1
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Olszanowski M, Tołopiło A. "Anger? No, thank you. I don't mimic it": how contextual modulation of facial display meaning impacts emotional mimicry. Cogn Emot 2024; 38:530-548. [PMID: 38303660 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2024.2310759] [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: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
Research indicates that emotional mimicry predominantly occurs in response to affiliative displays, such as happiness, while the mimicry of antagonistic displays, like anger, is seldom observed in social contexts. However, contextual factors, including the identity of the displayer (e.g. social similarity with the observer) and whose action triggered the emotional reaction (i.e. to whom display is directed), can modulate the meaning of the display. In two experiments, participants observed happiness, sadness, and anger expressed by individuals with similar or different social attitudes in response to actions from either a participant or another person. Results demonstrated that three manipulated factors - displayer social similarity, whose action caused an emotional display, and the type of emotional display - affected participants' perception of the display. In turn, mimicry was predominantly observed in response to happiness (Experiments 1 and 2), to a lesser extent to sadness (Experiment 1), and not to anger. Furthermore, participants mimicked individuals who were more socially similar (Experiment 1), while whose action caused an emotional reaction did not influence mimicry. The findings suggest that when the context mitigates the meaning of negative or antagonistic facial displays, it does not necessarily increase the inclination to mimic them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michal Olszanowski
- Center for Research on Biological Basis of Social Behavior, SWPS University in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Aleksandra Tołopiło
- Center for Research on Biological Basis of Social Behavior, SWPS University in Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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2
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Truman A, Kutas M. Flexible Conceptual Representations. Cogn Sci 2024; 48:e13475. [PMID: 38923016 DOI: 10.1111/cogs.13475] [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: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
A view that has been gaining prevalence over the past decade is that the human conceptual system is malleable, dynamic, context-dependent, and task-dependent, that is, flexible. Within the flexible conceptual representation framework, conceptual representations are constructed ad hoc, forming a different, idiosyncratic instantiation upon each occurrence. In this review, we scrutinize the neurocognitive literature to better understand the nature of this flexibility. First, we identify some key characteristics of these representations. Next, we consider how these flexible representations are constructed by addressing some of the open questions in this framework: We review the age-old question of how to reconcile flexibility with the apparent need for shareable stable definitions to anchor meaning and come to mutual understanding, as well as some newer questions we find critical, namely, the nature of relations among flexible representations, the role of feature saliency in activation, and the viability of all-or-none feature activations. We suggest replacing the debate about the existence of a definitional stable core that is obligatorily activated with a question of the degree and probability of activation of the information constituting a conceptual representation. We rely on published works to suggest that (1) prior featural salience matters, (2) feature activation may be graded, and (3) Bayesian updating of prior information according to current demands offers a viable account of how flexible representations are constructed. This proposal provides a theoretical mechanism for incorporating a changing momentary context into a constructed representation, while still preserving some of the concept's constituent meaning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa Truman
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego
| | - Marta Kutas
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego
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3
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Achour-Benallegue A, Pelletier J, Kaminski G, Kawabata H. Facial icons as indexes of emotions and intentions. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1356237. [PMID: 38807962 PMCID: PMC11132266 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1356237] [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: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Various objects and artifacts incorporate representations of faces, encompassing artworks like portraits, as well as ethnographic or industrial artifacts such as masks or humanoid robots. These representations exhibit diverse degrees of human-likeness, serving different functions and objectives. Despite these variations, they share common features, particularly facial attributes that serve as building blocks for facial expressions-an effective means of communicating emotions. To provide a unified conceptualization for this broad spectrum of face representations, we propose the term "facial icons" drawing upon Peirce's semiotic concepts. Additionally, based on these semiotic principles, we posit that facial icons function as indexes of emotions and intentions, and introduce a significant anthropological theory aligning with our proposition. Subsequently, we support our assertions by examining processes related to face and facial expression perception, as well as sensorimotor simulation processes involved in discerning others' mental states, including emotions. Our argumentation integrates cognitive and experimental evidence, reinforcing the pivotal role of facial icons in conveying mental states.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amel Achour-Benallegue
- Cognition, Environment and Communication Research Team, Human Augmentation Research Center, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Kashiwa, Japan
| | - Jérôme Pelletier
- Institut Jean Nicod, Département d'études cognitives, ENS, EHESS, CNRS, PSL University, Paris, France
- Department of Philosophy, University of Western Brittany, Brest, France
| | - Gwenaël Kaminski
- Cognition, Langues, Langage, Ergonomie, Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | - Hideaki Kawabata
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Letters, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan
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4
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Hsu CT, Sato W, Yoshikawa S. An investigation of the modulatory effects of empathic and autistic traits on emotional and facial motor responses during live social interactions. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0290765. [PMID: 38194416 PMCID: PMC10775989 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0290765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
A close relationship between emotional contagion and spontaneous facial mimicry has been theoretically proposed and is supported by empirical data. Facial expressions are essential in terms of both emotional and motor synchrony. Previous studies have demonstrated that trait emotional empathy enhanced spontaneous facial mimicry, but the relationship between autistic traits and spontaneous mimicry remained controversial. Moreover, previous studies presented faces that were static or videotaped, which may lack the "liveliness" of real-life social interactions. We addressed this limitation by using an image relay system to present live performances and pre-recorded videos of smiling or frowning dynamic facial expressions to 94 healthy female participants. We assessed their subjective experiential valence and arousal ratings to infer the amplitude of emotional contagion. We measured the electromyographic activities of the zygomaticus major and corrugator supercilii muscles to estimate spontaneous facial mimicry. Individual differences measures included trait emotional empathy (empathic concern) and the autism-spectrum quotient. We did not find that live performances enhanced the modulatory effect of trait differences on emotional contagion or spontaneous facial mimicry. However, we found that a high trait empathic concern was associated with stronger emotional contagion and corrugator mimicry. We found no two-way interaction between the autism spectrum quotient and emotional condition, suggesting that autistic traits did not modulate emotional contagion or spontaneous facial mimicry. Our findings imply that previous findings regarding the relationship between emotional empathy and emotional contagion/spontaneous facial mimicry using videos and photos could be generalized to real-life interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Ting Hsu
- Psychological Process Research Team, Guardian Robot Project, RIKEN, Soraku-gun, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Wataru Sato
- Psychological Process Research Team, Guardian Robot Project, RIKEN, Soraku-gun, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Sakiko Yoshikawa
- Institute of Philosophy and Human Values, Kyoto University of the Arts, Kyoto, Kyoto, Japan
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5
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Körner A, Strack F. Articulation posture influences pitch during singing imagery. Psychon Bull Rev 2023; 30:2187-2195. [PMID: 37221280 PMCID: PMC10728233 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-023-02306-1] [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] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Facial muscle activity contributes to singing and to articulation: in articulation, mouth shape can alter vowel identity; and in singing, facial movement correlates with pitch changes. Here, we examine whether mouth posture causally influences pitch during singing imagery. Based on perception-action theories and embodied cognition theories, we predict that mouth posture influences pitch judgments even when no overt utterances are produced. In two experiments (total N = 160), mouth posture was manipulated to resemble the articulation of either /i/ (as in English meet; retracted lips) or /o/ (as in French rose; protruded lips). Holding this mouth posture, participants were instructed to mentally "sing" given songs (which were all positive in valence) while listening with their inner ear and, afterwards, to assess the pitch of their mental chant. As predicted, compared to the o-posture, the i-posture led to higher pitch in mental singing. Thus, bodily states can shape experiential qualities, such as pitch, during imagery. This extends embodied music cognition and demonstrates a new link between language and music.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Körner
- Department of Psychology, University of Kassel, Holländische Straße 36-38, 34127, Kassel, Germany.
| | - Fritz Strack
- Department of Psychology, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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6
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Bramson B, Roelofs K. Perceptual control or action-selection? Comment on: a perceptual control theory of emotional action. Cogn Emot 2023; 37:1193-1198. [PMID: 37990890 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2023.2269830] [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: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
The Perceptual Control Theory of Emotional Action provides a compelling view of the synergy between action and perception in the context of emotion. In this invited response, we outline three suggestions to further clarify and concretesise the theory in the hope that it can provide a solid basis for the theoretical, empirical, and clinical fields of emotion and emotion regulation. First, we emphasise the importance of concretesising these ideas in a way that is biologically plausible and testable in terms of its neuronal implementation, which has not been addressed in the main manuscript. Secondly, we highlight the challenges for this account to effectively describe core symptoms in emotional disorders, an essential step if the theory aims to foster the development of better-tuned neurocognitively grounded interventions. Finally, we take a leap on what action-oriented accounts of emotion can mean for the field of emotion regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bob Bramson
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Behavioral Science Institute (BSI), Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Karin Roelofs
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Behavioral Science Institute (BSI), Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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7
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Bramson B, Toni I, Roelofs K. Emotion regulation from an action-control perspective. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 153:105397. [PMID: 37739325 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105397] [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: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/24/2023]
Abstract
Despite increasing interest in emotional processes in cognitive science, theories on emotion regulation have remained rather isolated, predominantly focused on cognitive regulation strategies such as reappraisal. However, recent neurocognitive evidence suggests that early emotion regulation may involve sensorimotor control in addition to other emotion-regulation processes. We propose an action-oriented view of emotion regulation, in which feedforward predictions develop from action-selection mechanisms. Those can account for acute emotional-action control as well as more abstract instances of emotion regulation such as cognitive reappraisal. We argue the latter occurs in absence of overt motor output, yet in the presence of full-blown autonomic, visceral, and subjective changes. This provides an integrated framework with testable neuro-computational predictions and concrete starting points for intervention to improve emotion control in affective disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bob Bramson
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6525 EN Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Behavioural Science Institute (BSI), Radboud University Nijmegen, 6525 HR Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | - Ivan Toni
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6525 EN Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Karin Roelofs
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6525 EN Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Behavioural Science Institute (BSI), Radboud University Nijmegen, 6525 HR Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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8
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Hoemann K. Beyond Linguistic Relativity, Emotion Concepts Illustrate How Meaning is Contextually and Individually Variable. Top Cogn Sci 2023; 15:668-675. [PMID: 37145872 DOI: 10.1111/tops.12659] [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: 02/13/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Kemmerer describes grounded accounts of cognition and, using crosslinguistic diversity across conceptual domains, argues that these accounts entail linguistic relativity. In this comment, I extend Kemmerer's position to the domain of emotion. Emotion concepts exemplify characteristics highlighted by grounded accounts of cognition and differ by culture and language. Recent research further demonstrates considerable situation- and person-specific differences. Based on this evidence, I argue that emotion concepts carry unique implications for variation in meaning and experience, entailing a relativity that is contextual and individual in addition to linguistic. I conclude by considering what such pervasive relativity means for interpersonal understanding.
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Rączaszek-Leonardi J, Zubek J. Is love an abstract concept? A view of concepts from an interaction-based perspective. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20210356. [PMID: 36571127 PMCID: PMC9791471 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Research concerning concepts in the cognitive sciences has been dominated by the information-processing approach, which has resulted in a certain narrowing of the range of questions and methods of investigation. Recent trends have sought to broaden the scope of such research, but they have not yet been integrated within a theoretical framework that would allow us to reconcile new perspectives with the insights already obtained. In this paper, we focus on the processes involved in early concept acquisition and demonstrate that certain aspects of these processes remain largely understudied. These aspects include the primacy of movement and coordination with others within a structured social environment as well as the importance of first-person experiences pertaining to perception and action. We argue that alternative approaches to cognition, such as ecological psychology, enactivism and interactivism, are helpful for foregrounding these understudied areas. These approaches can complement the extant research concerning concepts to help us obtain a more comprehensive view of knowledge structures, thus providing us with a new perspective on recurring problems, suggesting novel questions and enriching our methodological toolbox. This article is part of the theme issue 'Concepts in interaction: social engagement and inner experiences'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Rączaszek-Leonardi
- Human Interactivity and Language Lab, Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Mazovian 00-183, Poland
| | - Julian Zubek
- Human Interactivity and Language Lab, Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Mazovian 00-183, Poland
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10
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Davis CP. Emergence of Covid-19 as a Novel Concept Shifts Existing Semantic Spaces. Cogn Sci 2023; 47:e13237. [PMID: 36637976 DOI: 10.1111/cogs.13237] [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: 03/12/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Conceptual knowledge is dynamic, fluid, and flexible, changing as a function of contextual factors at multiple scales. The Covid-19 pandemic can be considered a large-scale, global context that has fundamentally altered most people's experiences with the world. It has also introduced a new concept, COVID (or COVID-19), into our collective knowledgebase. What are the implications of this introduction for how existing conceptual knowledge is structured? Our collective emotional and social experiences with the world have been profoundly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, and experience-based perspectives on concept representation suggest that emotional and social experiences are critical components of conceptual knowledge. Such changes in collective experience should, then, have downstream consequences on knowledge of emotion- and social-related concepts. Using a naturally occurring dataset derived from the social media platform Twitter, we show that semantic spaces for concepts related to our emotional experiences with Covid-19 (i.e., emotional concepts like FEAR)-but not for unrelated concepts (i.e., animals like CAT)-show quantifiable shifts as a function of the emergence of COVID-19 as a concept and its associated emotional and social experiences, shifts which persist 6 months after the onset of the pandemic. The findings support a dynamic view of conceptual knowledge wherein shared experiences affect conceptual structure.
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11
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Kraft-Feil TL, Ingram RE, Gorey C, Luu JH, Cross MP, Pressman SD. The association of negative mood with automatic and effortful facial expression mimicry. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1056535. [PMID: 37168433 PMCID: PMC10165095 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1056535] [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: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The natural process of mimicking the facial expressions of others is well established, as are the deficits in this reflexive behavior for individuals with clinical disorders such as depression. This study examines the extent of this deficit in non-clinical individuals with high transient negative mood, and whether it extends to both automatic and effortful emotion expression behavior. One hundred and thirty-six participants were shown happy, sad, and neutral faces, while electromyography (EMG) recorded facial muscle responses. Automatic (reflexive) mimicry was assessed while participants simply viewed facially expressive photographs, while effortful mimicry was monitored when individuals were told to intentionally copy the expressions in the photographs. Results indicated that high levels of negative mood were primarily associated with deficits in effortful mimicry of happy expressions, although some similar evidence was found in automatic mimicry of happy faces. Surprisingly, there were also ties between negative moods and inaccuracies in effortful mimicry of sad expressions (but not automatic mimicry). Inaccurate automatic and effortful mimicry were also tied with lower self-reported social support and greater loneliness. These results indicate that even in healthy individuals, transient and minor changes in negative mood are tied to deficiencies in facial mimicry at both the automatic and effortful level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara L. Kraft-Feil
- CHI St. Alexius Health, Bismarck, ND, United States
- *Correspondence: Tara L. Kraft-Feil,
| | - Rick E. Ingram
- Department of Psychology, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States
| | - Claire Gorey
- Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Jazlyn H. Luu
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
| | - Marie P. Cross
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Sarah D. Pressman
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
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12
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Davis JD, Coulson S, Blaison C, Hess U, Winkielman P. Mimicry of partially occluded emotional faces: do we mimic what we see or what we know? Cogn Emot 2022; 36:1555-1575. [PMID: 36300446 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2022.2135490] [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: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Facial electromyography (EMG) was used to investigate patterns of facial mimicry in response to partial facial expressions in two contexts that differ in how naturalistic and socially significant the faces are. Experiment 1 presented participants with either the upper- or lower-half of facial expressions and used a forced-choice emotion categorisation task. This task emphasises cognition at the expense of ecological and social validity. Experiment 2 presented whole heads and expressions were occluded by clothing. Additionally, the emotion recognition task is more open-ended. This context has greater social validity. We found mimicry in both experiments, however mimicry differed in terms of which emotions were mimicked and the extent to which the mimicry involved muscle sites that were not observed. In the more cognitive context, there was relatively more motor matching (i.e. mimicking only what was seen). In the more socially valid context, participants were less likely to mimic only what they saw - and instead mimicked what they knew. Additionally, participants mimicked anger in the cognitive context but not the social context. These findings suggest that mimicry involves multiple mechanisms and that the more social the context, the more likely it is to reflect a mechanism of social regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua D Davis
- Cognitive Science Department, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, USA
- Social and Behavioral Sciences Department, Southwestern College, Chula Vista, CA, USA
| | - Seana Coulson
- Cognitive Science Department, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, USA
| | | | - Ursula Hess
- Psychology Department, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
| | - Piotr Winkielman
- Psychology Department, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, USA
- Psychology Department, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland
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13
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Younes K, Borghesani V, Montembeault M, Spina S, Mandelli ML, Welch AE, Weis E, Callahan P, Elahi FM, Hua AY, Perry DC, Karydas A, Geschwind D, Huang E, Grinberg LT, Kramer JH, Boxer AL, Rabinovici GD, Rosen HJ, Seeley WW, Miller ZA, Miller BL, Sturm VE, Rankin KP, Gorno-Tempini ML. Right temporal degeneration and socioemotional semantics: semantic behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia. Brain 2022; 145:4080-4096. [PMID: 35731122 PMCID: PMC10200288 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awac217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Focal anterior temporal lobe degeneration often preferentially affects the left or right hemisphere. While patients with left-predominant anterior temporal lobe atrophy show severe anomia and verbal semantic deficits and meet criteria for semantic variant primary progressive aphasia and semantic dementia, patients with early right anterior temporal lobe atrophy are more difficult to diagnose as their symptoms are less well understood. Focal right anterior temporal lobe atrophy is associated with prominent emotional and behavioural changes, and patients often meet, or go on to meet, criteria for behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia. Uncertainty around early symptoms and absence of an overarching clinico-anatomical framework continue to hinder proper diagnosis and care of patients with right anterior temporal lobe disease. Here, we examine a large, well-characterized, longitudinal cohort of patients with right anterior temporal lobe-predominant degeneration and propose new criteria and nosology. We identified individuals from our database with a clinical diagnosis of behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia or semantic variant primary progressive aphasia and a structural MRI (n = 478). On the basis of neuroimaging criteria, we defined three patient groups: right anterior temporal lobe-predominant atrophy with relative sparing of the frontal lobes (n = 46), frontal-predominant atrophy with relative sparing of the right anterior temporal lobe (n = 79) and left-predominant anterior temporal lobe-predominant atrophy with relative sparing of the frontal lobes (n = 75). We compared the clinical, neuropsychological, genetic and pathological profiles of these groups. In the right anterior temporal lobe-predominant group, the earliest symptoms were loss of empathy (27%), person-specific semantic impairment (23%) and complex compulsions and rigid thought process (18%). On testing, this group exhibited greater impairments in Emotional Theory of Mind, recognition of famous people (from names and faces) and facial affect naming (despite preserved face perception) than the frontal- and left-predominant anterior temporal lobe-predominant groups. The clinical symptoms in the first 3 years of the disease alone were highly sensitive (81%) and specific (84%) differentiating right anterior temporal lobe-predominant from frontal-predominant groups. Frontotemporal lobar degeneration-transactive response DNA binding protein (84%) was the most common pathology of the right anterior temporal lobe-predominant group. Right anterior temporal lobe-predominant degeneration is characterized by early loss of empathy and person-specific knowledge, deficits that are caused by progressive decline in semantic memory for concepts of socioemotional relevance. Guided by our results, we outline new diagnostic criteria and propose the name, 'semantic behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia', which highlights the underlying cognitive mechanism and the predominant symptomatology. These diagnostic criteria will facilitate early identification and care of patients with early, focal right anterior temporal lobe degeneration as well as in vivo prediction of frontotemporal lobar degeneration-transactive response DNA binding protein pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyan Younes
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Valentina Borghesani
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Maxime Montembeault
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Salvatore Spina
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Maria Luisa Mandelli
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Ariane E Welch
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Elizabeth Weis
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Patrick Callahan
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Fanny M Elahi
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Alice Y Hua
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - David C Perry
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Anna Karydas
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Daniel Geschwind
- Neurogenetics Program, Department of Neurology and Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90024, USA
| | - Eric Huang
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Lea T Grinberg
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Joel H Kramer
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Adam L Boxer
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Gil D Rabinovici
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Howard J Rosen
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - William W Seeley
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Zachary A Miller
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Bruce L Miller
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Virginia E Sturm
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Katherine P Rankin
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Maria Luisa Gorno-Tempini
- Memory and Aging Center, Department of Neurology, UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Dyslexia Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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14
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Winkielman P, Trujillo JL, Bornemann B, Knutson B, Paulus MP. Taking gambles at face value: Effects of emotional expressions on risky decisions. Front Psychol 2022; 13:958918. [PMID: 36312095 PMCID: PMC9610111 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.958918] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Emotional facial expressions are ubiquitous and potent social stimuli that can signal favorable and unfavorable conditions. Previous research demonstrates that emotional expressions influence preference judgments, basic approach-avoidance behaviors, and reward learning. We examined whether emotional expressions can influence decisions such as choices between gambles. Based on theories of affective cue processing, we predicted greater risk taking after positive than negative expressions. This hypothesis was tested in four experiments across tasks that varied in implementation of risks, payoffs, probabilities, and temporal decision requirements. Facial expressions were presented unobtrusively and were uninformative about the choice. In all experiments, the likelihood of a risky choice was greater after exposure to positive versus neutral or negative expressions. Similar effects on risky choice occurred after presentation of different negative expressions (e.g., anger, fear, sadness, and disgust), suggesting involvement of general positive and negative affect systems. These results suggest that incidental emotional cues exert a valence-specific influence of on decisions, which could shape risk-taking behavior in social situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Winkielman
- Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
- Faculty of Psychology, SWPS University, Warsaw, Poland
- *Correspondence: Piotr Winkielman,
| | - Jennifer L. Trujillo
- Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States
| | | | - Brian Knutson
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
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15
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Wołoszyn K, Hohol M, Kuniecki M, Winkielman P. Restricting movements of lower face leaves recognition of emotional vocalizations intact but introduces a valence positivity bias. Sci Rep 2022; 12:16101. [PMID: 36167865 PMCID: PMC9515079 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18888-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Blocking facial mimicry can disrupt recognition of emotion stimuli. Many previous studies have focused on facial expressions, and it remains unclear whether this generalises to other types of emotional expressions. Furthermore, by emphasizing categorical recognition judgments, previous studies neglected the role of mimicry in other processing stages, including dimensional (valence and arousal) evaluations. In the study presented herein, we addressed both issues by asking participants to listen to brief non-verbal vocalizations of four emotion categories (anger, disgust, fear, happiness) and neutral sounds under two conditions. One of the conditions included blocking facial mimicry by creating constant tension on the lower face muscles, in the other condition facial muscles remained relaxed. After each stimulus presentation, participants evaluated sounds' category, valence, and arousal. Although the blocking manipulation did not influence emotion recognition, it led to higher valence ratings in a non-category-specific manner, including neutral sounds. Our findings suggest that somatosensory and motor feedback play a role in the evaluation of affect vocalizations, perhaps introducing a directional bias. This distinction between stimulus recognition, stimulus categorization, and stimulus evaluation is important for understanding what cognitive and emotional processing stages involve somatosensory and motor processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kinga Wołoszyn
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland.
| | - Mateusz Hohol
- Copernicus Center for Interdisciplinary Studies, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Michał Kuniecki
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Piotr Winkielman
- Department of Psychology, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, USA.
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16
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Gallezot C, Riad R, Titeux H, Lemoine L, Montillot J, Sliwinski A, Bagnou JH, Cao XN, Youssov K, Dupoux E, Bachoud Levi AC. Emotion expression through spoken language in Huntington Disease. Cortex 2022; 155:150-161. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2022.05.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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17
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Kaushik H, Kumar T, Bhalla K. iSecureHome: A deep fusion framework for surveillance of smart homes using real-time emotion recognition. Appl Soft Comput 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.asoc.2022.108788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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18
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Michalska KJ, Zhou E, Borelli JL. School-aged children with higher anxiety symptoms show greater correspondence between subjective negative emotions and autonomic arousal. J Exp Child Psychol 2022; 221:105451. [PMID: 35623311 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2022.105451] [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: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Individuals exhibit variability in the degree of correspondence between autonomic and subjective indicators of emotional experience. The current study examined whether convergence between autonomic arousal and negative emotions during emotion-inducing story vignettes is associated with internalizing symptoms in school-aged children. A diverse sample of 97 children aged 8 to 12 years participated in this study in which they reported on their anxiety and depression. Children's electrodermal activity was assessed while they read vignettes depicting children experiencing sadness and fear. Participants also reported on their emotional reaction to the vignettes. Children's anxiety and electrodermal activity to fear vignettes were associated only at high levels, but not mean or low levels, of self-reported negative emotions to fear vignettes. These findings suggest that hyperawareness, in which self-reported negative emotionality is high when physiological reactivity is also high, is associated with greater risk for anxiety, but not depression, during middle childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalina J Michalska
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA.
| | - Elayne Zhou
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
| | - Jessica L Borelli
- Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
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19
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Carter CS. Oxytocin and love: Myths, metaphors and mysteries. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2022; 9:100107. [PMID: 35755926 PMCID: PMC9216351 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2021.100107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Oxytocin is a peptide molecule with a multitude of physiological and behavioral functions. Based on its association with reproduction - including social bonding, sexual behavior, birth and maternal behavior - oxytocin also has been called “the love hormone.” This essay specifically examines association and parallels between oxytocin and love. However, many myths and gaps in knowledge remain concerning both. A few of these are described here and we hypothesize that the potential benefits of both love and oxytocin may be better understood in light of interactions with more ancient systems, including specifically vasopressin and the immune system. Oxytocin is anti-inflammatory and is associated with recently evolved, social solutions to a variety of challenges necessary for mammalian survival and reproduction. The shared functions of oxytocin and love have profound implications for health and longevity, including the prevention and treatment of excess inflammation and related disorders, especially those occurring in early life and during periods of chronic threat or disease. Oxytocin is a peptide molecule with functions that support a sense of safety, sociality, as well as survival and reproduction. Oxytocin is associated with social and neuroimmune solutions to chronic stress. The related, but more primitive, peptide vasopressin supports more individualistic survival strategies. Controversies and myths surround the properties of oxytocin and love.
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20
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Abstract
AbstractSocial resemblance, like group membership or similar attitudes, increases the mimicry of the observed emotional facial display. In this study, we investigate whether facial self-resemblance (manipulated by computer morphing) modulates emotional mimicry in a similar manner. Participants watched dynamic expressions of faces that either did or did not resemble their own, while their facial muscle activity was measured using EMG. Additionally, after each presentation, respondents completed social evaluations of the faces they saw. The results show that self-resemblance evokes convergent facial reactions. More specifically, participants mimicked the happiness and, to a lesser extent, the anger of self-resembling faces. In turn, the happiness of non-resembling faces was less likely mimicked than in the case of self-resembling faces, while anger evoked a more divergent, smile-like response. Finally, we found that social evaluations were in general increased by happiness displays, but not influenced by resemblance. Overall, the study demonstrates an interesting and novel phenomenon, particularly that mimicry can be modified by relatively subtle cues of physical resemblance.
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21
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Arioli M, Cattaneo Z, Ricciardi E, Canessa N. Overlapping and specific neural correlates for empathizing, affective mentalizing, and cognitive mentalizing: A coordinate-based meta-analytic study. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:4777-4804. [PMID: 34322943 PMCID: PMC8410528 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
While the discussion on the foundations of social understanding mainly revolves around the notions of empathy, affective mentalizing, and cognitive mentalizing, their degree of overlap versus specificity is still unclear. We took a meta-analytic approach to unveil the neural bases of cognitive mentalizing, affective mentalizing, and empathy, both in healthy individuals and pathological conditions characterized by social deficits such as schizophrenia and autism. We observed partially overlapping networks for cognitive and affective mentalizing in the medial prefrontal, posterior cingulate, and lateral temporal cortex, while empathy mainly engaged fronto-insular, somatosensory, and anterior cingulate cortex. Adjacent process-specific regions in the posterior lateral temporal, ventrolateral, and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex might underpin a transition from abstract representations of cognitive mental states detached from sensory facets to emotionally-charged representations of affective mental states. Altered mentalizing-related activity involved distinct sectors of the posterior lateral temporal cortex in schizophrenia and autism, while only the latter group displayed abnormal empathy related activity in the amygdala. These data might inform the design of rehabilitative treatments for social cognitive deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Arioli
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Zaira Cattaneo
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy.,IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy
| | | | - Nicola Canessa
- ICoN center, Scuola Universitaria Superiore IUSS, Pavia, Italy.,Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory of Pavia Institute, Pavia, Italy
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22
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Reggin LD, Muraki EJ, Pexman PM. Development of Abstract Word Knowledge. Front Psychol 2021; 12:686478. [PMID: 34163413 PMCID: PMC8215159 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.686478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of children's word knowledge is an important testing ground for the embodied account of word meaning, which proposes that word meanings are grounded in sensorimotor systems. Acquisition of abstract words, in particular, is a noted challenge for strong accounts of embodiment. We examined acquisition of abstract word meanings, using data on development of vocabulary knowledge from early school to University ages. We tested two specific proposals for how abstract words are learned: the affective embodiment account, that emotional experience is key to learning abstract word meanings, and the learning through language proposal, that abstract words are acquired through language experience. We found support for the affective embodiment account: word valence, interoception, and mouth action all facilitated abstract word acquisition more than concrete word acquisition. We tested the learning through language proposal by investigating whether words that appear in more diverse linguistic contexts are earlier acquired. Results showed that contextual diversity facilitated vocabulary acquisition, but did so for both abstract and concrete words. Our results provide evidence that emotion and sensorimotor systems are important to children's acquisition of abstract words, but there is still considerable variance to be accounted for by other factors. We offer suggestions for future research to examine the acquisition of abstract vocabulary.
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23
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Dissociable effects of averted "gaze" on the priming of bodily representations and motor actions. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2021; 212:103225. [PMID: 33260014 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2020.103225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2020] [Revised: 11/12/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Gaze direction is an important stimulus that signals key details about social (dis)engagement and objects in our physical environment. Here, we explore how gaze direction influences the perceiver's processing of bodily information. Specifically, we examined how averted versus direct gaze modifies the operation of effector-centered representations (i.e., specific fingers) versus movement-centered representations (i.e., finger actions). Study 1 used a stimulus-response compatibility paradigm that tested the priming of a relevant effector or relevant movement, after observing videos of direct or averted gaze. We found a selective priming of relevant effectors, but only after averted gaze videos. Study 2 found similar priming effects with symbolic direction cues (averted arrows). Study 3 found that averted gaze cues do not influence generic spatial compatibility effects, and thus, are specific to body representations. In sum, this research suggests that both human and symbolic averted cues selectively prime relevant body-part representations, highlighting the dynamic interplay between our bodies, minds, and environments.
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24
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Perceiving emotions in visual stimuli: social verbal context facilitates emotion detection of words but not of faces. Exp Brain Res 2020; 239:413-423. [PMID: 33206234 PMCID: PMC7936940 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-020-05975-9] [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: 01/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Building on the notion that processing of emotional stimuli is sensitive to context, in two experimental tasks we explored whether the detection of emotion in emotional words (task 1) and facial expressions (task 2) is facilitated by social verbal context. Three different levels of contextual supporting information were compared, namely (1) no information, (2) the verbal expression of an emotionally matched word pronounced with a neutral intonation, and (3) the verbal expression of an emotionally matched word pronounced with emotionally matched intonation. We found that increasing levels of supporting contextual information enhanced emotion detection for words, but not for facial expressions. We also measured activity of the corrugator and zygomaticus muscle to assess facial simulation, as processing of emotional stimuli can be facilitated by facial simulation. While facial simulation emerged for facial expressions, the level of contextual supporting information did not qualify this effect. All in all, our findings suggest that adding emotional-relevant voice elements positively influence emotion detection.
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25
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Shaham G, Mortillaro M, Aviezer H. Automatic facial reactions to facial, body, and vocal expressions: A stimulus-response compatibility study. Psychophysiology 2020; 57:e13684. [PMID: 32996608 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13684] [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: 11/09/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
When perceiving emotional facial expressions there is an automatic tendency to react with a matching facial expression. A classic explanation of this phenomenon, termed the matched motor hypothesis, highlights the importance of topographic matching, that is, the correspondence in body parts, between perceived and produced actions. More recent studies using mimicry paradigms have challenged this classic account, producing ample evidence against the matched motor hypothesis. However, research using stimulus-response compatibility (SRC) paradigms usually assumed the effect relies on topographic matching. While mimicry and SRC share some characteristics, critical differences between the paradigms suggest conclusions cannot be simply transferred from one to another. Thus, our aim in the present study was to directly test the matched motor hypothesis using SRC. Specifically, we investigated whether observing emotional body postures or hearing emotional vocalizations produces a tendency to respond with one's face, despite completely different motor actions being involved. In three SRC experiments, participants were required to either smile or frown in response to a color cue, presented concurrently with stimuli of happy and angry facial (experiment 1), body (experiment 2), or vocal (experiment 3) expressions. Reaction times were measured using facial EMG. Whether presenting facial, body, or vocal expressions, we found faster responses in compatible, compared to incompatible trials. These results demonstrate that the SRC effect of emotional expressions does not require topographic matching. Our findings question interpretations of previous research and suggest further examination of the matched motor hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Galit Shaham
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Marcello Mortillaro
- Swiss Centre for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Hillel Aviezer
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
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26
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Arnold AJ, Winkielman P. Smile (but only deliberately) though your heart is aching: Loneliness is associated with impaired spontaneous smile mimicry. Soc Neurosci 2020; 16:26-38. [PMID: 32835612 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2020.1809516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
As social beings, humans harbor an evolved capacity for loneliness - perceived social isolation. Loneliness is associated with atypical affective and social processing, as well as physiological dysregulation. We investigated how loneliness influences spontaneous facial mimicry (SFM), an interpersonal response involved in social connection and emotional contagion. We presented participants with emotional stimuli, such as video clips of actors expressing anger, fear, sadness, or joy, and emotional IAPS images. We measured participants' zygomaticus major ("smiling") muscle and their corrugator supercilii ("frowning") muscle with facial electromyography (fEMG). We also measured self-reported loneliness, depression, and extraversion levels. For socially connected individuals we found intact SFM, as reflected in greater fEMG activity of the zygomaticus and corrugator to positive and negative expressions, respectively. However, individuals reporting higher levels of loneliness lacked SFM for expressions of joy. Loneliness did not impair deliberate mimicry activity to the same expressions, or spontaneous reactions to positive, negative, or neutral IAPS images. Depression and extraversion did not predict any differences in fEMG responses. We suggest that impairments in spontaneous "smiling back" at another - a decreased interpersonal resonance - could contribute to negative social and emotional consequences of loneliness and may facilitate loneliness contagion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Arnold
- Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego , La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Piotr Winkielman
- Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego , La Jolla, CA, USA.,Department of Psychology, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities , Warsaw, Poland
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27
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Nitschke JP, Sunahara CS, Carr EW, Winkielman P, Pruessner JC, Bartz JA. Stressed connections: cortisol levels following acute psychosocial stress disrupt affiliative mimicry in humans. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20192941. [PMID: 32396799 PMCID: PMC7287352 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.2941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Mimicry, and especially spontaneous facial mimicry, is a rudimentary element of social-emotional experience that is well-conserved across numerous species. Although such mimicry is thought to be a relatively automatic process, research indicates that contextual factors can influence mimicry, especially in humans. Here, we extend this work by investigating the effect of acute psychosocial stress on spontaneous facial mimicry. Participants performed a spontaneous facial mimicry task with facial electromyography (fEMG) at baseline and approximately one month later, following an acute psychosocial stressor (Trier Social Stress Test). Results show that the magnitude of the endocrine stress response reduced zygomaticus major reactivity, and specifically spontaneous facial mimicry for positive social stimuli (i.e. smiles). Individuals with higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol showed a more blunted fEMG response to smiles, but not to frowns. Conversely, stress had no effect on corrugator supercilii activation (i.e. frowning to frowns). These findings highlight the importance of the biological stress response system in this basic element of social-emotional experience.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Evan W. Carr
- Columbia Business School, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Piotr Winkielman
- Department of Psychology, University of California, San Diego, USA
- SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Jens C. Pruessner
- Faculty of Medicine, McGill Centre for Studies in Aging, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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28
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Palagi E, Celeghin A, Tamietto M, Winkielman P, Norscia I. The neuroethology of spontaneous mimicry and emotional contagion in human and non-human animals. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 111:149-165. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.01.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2019] [Revised: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 01/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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29
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Lenzoni S, Bozzoni V, Burgio F, de Gelder B, Wennberg A, Botta A, Pegoraro E, Semenza C. Recognition of emotions conveyed by facial expression and body postures in myotonic dystrophy (DM). Cortex 2020; 127:58-66. [PMID: 32169676 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2020.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Revised: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Neuromuscular diseases may be of neuropsychological interest insofar as they may affect representations based on embodied cognition theories. Previous studies have shown impaired ability to recognize facial emotions and an association between facial emotion recognition and visuospatial abilities in myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) patients. Here we examined the ability of both DM1 and DM2 patients to recognize emotions expressed by body postures and its relation, and their association with cognitive performance. METHODS Participants included 34 DM1 patients, 8 DM2 patients, and 24 healthy control subjects. Emotional recognition ability was assessed through two computerized matching tasks (face and bodies). A neuropsychological battery was used to measure cognition in three domains and global cognition. We used univariate and adjusted linear regression models to investigate the association between cognition and emotion recognition performance. RESULTS DM patients (combined DM1 and DM2) performed worse on emotional facial expression (p = .006) and body posture (p = .004) accuracy measures than healthy controls. In linear regression models, DM patients' facial expression accuracy was associated with executive function (p = .013) and visuospatial (p < .001) z-scores. Body posture accuracy was associated with visuospatial (p = .001) and memory (p = .012) z-scores. There were no associations among controls or between cognition and reaction time. DISCUSSION These findings suggest that impaired emotional recognition among DM patients is also extended to emotions conveyed by body postures. Consistent with embodied cognition theories, people affected in their body and its movement may have impaired sensorimotor representation in ways that have yet to be fully understood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Lenzoni
- Department of Neurosciences (Padova Neuroscience Center), Università degli Studi di Padova, Italy.
| | - Virginia Bozzoni
- Department of Neurosciences (Padova Neuroscience Center), Università degli Studi di Padova, Italy.
| | | | | | - Alexandra Wennberg
- Department of Neurosciences (Padova Neuroscience Center), Università degli Studi di Padova, Italy.
| | - Annalisa Botta
- Department of Biomedicine and Prevention, Medical Genetics Section, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
| | - Elena Pegoraro
- Department of Neurosciences (Padova Neuroscience Center), Università degli Studi di Padova, Italy.
| | - Carlo Semenza
- Department of Neurosciences (Padova Neuroscience Center), Università degli Studi di Padova, Italy; IRCCS San Camillo Hospital, Venice, Italy.
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30
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The Mimicry Among Us: Intra- and Inter-Personal Mechanisms of Spontaneous Mimicry. JOURNAL OF NONVERBAL BEHAVIOR 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10919-019-00324-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
This review explores spontaneous mimicry in the context of three questions. The first question concerns the role of spontaneous mimicry in processing conceptual information. The second question concerns the debate whether spontaneous mimicry is driven by simple associative processes or reflects higher-order processes such as goals, intentions, and social context. The third question addresses the implications of these debates for understanding atypical individuals and states. We review relevant literature and argue for a dynamic, context-sensitive role of spontaneous mimicry in social cognition and behavior. We highlight how the modulation of mimicry is often adaptive but also point out some cases of maladaptive modulations that impair an individuals’ engagement in social life.
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31
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Abstract
The current article discusses the distinction between affective valence—the degree to which an affective response represents pleasure or displeasure—and semantic valence, the degree to which an object or event is considered positive or negative. To date, measures that reflect positivity and negativity are usually placed under the same conceptual umbrella (e.g., valence, affective, emotional), with minimal distinction between the modes of valence they reflect. Recent work suggests that what might seem to reflect a monolithic structure of valence has at least two different, confounding underlying sources, affective and semantic, that are fundamentally distinct, dissociable, and that obey different, recognizable rules. The current work discusses this distinction and provides implications for affective science from both the theoretical and the empirical perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oksana Itkes
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Israel
| | - Assaf Kron
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Israel
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32
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Preferential activation for emotional Western classical music versus emotional environmental sounds in motor, interoceptive, and language brain areas. Brain Cogn 2019; 136:103593. [PMID: 31404816 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2019.103593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Revised: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/02/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Recent meta analyses suggest there is a common brain network involved in processing emotion in music and sounds. However, no studies have directly compared the neural substrates of equivalent emotional Western classical music and emotional environmental sounds. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging we investigated whether brain activation in motor cortex, interoceptive cortex, and Broca's language area during an auditory emotional appraisal task differed as a function of stimulus type. Activation was relatively greater to music in motor and interoceptive cortex - areas associated with movement and internal physical feelings - and relatively greater to emotional environmental sounds in Broca's area. We conclude that emotional environmental sounds are appraised through verbal identification of the source, and that emotional Western classical music is appraised through evaluation of bodily feelings. While there is clearly a common core emotion-processing network underlying all emotional appraisal, modality-specific contextual information may be important for understanding the contribution of voluntary versus automatic appraisal mechanisms.
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Liu Y, Yin J, Liang J. Why Smoggy Days Suppress Our Mood: Automatic Association Between Clarity and Valence. Front Psychol 2019; 10:1580. [PMID: 31354584 PMCID: PMC6635603 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01580] [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: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The intuition of clarity-valence association seems to be pervasive in daily life, however, whether there exists a potential association between clarity (i.e., operationalized as visual resolution) and affect in human cognition remains unknown. The present study conducted five experiments, and demonstrated the clarity-valence congruency effect, that is, the evaluations showed performance advantage in the congruent conditions (clear-positive, blurry-negative). Experiments 1 through 3 demonstrated the influence of the perception of clarity on the conceptualization of affective valence, while Experiments 4 and 5 verified the absence of the influence of conceptualization on perception, thus the unidirectionality of clarity-valence association in cognition is confirmed. The findings extend the affective perceptual-conceptual associations into the dimension of clarity, thus providing support for the ideas of embodied cognition as well as implications for our preference for clarity and aversion to blur.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiguang Liu
- Department of Linguistics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jun Yin
- Department of Psychology, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
- Center of Group Behavior and Social Psychological Service, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
| | - Junying Liang
- Department of Linguistics, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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Borghi AM, Barca L, Binkofski F, Castelfranchi C, Pezzulo G, Tummolini L. Words as social tools: Language, sociality and inner grounding in abstract concepts. Phys Life Rev 2019; 29:120-153. [DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2018.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2018] [Revised: 12/05/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Borghi AM, Barca L, Binkofski F, Tummolini L. Varieties of abstract concepts: development, use and representation in the brain. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 373:rstb.2017.0121. [PMID: 29914990 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The capacity for abstract thought is one of the hallmarks of human cognition. However, the mechanisms underlying the ability to form and use abstract concepts like 'fantasy' and 'grace' have not been elucidated yet. This theme issue brings together developmental, social and cognitive psychologists, linguists, anthropologists, cognitive scientists, neuroscientists, philosophers and computer scientists to present theoretical insights and novel evidence on how abstract concepts are acquired, used and represented in the brain. Many of the contributions conceive concepts as grounded in sensorimotor systems and constrained by bodily mechanisms and structures. The theme issue develops along two main axes, related to the most promising research directions on abstract concepts. The axes focus on (i) the different kinds of abstract concepts (numbers, emotions, evaluative concepts like moral and aesthetic ones, social concepts); (ii) the role played by perception and action, language and sociality, and inner processes (emotions, interoception, metacognition) in grounding abstract concepts. Most papers adopt a cognitive science/neuroscience approach, but the theme issue also includes studies on development, on social cognition, and on how linguistic diversity shapes abstract concepts. Overall, the theme issue provides an integrated theoretical account that highlights the importance of language, sociality and inner processes for abstract concepts, and that offers new methodological tools to investigate them.This article is part of the theme issue 'Varieties of abstract concepts: development, use and representation in the brain'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Borghi
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Via degli Apuli 1, Rome 00185, Italy .,Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, Italian National Research Council, Via San Martino della Battaglia 44, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Laura Barca
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, Italian National Research Council, Via San Martino della Battaglia 44, Rome 00185, Italy
| | - Ferdinand Binkofski
- Division for Clinical Cognitive Sciences, University Hospital Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 17, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Luca Tummolini
- Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, Italian National Research Council, Via San Martino della Battaglia 44, Rome 00185, Italy
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Lund TC, Sidhu DM, Pexman PM. Sensitivity to emotion information in children's lexical processing. Cognition 2019; 190:61-71. [PMID: 31026671 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2019.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2018] [Revised: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 04/17/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
We tested predictions of multiple representation accounts of conceptual processing, including the proposal that emotion information may provide a bootstrapping mechanism for vocabulary acquisition. We investigated the influence of word valence on children's lexical processing, presenting 40 positive words, 40 neutral words, and 40 negative words in an auditory lexical decision task (ALDT), along with 120 nonwords. We tested 99 children across three age groups: 5, 6, or 7 years. There were no significant effects of valence on the ALDT responses of 5-year-old children. The 6-year-old children, however, were faster to respond to negative words than to neutral words and, for more abstract words, faster to respond to positive words than to neutral words. The 7-year-old children were faster for positive words than for neutral words, regardless of concreteness. As such, children showed sensitivity to word valence in lexical processing, at a younger age than had been established in previous research. In addition, children's language skills were related to their improved processing of more abstract neutral words between 6 and 7 years of age. These results are consistent with multimodal accounts of word meaning and lexical development.
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Coulson S. Metaphor and synesthesia. PSYCHOLOGY OF LEARNING AND MOTIVATION 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.plm.2018.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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