University, Lithuania
| | | | - Ramunė Grikšienė
- Department of Neurobiology and Biophysics, Life Science Center, Vilnius University, Lithuania.
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3
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Huc M, Bush K, Atias G, Berrigan L, Cox S, Jaworska N. Recognition of masked and unmasked facial expressions in males and females and relations with mental wellness. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1217736. [PMID: 38023041 PMCID: PMC10643509 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1217736] [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: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background While the effects of mask wearing/facial occlusion are known to impair facial expression recognition, little is known about the role of mental wellness on facial expression recognition, as well as the influence of sex on misattribution errors (i.e., confusions between emotions). In this large study, we aimed to address the relation between facial expression recognition and loneliness, perceived stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms in male and female adults. Methods We assessed the influence of mask-wearing on facial expression recognition [i.e., accuracy and response time (RT)] via an online study in N = 469 adult males and females across Canada. Results Expectedly, recognition was impaired under masked conditions (i.e., lower accuracy, longer RTs, more misattribution errors). Females were faster and more accurate than males, with less misattribution errors. A novel finding was that people with higher perceived stress were less accurate at identifying masked fearful faces. Perceived stress influenced the relation between sex and RT to masked happy faces; males with high stress scores were slower to recognize masked happy faces, the opposite was true for females. Finally, this study was among the first to show that higher loneliness predicted shorter RT to unmasked faces. Impact Our results show that facial expression recognition is impaired by mask-wearing, and that sex and mental health features are important predictors of performance. Such insight could be detrimental in certain sectors of the population (e.g., health care or education), and inform policies being adopted in future pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Huc
- University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Katie Bush
- University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Gali Atias
- University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Lindsay Berrigan
- Department of Psychology, St Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, NS, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Sylvia Cox
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Dawson College, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Natalia Jaworska
- University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Department of Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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Schiller B, Brustkern J, von Dawans B, Habermann M, Pacurar M, Heinrichs M. Social high performers under stress behave more prosocially and detect happy emotions better in a male sample. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023; 156:106338. [PMID: 37499422 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Psychosocial stress is increasing in society, impacting our lives in all social domains. However, the conditions under which stress facilitates ("tend-and-befriend") or hinders ("fight-or-flight") social approach remain elusive. We tested whether previous heterogeneous findings might be resolved by accounting for individual differences in social performance under stress. For that purpose, we introduce the novel Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) social performance index that was aggregated across ratings from two independent observers. Moreover, we apply an innovative setup enabling electroencephalographic (EEG) data to be measured inside an electrically-shielded cabin during stress, namely the TSST-EEG. Relying on a sample of 59 healthy male participants, we collected behavioral (i.e., sharing resources with others) and cognitive (i.e., detecting facial emotional expressions) approach patterns while participants experienced either acute psychosocial stress (n = 31) or no stress (control condition; n = 28) and while EEG was being recorded. During stress exposure, high-performing participants behaved more prosocially, and differentiated better between happy and neutral emotions on both behavioral and neurophysiological levels (revealed by intensity differences in a N170-like response). Overall, our findings demonstrate the added value of both the novel TSST social performance index and the novel TSST-EEG setup. By showing that high social performance during the TSST is associated with behavioral, cognitive, and neurophysiological approach patterns, our study offers valuable insights into adaptive or maladaptive psychobiological mechanisms in coping with psychosocial stress. Future stress research should address the role of social performance differences during stress in social interaction to better understand the behavioral consequences of psychosocial stress in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bastian Schiller
- Laboratory for Biological Psychology, Clinical Psychology, and Psychotherapy, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Straße 8, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; Freiburg Brain Imaging Center, University Medical Center, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Johanna Brustkern
- Laboratory for Biological Psychology, Clinical Psychology, and Psychotherapy, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Straße 8, 79104 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Bernadette von Dawans
- Laboratory for Biological Psychology, Clinical Psychology, and Psychotherapy, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Straße 8, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Trier, Johanniterufer 15, 54290 Trier, Germany
| | - Marie Habermann
- Laboratory for Biological Psychology, Clinical Psychology, and Psychotherapy, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Straße 8, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Marti Pacurar
- Laboratory for Biological Psychology, Clinical Psychology, and Psychotherapy, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Straße 8, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; Asklepios Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Röntgenstr. 22, 63225 Langen, Germany
| | - Markus Heinrichs
- Laboratory for Biological Psychology, Clinical Psychology, and Psychotherapy, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Stefan-Meier-Straße 8, 79104 Freiburg, Germany; Freiburg Brain Imaging Center, University Medical Center, University of Freiburg, 79104 Freiburg, Germany.
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Vehlen A, Kellner A, Normann C, Heinrichs M, Domes G. Reduced eye gaze during facial emotion recognition in chronic depression: Effects of intranasal oxytocin. J Psychiatr Res 2023; 159:50-56. [PMID: 36657314 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.01.016] [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] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Chronic depression disorders (CDD) are characterized by impaired social cognitive functioning. Visual attention during social perception is altered in clinical depression and is known to be sensitive to intranasal treatment with oxytocin (OT). The present study thus investigated potential alterations in gaze preferences during a standardized facial emotion recognition (FER) task using remote eye tracking in patients with CDD and the effect of a single dose of intranasal OT (compared to placebo). In emotion recognition, CDD patients were not more impaired than healthy controls, and there was no OT effect. However, CDD patients (with placebo) demonstrated less attentional preference for the eye region during FER than healthy controls, which was not apparent in the CDD group after OT treatment. Our results suggest that despite largely preserved basic facial emotions recognition, attention in social perception may be altered in CDD, and that this bias may be sensitive to OT treatment. These findings highlight OTs potential as a means of augmenting psychotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonia Vehlen
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Trier, Germany
| | - Antonia Kellner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany
| | - Claus Normann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Germany; Center for Neuromodulation, Medical Center, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Markus Heinrichs
- Department of Psychology, Laboratory for Biological Psychology, Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Freiburg, Germany
| | - Gregor Domes
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Trier, Germany.
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The association between acute stress & empathy: A systematic literature review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 144:105003. [PMID: 36535374 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.105003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Empathy is a fundamental component of our social-emotional experience. Over the last decade, there has been increased interest in understanding the effects of acute stress on empathy. We provide a first comprehensive-and systematic-overview identifying emerging patterns and gaps in this literature. Regarding affective empathy, there is abundant evidence for stress contagion-the 'spillover' of stress from a stressed target to an unstressed perceiver. We highlight contextual factors that can facilitate and/or undermine these effects. Fewer studies have investigated the effects of acute stress on affective empathy, revealing a nuanced picture, some evidence suggests acute stress can block contagion of other's emotions; but again contextual differences need to be considered. Regarding cognitive empathy, most studies find no conclusive effects for simplistic measures of emotion recognition; however, studies using more complex empathy tasks find that acute stress might affect cognitive empathy differentially for men and women. This review provides an important first step towards understanding how acute stress can impact social-togetherness, and aims to aid future research by highlighting (in)congruencies and outstanding questions.
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Schote AB, Dietrich K, Linden AE, Dzionsko I, Molano Moreno LDLA, Winnikes U, Zimmer P, Domes G, Meyer J. Real sweating in a virtual stress environment: Investigation of the stress reactivity in people with primary focal hyperhidrosis. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0272247. [PMID: 35917298 PMCID: PMC9345359 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0272247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating, OMIM %114110) is a complex disorder with multifactorial causes. Emotional strains and social stress increase symptoms and lead to a vicious circle. Previously, we showed significantly higher depression scores, and normal cortisol awakening responses in patients with primary focal hyperhidrosis (PFH). Stress reactivity in response to a (virtual) Trier Social Stress Test (TSST-VR) has not been studied so far. Therefore, we measured sweat secretion, salivary cortisol and alpha amylase (sAA) concentrations, and subjective stress ratings in affected and non-affected subjects in response to a TSST-VR. Method In this pilot study, we conducted TSST-VRs and performed general linear models with repeated measurements for salivary cortisol and sAA levels, heart rate, axillary sweat and subjective stress ratings for two groups (diagnosed PFH (n = 11), healthy controls (n = 16)). Results PFH patients showed significantly heightened sweat secretion over time compared to controls (p = 0.006), with highest quantities during the TSST-VR. In both groups, sweating (p < 0.001), maximum cortisol levels (p = 0.002), feelings of stress (p < 0.001), and heart rate (p < 0.001) but not sAA (p = 0.068) increased significantly in response to the TSST-VR. However, no differences were detected in subjective ratings, cortisol concentrations and heart rate between PFH patients and controls (pall > 0.131). Conclusion Patients with diagnosed PFH showed stress-induced higher sweat secretion compared to healthy controls but did not differ in the stress reactivity with regard to endocrine or subjective markers. This pilot study is in need of replication to elucidate the role of the sympathetic nervous system as a potential pathway involved in the stress-induced emotional sweating of PFH patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea B. Schote
- Department of Neurobehavioral Genetics, Institute of Psychobiology, University of Trier, Johanniterufer, Trier, Germany
| | - Katharina Dietrich
- Department of Neurobehavioral Genetics, Institute of Psychobiology, University of Trier, Johanniterufer, Trier, Germany
| | - Adrian E. Linden
- Department of Neurobehavioral Genetics, Institute of Psychobiology, University of Trier, Johanniterufer, Trier, Germany
| | - Inga Dzionsko
- Department of Neurobehavioral Genetics, Institute of Psychobiology, University of Trier, Johanniterufer, Trier, Germany
| | | | - Ulrike Winnikes
- Department of Neurobehavioral Genetics, Institute of Psychobiology, University of Trier, Johanniterufer, Trier, Germany
| | - Patrick Zimmer
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Trier, Johanniterufer, Trier, Germany
| | - Gregor Domes
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Trier, Johanniterufer, Trier, Germany
| | - Jobst Meyer
- Department of Neurobehavioral Genetics, Institute of Psychobiology, University of Trier, Johanniterufer, Trier, Germany
- * E-mail:
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Azulay H, Guy N, Pertzov Y, Israel S. Empathy Modulates the Effect of Stress Reactivity on Generous Giving. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:814789. [PMID: 35546889 PMCID: PMC9081844 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.814789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
How does acute stress influence the degree to which we cooperate with others? Research on the effects of stress on social decision-making is guided by two seemingly contrasting theories. Acute stress may trigger a Fight-or-Flight response, manifested by increased anxiety, and more egocentric or selfish behavior. Alternatively, according to the Tend-and-Befriend model, acute stress may induce affiliative behaviors, marked by increased prosociality in an effort to seek and receive social support and protection. Extant studies on the topic do not provide consistent support for either pattern of behavior, with studies showing evidence for both Fight-or-Flight or Tend-and-Befriend like responses. One possibility, may be the nature of social responses to stressful situations differ as a function of the individual. In the current study, we demonstrate an example of such a person-by-situation interaction, showing that acute stress can cause either pro-social or selfish responses, contingent on individual differences in trait empathy. One hundred and twenty three participants (60 F) were assessed for trait empathy using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index; consequently, they underwent either the Trier Social Stress Test-a well-validated paradigm for eliciting acute psychosocial stress-or a non-stress inducing control condition. Following exposure to either the stress or control condition, participants played a one-shot Dictator Game to evaluate their generosity levels. Statistical analyses revealed that acute stress by itself did not affect the amount transferred in the Dictator Game. Rather, individual differences in trait empathy moderated the effects of stress on giving. Elevations in stress-induced cortisol resulted in more generous behavior, but only in individuals high in empathy. In contrast, in individuals low in empathy, a greater rise in stress-induced cortisol resulted in more selfish behavior. Effects were more pronounced in females than males. Our findings highlight the necessity of integrating personality traits as important moderators of the link between stress and sociality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hagar Azulay
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Nitzan Guy
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- Department of Cognitive and Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Yoni Pertzov
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Salomon Israel
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
- Scheinfeld Center of Human Genetics for the Social Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
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Hoorn JF, Tuinhof DJ. A robot’s sense-making of fallacies and rhetorical tropes. Creating ontologies of what humans try to say. COGN SYST RES 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogsys.2021.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Chae WR, Metz S, Pantazidis P, Dziobek I, Hellmann-Regen J, Wingenfeld K, Otte C. Effects of glucocorticoid and noradrenergic activity on implicit and explicit facial emotion recognition in healthy young men. Stress 2021; 24:1050-1056. [PMID: 33860721 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2021.1908255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability to recognize emotions from facial expressions is crucial for social interaction. Only few studies have examined the effect of stress hormones on facial emotion recognition, although stressful events affect social interactions on a daily basis. Those studies that examined facial emotion recognition mostly used explicit prompts to trigger consciously controlled processing. However, facial emotions are processed mainly implicitly in real life. Therefore, we investigated separate and combined effects of noradrenergic and glucocorticoid stimulation on implicit and explicit facial emotion recognition. One hundred and four healthy men (mean age = 24.1 years ±SD 3.5) underwent the Face Puzzle task to test implicit and explicit facial emotion recognition after receiving either 10 mg hydrocortisone or 10 mg yohimbine (an alpha 2-adrenergic receptor antagonist that increases noradrenergic activity) or 10 mg hydrocortisone/10 mg yohimbine combined or placebo. Salivary cortisol and salivary alpha amylase (sAA) were measured during the experiment. Compared to the placebo condition hydrocortisone significantly increased salivary cortisol and yohimbine significantly increased sAA. Participants were better and faster in explicit than in implicit facial emotion recognition. However, there was no effect of separate and combined noradrenergic and glucocorticoid stimulation on implicit and explicit facial emotion recognition performance compared to placebo. Our results do not support an essential role of the glucocorticoid and noradrenergic system in FER in young healthy men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Woo Ri Chae
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sophie Metz
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Berlin, Germany
| | - Pierre Pantazidis
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Berlin, Germany
| | - Isabel Dziobek
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Psychology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Julian Hellmann-Regen
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Berlin, Germany
| | - Katja Wingenfeld
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Otte
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Berlin, Germany
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Abstract
Previous research has shown that stress can affect emotion processing in a variety of settings. However, little attention has been paid to the effects of stress on emotional decision-making. The present study addressed this question by exposing healthy young participants either to a stressor (n = 30)-socially evaluated cold pressor task- or a non-stressful control task (n = 30). Subsequently, participants completed a computerized decision-making task in which they could compare the obtained factual outcome with a non-obtained counterfactual outcome. Saliva samples were taken at four time points over the course of the experiment and used to analyze cortisol levels. Results revealed that acute stress induced reliable salivary cortisol increase over the experimental task. At the outcome delivery stage, acute stress amplified negative emotions induced by the counterfactual comparison. At the choice stage, under stress, participants were more likely to make regret-averse decisions. The findings that acute stress amplifies both experienced and anticipated regret is consistent with dual process frameworks such that stress tilts decision-making toward more emotional and intuitive processing.Lay summaryStress is thought to affect emotional processing. The present study investigated the effects of acute stress on emotional decision making using a typical counterfactual decision making task. Acute stress amplified both experience and anticipation of regret, consistent with the dual process frame that stress tilts decision-making toward more emotional and intuitive processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yin Wu
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Eric van Dijk
- Department of Social, Economic and Organizational Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Hong Li
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
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Vatheuer CC, Vehlen A, von Dawans B, Domes G. Gaze behavior is associated with the cortisol response to acute psychosocial stress in the virtual TSST. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2021; 128:1269-1278. [PMID: 33914146 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-021-02344-w] [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: 01/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) is a reliable tool for psychobiological stress induction. Because of its socio-evaluative nature, it has been useful for investigating gaze behavior. It has been shown that healthy people avoid looking toward faces when under stress, a finding that corroborates studies demonstrating avoidance of eye contact in social anxiety disorder. Yet, little is known about the relationship between gaze behavior and the biological stress response. METHODS In a final sample of 74 healthy males, a virtual reality version of the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST-VR) with an integrated eye tracker was implemented to investigate gaze behavior during acute stress induction. Stress response measures were collected via saliva samples and subjective stress ratings. Additional questionnaires were administered for examining the influence of social anxiety traits. RESULTS The TSST-VR elicited a significant psychobiological stress response. Overall, higher gaze times on judges compared to surroundings were found in the speech task while this pattern was reversed in the arithmetic task. Critically, there was a significant negative association between gaze time on judges and cortisol output in cortisol responders. CONCLUSIONS In a non-clinical sample, avoidance of gaze is associated with a stronger cortisol response to acute stress. This study demonstrates the potential of eye tracking to disentangle the effects of acute stress on social interaction, warranting further investigation in clinical populations characterized by high levels of anxiety in social situations, such as social anxiety and autism spectrum disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Carolyn Vatheuer
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Trier, Johanniterufer 15, 54290, Trier, Germany
| | - Antonia Vehlen
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Trier, Johanniterufer 15, 54290, Trier, Germany
| | - Bernadette von Dawans
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Trier, Johanniterufer 15, 54290, Trier, Germany
| | - Gregor Domes
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Trier, Johanniterufer 15, 54290, Trier, Germany.
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Helminen EC, Morton ML, Wang Q, Felver JC. Stress Reactivity to the Trier Social Stress Test in Traditional and Virtual Environments: A Meta-Analytic Comparison. Psychosom Med 2021; 83:200-211. [PMID: 33534392 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000000918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The traditional Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) is a widely used standardized stress induction protocol and has recently been adapted in a variety of virtual reality environments (V-TSST). Research has demonstrated the ability of the V-TSST to induce a stress reactivity response measured via cortisol, heart rate, and self-report. However, research comparing stress reactivity induced via the V-TSST to the traditional TSST across neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, and self-report variables has not yet been systematically and quantitatively reviewed. METHODS In this meta-analytic review, the existing studies that used V-TSST were gathered, and each was age and sex matched with samples using the traditional TSST. These studies were then meta-analytically synthesized to determine if there was a moderating effect of TSST type (traditional TSST or V-TSST) on multiple measures of stress reactivity (i.e., cortisol, heart rate, and self-report). RESULTS Examining the pre-post stress induction, the V-TSST studies demonstrated comparable effect sizes (ESs) for stress reactivity (cortisol ES = 0.61, heart rate ES = 0.98, self-reported stress ES = 0.94) to traditional TSST study ESs (cortisol ES = 0.79, heart rate ES = 0.85, self-reported stress ES = 0.85). CONCLUSIONS The TSST type differences between ESs were not statistically significant, indicating that the V-TSST is as effective as the traditional TSST at eliciting a physiological and self-reported stress reactivity response. Implications and limitations of this meta-analysis are discussed, and recommendations for future research are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily C Helminen
- From the Departments of Psychology (Helminen, Morton, Felver) and Higher Education (Wang), Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York
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14
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Facial emotion recognition in borderline patients is unaffected by acute psychosocial stress. J Psychiatr Res 2021; 132:131-135. [PMID: 33091687 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is characterized by difficulties in social cognition and social interactions, which exacerbate under stress. A previous study found better facial emotion recognition (FER) in patients with personality disorders and healthy controls (HC) after stress. We recently reported that emotional empathy scores, i.e. the emotional response to another person's emotional state, were significantly lower in BPD patients than in HC after psychosocial stress. Cognitive empathy scores remained unaltered. The present study aims to further investigate the effect of psychosocial stress induced by the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) on FER as part of social cognition in patients with BPD. We randomized 43 women with BPD and 46 female HC to either the TSST or a placebo condition. Afterwards, participants were asked in an emotion recognition test to identify emotions in faces showing anger or sadness at low and high intensity. Both groups recognized emotions better at high intensity compared with low intensity. There was no effect of stress on FER performance and we found no difference between groups. This is in line with prior research on social cognition in BPD patients demonstrating that the ability to understand another person's perspective might be unaffected by acute stress.
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15
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Adults’ Stress Response to Unexpected Oral and Arithmetic Tasks in Supine Position. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2021; 1337:355-360. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-78771-4_40] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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16
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von Dawans B, Strojny J, Domes G. The effects of acute stress and stress hormones on social cognition and behavior: Current state of research and future directions. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 121:75-88. [PMID: 33301780 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.11.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Stress encompasses profound psychological and physiological changes that are observable on all levels, from cellular mechanisms, humoral changes, and brain activation to subjective experience and behavior. While the impact of stress on health has already been studied for decades, a more recent field of research has revealed effects of stress on human social cognition and behavior. Initial studies have attempted to elucidate the underlying biological mechanisms of these stress-induced effects by measuring physiological responses or by using pharmacological approaches. We provide an overview of the current state of research on the effects of acute stress induction or pharmacological manipulations of stress-related neuro circuitry on social cognition and behavior. Additionally, we discuss the methodological challenges that need to be addressed in order to gain further insight into this important research topic and facilitate replicability of results. Future directions may help to disentangle the complex interplay of psychological and biological stress variables and their effects on social cognition and behavior on health and in disorders with social deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julia Strojny
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Trier, Germany
| | - Gregor Domes
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Trier, Germany.
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17
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Smith KE, Leitzke BT, Pollak SD. Youths' processing of emotion information: Responses to chronic and video-based laboratory stress. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 122:104873. [PMID: 33070023 PMCID: PMC7686118 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Integrating multiple sources of information about others' emotional states is critical to making accurate emotional inferences. There is evidence that both acute and chronic stress influence how individuals perceive emotional information. However, there is little research examining how acute and chronic stress interact to impact these processes. The current study examined whether acute and chronic stress interact to influence how children make emotional inferences. Eighty-nine youths (aged 11-15 years) underwent a novel video-based social stressor. Children completed an emotion recognition task prior to and after the stressor in which they saw integrated displays of facial expressions and contexts depicting congruent or incongruent emotional information. Eye tracking assessed changes in attention to the stimuli. Children became more likely to use and attended more to facial information than contextual information when labeling emotions following exposure to acute stress. Moreover, the effect of acute stress on use of facial information to label emotions was stronger for children who experienced higher levels of chronic stress. These data suggest that acute stress shifts attention towards facial information while suppressing processing of other sources of emotional information, and that youths with a history of chronic stress are more susceptible to these effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen E. Smith
- Department of Psychology and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin - Madison,Correspondence should be directed to Karen E. Smith, Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin - Madison, 1500 Highland Ave, Rm 392, Madison, WI 53705.
| | - Brian T. Leitzke
- Department of Psychology and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin - Madison
| | - Seth D. Pollak
- Department of Psychology and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin - Madison
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18
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Stanković M, Nešić M. Functional brain asymmetry for emotions: psychological stress-induced reversed hemispheric asymmetry in emotional face perception. Exp Brain Res 2020; 238:2641-2651. [PMID: 32924076 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-020-05920-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Empirical evidence has demonstrated functional (mostly right-biased) brain asymmetry for emotion perception, whereas recent studies indicate that acute stress may modulate left and/or right hemisphere activation. However, it is still unknown whether emotion perception can be influenced by stress-induced hemispheric activation since behavioral studies report inconsistent or even contradictory results. We sought to reevaluate this gap. Eighty-eight healthy Caucasian university students participated in the study. In half of the randomly selected participants, acute psychological stress was induced by displaying a brief stressful movie clip (the stress condition), whereas the other half were shown a neutral movie clip (the non-stress condition). Prior to (the baseline) and following the movie clip display an emotion perception task was applied by presenting an emotional (happy, surprised, fearful, sad, angry, or disgusted) or neutral face to the left or right visual field. We found a more accurate perception of emotional and neutral faces presented to the LVF (the right hemisphere) in the baseline. However, we revealed that after watching a neutral movie clip, behavioral performance in emotional and neutral face perception accuracy became relatively equalized for both visual fields, whereas after watching a stressful movie clip, the RVF (the left hemisphere) even became dominant in emotional face perception. We propose a novel hemispheric functional-equivalence model: the brain is initially right-biased in emotional and neutral face perception by default; however, psychophysiological activation of a distributed brain-network due to watching neutral movie clips redistributes hemispheric performance toward relative equivalence. Moreover, even reversed hemispheric asymmetry may occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miloš Stanković
- General and Experimental Psychology, Department of Psychology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Munich, Germany.
| | - Milkica Nešić
- Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Niš, Niš, Serbia.,Faculty of Philosophy, University of Niš, Niš, Serbia.,Center for Cognitive Science, University of Niš, Niš, Serbia
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von Dawans B, Spenthof I, Zimmer P, Domes G. Acute Psychosocial Stress Modulates the Detection Sensitivity for Facial Emotions. Exp Psychol 2020; 67:140-149. [PMID: 32729401 PMCID: PMC8865615 DOI: 10.1027/1618-3169/a000473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Abstract. Psychosocial stress has been shown to alter social
perception and behavior. In the present study, we investigated whether a
standardized psychosocial stressor modulates the perceptual sensitivity for
positive and negative facial emotions and the tendency to allocate attention to
facial expressions. Fifty-four male participants underwent the Trier Social
Stress Test for Groups (TSST-G) or a nonstressful control condition before they
performed a facial emotions detection task and a facial dot-probe task to assess
attention for positive and negative facial expressions. Saliva samples were
collected over the course of the experiment to measure free cortisol and alpha
amylase. In response to the TSST-G, participants showed marked increases in
subjective stress, salivary cortisol, and alpha amylase compared to the control
condition. In the control condition, detection performance was higher for angry
compared to happy facial expressions, while in the stressful condition this
difference was reversed. Here, participants were more sensitive to happy
compared to angry facial expressions. Attention was unaffected by psychosocial
stress. The results suggest that psychosocial stress shifts social perception in
terms of detection sensitivity for facial expressions toward positive social
cues, a pattern that is consistent with the tendency to seek social support for
coping with stress.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ines Spenthof
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Trier, Germany
| | - Patrick Zimmer
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Trier, Germany
| | - Gregor Domes
- Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Trier, Germany
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Zimmer P, Wu CC, Domes G. Same same but different? Replicating the real surroundings in a virtual trier social stress test (TSST-VR) does not enhance presence or the psychophysiological stress response. Physiol Behav 2019; 212:112690. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.112690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Revised: 09/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/23/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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