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Schoeller F, Jain A, Pizzagalli DA, Reggente N. The neurobiology of aesthetic chills: How bodily sensations shape emotional experiences. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2024; 24:617-630. [PMID: 38383913 PMCID: PMC11233292 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-024-01168-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/21/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
The phenomenon of aesthetic chills-shivers and goosebumps associated with either rewarding or threatening stimuli-offers a unique window into the brain basis of conscious reward because of their universal nature and simultaneous subjective and physical counterparts. Elucidating the neural mechanisms underlying aesthetic chills can reveal fundamental insights about emotion, consciousness, and the embodied mind. What is the precise timing and mechanism of bodily feedback in emotional experience? How are conscious feelings and motivations generated from interoceptive predictions? What is the role of uncertainty and precision signaling in shaping emotions? How does the brain distinguish and balance processing of rewards versus threats? We review neuroimaging evidence and highlight key questions for understanding how bodily sensations shape conscious feelings. This research stands to advance models of brain-body interactions shaping affect and may lead to novel nonpharmacological interventions for disorders of motivation and pleasure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Schoeller
- Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies, Santa Monica, CA, USA.
- Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Abhinandan Jain
- Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Nicco Reggente
- Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies, Santa Monica, CA, USA
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Schoeller F, Christov-Moore L, Lynch C, Diot T, Reggente N. Predicting individual differences in peak emotional response. PNAS NEXUS 2024; 3:pgae066. [PMID: 38444601 PMCID: PMC10914375 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
Why does the same experience elicit strong emotional responses in some individuals while leaving others largely indifferent? Is the variance influenced by who people are (personality traits), how they feel (emotional state), where they come from (demographics), or a unique combination of these? In this 2,900+ participants study, we disentangle the factors that underlie individual variations in the universal experience of aesthetic chills, the feeling of cold and shivers down the spine during peak experiences. Here, we unravel the interplay of psychological and sociocultural dynamics influencing self-reported chills reactions. A novel technique harnessing mass data mining of social media platforms curates the first large database of ecologically sourced chills-evoking stimuli. A combination of machine learning techniques (LASSO and SVM) and multilevel modeling analysis elucidates the interacting roles of demographics, traits, and states factors in the experience of aesthetic chills. These findings highlight a tractable set of features predicting the occurrence and intensity of chills-age, sex, pre-exposure arousal, predisposition to Kama Muta (KAMF), and absorption (modified tellegen absorption scale [MODTAS]), with 73.5% accuracy in predicting the occurrence of chills and accounting for 48% of the variance in chills intensity. While traditional methods typically suffer from a lack of control over the stimuli and their effects, this approach allows for the assignment of stimuli tailored to individual biopsychosocial profiles, thereby, increasing experimental control and decreasing unexplained variability. Further, they elucidate how hidden sociocultural factors, psychological traits, and contextual states shape seemingly "subjective" phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Schoeller
- Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies, Santa Monica, CA 90403, USA
- Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | | - Caitlin Lynch
- Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies, Santa Monica, CA 90403, USA
| | - Thomas Diot
- Department of Psychiatry, GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Paris 75010, France
| | - Nicco Reggente
- Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies, Santa Monica, CA 90403, USA
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Schoeller F, Jain A, Adrien V, Maes P, Reggente N. Aesthetic chills mitigate maladaptive cognition in depression. BMC Psychiatry 2024; 24:40. [PMID: 38200491 PMCID: PMC10782525 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-05476-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Depression is a major global health challenge, affecting over 300 million people worldwide. Current pharmacological and psychotherapeutic interventions have limited efficacy, underscoring the need for novel approaches. Emerging evidence suggests that peak emotional experiences characterized by awe, transcendence, and meaning hold promise for rapidly shifting maladaptive cognitive patterns in depression. Aesthetic chills, a peak positive emotion characterized by physical sensations such as shivers and goosebumps, may influence reward-related neural pathways and hold promise for modifying core maladaptive beliefs rooted in early adverse experiences. METHODS We enrolled 96 patients diagnosed with major depressive disorder. A validated database of multimedia known to elicit chills responses (ChillsDB) was used for stimulus presentation. Participants' emotional responses were assessed using the Emotional Breakthrough Inventory (EBI), while shifts in self-schema were measured via the Young Positive Schema Questionnaire (YSPQ). RESULTS The study found that chill-inducing stimuli have the potential to positively influence the core schema of individuals with depression, impacting areas of self-related beliefs. The associated phenomenology triggered by chills appears to share similarities with the altered states of consciousness induced by psychedelic substances like psilocybin. CONCLUSIONS These preliminary results suggest that the biological processes involved in aesthetic chills could be harnessed as a non-pharmacological intervention for depression. However, further investigation is necessary to comprehensively understand the neurophysiological responses to chills and to evaluate the practicality, effectiveness, and safety of utilizing aesthetic chills as a preventive measure in mental health care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Schoeller
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies, Santa Monica, CA, USA.
| | | | - Vladimir Adrien
- Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, AP-HP, Avicenne Hospital, Université Sorbonne Paris Nord, Bobigny, F-93000, France
- Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris (IPNP), Université Paris Cité, Inserm UMR-S 1266, Team Membrane Traffic in Healthy & Diseased Brain, Paris, 75014, France
| | - Pattie Maes
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Nicco Reggente
- Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies, Santa Monica, CA, USA
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Schoeller F, Christov Moore L, Lynch C, Reggente N. ChillsDB 2.0: Individual Differences in Aesthetic Chills Among 2,900+ Southern California Participants. Sci Data 2023; 10:922. [PMID: 38129439 PMCID: PMC10739877 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02816-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
We significantly enriched ChillsDB, a dataset of audiovisual stimuli validated to elicit aesthetic chills. A total of 2,937 participants from Southern California were exposed to 40 stimuli, consisting of 20 stimuli (10 from ChillsDB and 10 new) presented either in audiovisual or audio-only formats. Questionnaires were administered assessing demographics, personality traits, state affect, and political orientation. Detailed data on chills responses is captured alongside participants' ratings of the stimuli. The dataset combines controlled elicitation of chills using previously validated materials with individual difference measures to enable investigation of predictors and correlates of aesthetic chills phenomena. It aims to support continued research on the mechanisms and therapeutic potential of aesthetic chills responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Schoeller
- Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies, Santa Monica, California, USA.
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Media Lab, Cambridge, USA.
| | - Leo Christov Moore
- Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies, Santa Monica, California, USA.
| | - Caite Lynch
- Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies, Santa Monica, California, USA
| | - Nicco Reggente
- Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies, Santa Monica, California, USA
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Merrill J, Ackermann TI, Czepiel A. Effects of disliked music on psychophysiology. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20641. [PMID: 38001083 PMCID: PMC10674009 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46963-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
While previous research has shown the positive effects of music listening in response to one's favorite music, the negative effects of one's most disliked music have not gained much attention. In the current study, participants listened to three self-selected disliked musical pieces which evoked highly unpleasant feelings. As a contrast, three musical pieces were individually selected for each participant based on neutral liking ratings they provided to other participants' disliked music. During music listening, real-time ratings of subjective (dis)pleasure and simultaneous recordings of peripheral measures were obtained. Results showed that compared to neutral music, listening to disliked music evoked physiological reactions reflecting higher arousal (heart rate, skin conductance response, body temperature), disgust (levator labii muscle), anger (corrugator supercilii muscle), distress and grimacing (zygomaticus major muscle). The differences between conditions were most prominent during "very unpleasant" real-time ratings, showing peak responses for the disliked music. Hence, disliked music has a strenuous effect, as shown in strong physiological arousal responses and facial expression, reflecting the listener's attitude toward the music.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Merrill
- Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Grüneburgweg 14, 60322, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
- Institute of Music, University of Kassel, Kassel, Germany.
| | - Taren-Ida Ackermann
- Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Grüneburgweg 14, 60322, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Anna Czepiel
- Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, Grüneburgweg 14, 60322, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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Schoeller F, Jain A, Horowitz AH, Yan G, Hu X, Maes P, Salomon R. ChillsDB: A Gold Standard for Aesthetic Chills Stimuli. Sci Data 2023; 10:307. [PMID: 37210402 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02064-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023] Open
Abstract
We introduce ChillsDB the first validated database of audiovisual stimuli eliciting aesthetic chills (goosebumps, psychogenic shivers) in a US population. To discover chills stimuli "in the wild", we devised a bottom-up, ecologically-valid method consisting in searching for mentions of the emotion' somatic markers in user comments throughout social media platforms (YouTube and Reddit). We successfully captured 204 chills-eliciting videos of three categories: music, film, and speech. We then tested the top 50 videos in the database on 600+ participants and validated a gold standard of 10 stimuli with a 0.9 probability of generating chills. All ChillsDB tools and data are fully available on GitHub for researchers to be able to contribute and perform further analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Schoeller
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Media Lab, Cambridge, USA.
- Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Centre, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
- Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies, Santa Monica, Califronia, USA.
| | - Abhinandan Jain
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Media Lab, Cambridge, USA.
| | | | - Grace Yan
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Media Lab, Cambridge, USA
| | | | - Pattie Maes
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Media Lab, Cambridge, USA
| | - Roy Salomon
- Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Centre, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
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Starr GG. Aesthetic experience models human learning. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1146083. [PMID: 37200953 PMCID: PMC10185790 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1146083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Aesthetic experiences have the potential to promote learning and creativity by enhancing the ability to understand complexity and to integrate novel or disparate information. Offering a theoretical framework for understanding the cognitive benefits of aesthetic experiences, this paper argues they are the necessary outcome of human learning, in which natural objects or artworks are evaluated in a multi-dimensional preference space shaped by Bayesian prediction. In addition, it contends that the brain-states underlying aesthetic experiences harness configurations of the apex three transmodal neural systems-the default mode network, the central executive network, and the salience network-that may offer information-processing advantages by recruiting the brain's high-power communication hubs, thus enhancing potential for learning gain.
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Affiliation(s)
- G. Gabrielle Starr
- Department of Neuroscience and English, Pomona College, Claremont, CA, United States
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Świątek AH, Szcześniak M. The Ability to Integrate Beauty Scale (AIBS): Construction and Psychometric Properties on a Scale for Measuring Aesthetic Intelligence as a Resource for Personal Development. Psychol Res Behav Manag 2023; 16:1647-1662. [PMID: 37169003 PMCID: PMC10164653 DOI: 10.2147/prbm.s407553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Ferrucci, a philosopher and psychotherapist, presented an original three-factor aesthetic intelligence concept in his book "Beauty and Soul" (2009). The subject of this article is the presentation of work on the construction of a scale for measuring one of the three dimensions of aesthetic intelligence, the ability to integrate beauty (AIB). This is probably the first attempt to empirically operationalize this concept. Methods The three independent studies were carried out with a total of 604 participants. The aim of the first study was to develop the AIBS scale and to test its factor structure. During Study 2 and Study 3, we verified the AIBS structure through the confirmatory analysis and checked its convergent and discriminant validity. Results The outcomes indicate that a one-factor, and seven-item tool is characterized by very good psychometric properties. Moreover, the results suggest that the AIB is indeed positively related to the perception of artworks (6 dimensions of an aesthetic experience), regulation of emotions through artistic creative activities, as well as to aesthetic competencies in art. The AIB is indeed positively related to the greater intensity of light triad traits (humanism, kantianism, faith in humanity) and to the development of the individual in five areas of spirituality. AIB is also only slightly related to the search for meaning and to one dimension of well-being, which is satisfaction and the sense of power.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agata Hiacynta Świątek
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Psychology, University of Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Szcześniak
- Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Psychology, University of Szczecin, Szczecin, Poland
- Correspondence: Małgorzata Szcześniak, Email
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Sarasso P, Francesetti G, Roubal J, Gecele M, Ronga I, Neppi-Modona M, Sacco K. Beauty and Uncertainty as Transformative Factors: A Free Energy Principle Account of Aesthetic Diagnosis and Intervention in Gestalt Psychotherapy. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:906188. [PMID: 35911596 PMCID: PMC9325967 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.906188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Drawing from field theory, Gestalt therapy conceives psychological suffering and psychotherapy as two intentional field phenomena, where unprocessed and chaotic experiences seek the opportunity to emerge and be assimilated through the contact between the patient and the therapist (i.e., the intentionality of contacting). This therapeutic approach is based on the therapist’s aesthetic experience of his/her embodied presence in the flow of the healing process because (1) the perception of beauty can provide the therapist with feedback on the assimilation of unprocessed experiences; (2) the therapist’s attentional focus on intrinsic aesthetic diagnostic criteria can facilitate the modification of rigid psychopathological fields by supporting the openness to novel experiences. The aim of the present manuscript is to review recent evidence from psychophysiology, neuroaesthetic research, and neurocomputational models of cognition, such as the free energy principle (FEP), which support the notion of the therapeutic potential of aesthetic sensibility in Gestalt psychotherapy. Drawing from neuroimaging data, psychophysiology and recent neurocognitive accounts of aesthetic perception, we propose a novel interpretation of the sense of beauty as a self-generated reward motivating us to assimilate an ever-greater spectrum of sensory and affective states in our predictive representation of ourselves and the world and supporting the intentionality of contact. Expecting beauty, in the psychotherapeutic encounter, can help therapists tolerate uncertainty avoiding impulsive behaviours and to stay tuned to the process of change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pietro Sarasso
- BraIn Plasticity and Behaviour Changes Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
- *Correspondence: Pietro Sarasso,
| | - Gianni Francesetti
- International Institute for Gestalt Therapy and Psychopathology, Turin Center for Gestalt Therapy, Turin, Italy
| | - Jan Roubal
- Psychotherapy Training Gestalt Studia, Training in Psychotherapy Integration, Center for Psychotherapy Research in Brno, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
| | - Michela Gecele
- International Institute for Gestalt Therapy and Psychopathology, Turin Center for Gestalt Therapy, Turin, Italy
| | - Irene Ronga
- BraIn Plasticity and Behaviour Changes Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Marco Neppi-Modona
- BraIn Plasticity and Behaviour Changes Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Katiuscia Sacco
- BraIn Plasticity and Behaviour Changes Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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McPhetres J, Zickfeld JH. The physiological study of emotional piloerection: A systematic review and guide for future research. Int J Psychophysiol 2022; 179:6-20. [PMID: 35764195 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2022.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
This paper provides an accessible review of the biological and psychological evidence to guide new and experienced researchers in the study of emotional piloerection in humans. A limited number of studies have attempted to examine the physiological and emotional correlates of piloerection in humans. However, no review has attempted to collate this evidence to guide the field as it moves forward. We first discuss the mechanisms and function of non-emotional and emotional piloerection in humans and animals. We discuss the biological foundations of piloerection as a means to understand the similarities and differences between emotional and non-emotional piloerection. We then present a systematic qualitative review (k = 24) in which we examine the physiological correlates of emotional piloerection. The analysis revealed that indices of sympathetic activation are abundant, suggesting emotional piloerection occurs with increased (phasic) skin conductance and heart rate. Measures of parasympathetic activation are lacking and no definite conclusions can be drawn. Additionally, several studies examined self-reported emotional correlates, and these correlates are discussed in light of several possible theoretical explanations for emotional piloerection. Finally, we provide an overview of the methodological possibilities available for the study of piloerection and we highlight some pressing questions researchers may wish to answer in future studies.
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Jain A, Schoeller F, Horowitz A, Hu X, Yan G, Salomon R, Maes P. Aesthetic chills cause an emotional drift in valence and arousal. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:1013117. [PMID: 36960328 PMCID: PMC10029140 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1013117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Aesthetic chills are an embodied peak emotional experience induced by stimuli such as music, films, and speeches and characterized by dopaminergic release. The emotional consequences of chills in terms of valence and arousal are still debated and the existing empirical data is conflicting. In this study, we tested the effects of ChillsDB, an open-source repository of chills-inducing stimuli, on the emotional ratings of 600+ participants. We found that participants experiencing chills reported significantly more positive valence and greater arousal during the experience, compared to participants who did not experience chills. This suggests that the embodied experience of chills may influence one's perception and affective evaluation of the context, in favor of theoretical models emphasizing the role of interoceptive signals such as chills in the process of perception and decision-making. We also found an interesting pattern in the valence ratings of participants, which tended to harmonize toward a similar mean after the experiment, though initially disparately distributed. We discuss the significance of these results for the diagnosis and treatment of dopaminergic disorders such as Parkinson's, schizophrenia, and depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhinandan Jain
- MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, MA, United States
- *Correspondence: Abhinandan Jain,
| | - Felix Schoeller
- MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, MA, United States
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Centre, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
- Institute for Advanced Consciousness Studies, Santa Monica, CA, United States
- Felix Schoeller,
| | | | | | - Grace Yan
- MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Roy Salomon
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Centre, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
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Schoeller F, Miller M, Salomon R, Friston KJ. Trust as Extended Control: Human-Machine Interactions as Active Inference. Front Syst Neurosci 2021; 15:669810. [PMID: 34720895 PMCID: PMC8548360 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2021.669810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In order to interact seamlessly with robots, users must infer the causes of a robot's behavior-and be confident about that inference (and its predictions). Hence, trust is a necessary condition for human-robot collaboration (HRC). However, and despite its crucial role, it is still largely unknown how trust emerges, develops, and supports human relationship to technological systems. In the following paper we review the literature on trust, human-robot interaction, HRC, and human interaction at large. Early models of trust suggest that it is a trade-off between benevolence and competence; while studies of human to human interaction emphasize the role of shared behavior and mutual knowledge in the gradual building of trust. We go on to introduce a model of trust as an agent' best explanation for reliable sensory exchange with an extended motor plant or partner. This model is based on the cognitive neuroscience of active inference and suggests that, in the context of HRC, trust can be casted in terms of virtual control over an artificial agent. Interactive feedback is a necessary condition to the extension of the trustor's perception-action cycle. This model has important implications for understanding human-robot interaction and collaboration-as it allows the traditional determinants of human trust, such as the benevolence and competence attributed to the trustee, to be defined in terms of hierarchical active inference, while vulnerability can be described in terms of information exchange and empowerment. Furthermore, this model emphasizes the role of user feedback during HRC and suggests that boredom and surprise may be used in personalized interactions as markers for under and over-reliance on the system. The description of trust as a sense of virtual control offers a crucial step toward grounding human factors in cognitive neuroscience and improving the design of human-centered technology. Furthermore, we examine the role of shared behavior in the genesis of trust, especially in the context of dyadic collaboration, suggesting important consequences for the acceptability and design of human-robot collaborative systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Schoeller
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Mark Miller
- Center for Human Nature, Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- Department of Informatics, University of Sussex, Brighton, United Kingdom
| | - Roy Salomon
- Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Karl J. Friston
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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Memorisation and implicit perceptual learning are enhanced for preferred musical intervals and chords. Psychon Bull Rev 2021; 28:1623-1637. [PMID: 33945127 PMCID: PMC8500890 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-021-01922-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Is it true that we learn better what we like? Current neuroaesthetic and neurocomputational models of aesthetic appreciation postulate the existence of a correlation between aesthetic appreciation and learning. However, even though aesthetic appreciation has been associated with attentional enhancements, systematic evidence demonstrating its influence on learning processes is still lacking. Here, in two experiments, we investigated the relationship between aesthetic preferences for consonance versus dissonance and the memorisation of musical intervals and chords. In Experiment 1, 60 participants were first asked to memorise and evaluate arpeggiated triad chords (memorisation phase), then, following a distraction task, chords’ memorisation accuracy was measured (recognition phase). Memorisation resulted to be significantly enhanced for subjectively preferred as compared with non-preferred chords. To explore the possible neural mechanisms underlying these results, we performed an EEG study, directed to investigate implicit perceptual learning dynamics (Experiment 2). Through an auditory mismatch detection paradigm, electrophysiological responses to standard/deviant intervals were recorded, while participants were asked to evaluate the beauty of the intervals. We found a significant trial-by-trial correlation between subjective aesthetic judgements and single trial amplitude fluctuations of the ERP attention-related N1 component. Moreover, implicit perceptual learning, expressed by larger mismatch detection responses, was enhanced for more appreciated intervals. Altogether, our results showed the existence of a relationship between aesthetic appreciation and implicit learning dynamics as well as higher-order learning processes, such as memorisation. This finding might suggest possible future applications in different research domains such as teaching and rehabilitation of memory and attentional deficits.
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Haar AJH, Jain A, Schoeller F, Maes P. Augmenting aesthetic chills using a wearable prosthesis improves their downstream effects on reward and social cognition. Sci Rep 2020; 10:21603. [PMID: 33303796 PMCID: PMC7728802 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77951-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2019] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous studies on aesthetic chills (i.e., psychogenic shivers) demonstrate their positive effects on stress, pleasure, and social cognition. We tested whether we could artificially enhance this emotion and its downstream effects by intervening on its somatic markers using wearable technology. We built a device generating cold and vibrotactile sensations down the spine of subjects in temporal conjunction with a chill-eliciting audiovisual stimulus, enhancing the somatosensation of cold underlying aesthetic chills. Results suggest that participants wearing the device experienced significantly more chills, and chills of greater intensity. Further, these subjects reported sharing the feelings expressed in the stimulus to a greater degree, and felt more pleasure during the experience. These preliminary results demonstrate that emotion prosthetics and somatosensory interfaces offer new possibilities of modulating human emotions from the bottom-up (body to mind). Future challenges will include testing the device on a larger sample and diversifying the type of stimuli to account for negatively valenced chills and intercultural differences. Interoceptive technologies offer a new paradigm for affective neuroscience, allowing controlled intervention on conscious feelings and their downstream effects on higher-order cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- A J H Haar
- Fluid Interfaces Group, Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA.
| | - A Jain
- Fluid Interfaces Group, Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA
| | - F Schoeller
- Fluid Interfaces Group, Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA
- Centre de Recherches Interdisciplinaires, Paris, France
| | - P Maes
- Fluid Interfaces Group, Media Lab, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, USA
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Sarasso P, Neppi-Modona M, Sacco K, Ronga I. "Stopping for knowledge": The sense of beauty in the perception-action cycle. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 118:723-738. [PMID: 32926914 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
According to a millennial-old philosophical debate, aesthetic emotions have been connected to knowledge acquisition. Recent scientific evidence, collected across different disciplinary domains, confirms this link, but also reveals that motor inhibition plays a crucial role in the process. In this review, we discuss multidisciplinary results and propose an original account of aesthetic appreciation (the stopping for knowledge hypothesis) framed within the predictive coding theory. We discuss evidence showing that aesthetic emotions emerge in correspondence with an inhibition of motor behavior (i.e., minimizing action), promoting a simultaneous perceptual processing enhancement, at the level of sensory cortices (i.e., optimizing learning). Accordingly, we suggest that aesthetic appreciation may represent a hedonic feedback over learning progresses, motivating the individual to inhibit motor routines to seek further knowledge acquisition. Furthermore, the neuroimaging and neuropsychological studies we review reveal the presence of a strong association between aesthetic appreciation and the activation of the dopaminergic reward-related circuits. Finally, we propose a number of possible applications of the stopping for knowledge hypothesis in the clinical and education domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Sarasso
- BIP (BraIn Plasticity and Behaviour Changes) Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Italy
| | - M Neppi-Modona
- BIP (BraIn Plasticity and Behaviour Changes) Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Italy
| | - K Sacco
- BIP (BraIn Plasticity and Behaviour Changes) Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Italy
| | - I Ronga
- BIP (BraIn Plasticity and Behaviour Changes) Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Italy.
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16
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Chabin T, Tio G, Comte A, Joucla C, Gabriel D, Pazart L. The Relevance of a Conductor Competition for the Study of Emotional Synchronization Within and Between Groups in a Natural Musical Setting. Front Psychol 2020; 10:2954. [PMID: 32010021 PMCID: PMC6979053 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Group emotional dynamics are a central concern in the study of human interaction and communication. To study group emotions, the social context of a musical event in natural conditions may overcome several limits of laboratory experiments and could provide a suitable framework. This study aimed to evaluate if cultural events such as a conductor competition could welcome scientific research for the study of group emotional sharing. We led an observational study, which suggests that in this particular context, public, musicians and jury would agree to participate and to wear neurophysiological and physiological devices to monitor their emotional state during the competition. Self-administrated scales showed that, in the context of a musical competition, members of the public felt strong musical emotions such as music chills. Our results suggest that such a specific competition design is a suitable experimental model to lead an experiment under ecological conditions to effectively investigate collective emotional synchronization. In the future, with the implementation of an acquisition system recording synchronous neurophysiological data for a large group of participants, we may be able to highlight mechanisms involved in emotional synchronization in a natural musical setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thibault Chabin
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Intégratives et Cliniques EA481, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
| | - Grégory Tio
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Intégratives et Cliniques EA481, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon, France.,Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Besançon, Centre d'Investigation Clinique INSERM CIC 1431, Besançon, France
| | - Alexandre Comte
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Intégratives et Cliniques EA481, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon, France.,Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Besançon, Centre d'Investigation Clinique INSERM CIC 1431, Besançon, France.,Plateforme de Neuroimagerie Fonctionnelle et Neurostimulation - Neuraxess, Besançon, France
| | - Coralie Joucla
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Intégratives et Cliniques EA481, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon, France
| | - Damien Gabriel
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Intégratives et Cliniques EA481, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon, France.,Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Besançon, Centre d'Investigation Clinique INSERM CIC 1431, Besançon, France.,Plateforme de Neuroimagerie Fonctionnelle et Neurostimulation - Neuraxess, Besançon, France
| | - Lionel Pazart
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Intégratives et Cliniques EA481, Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Besançon, France.,Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Besançon, Centre d'Investigation Clinique INSERM CIC 1431, Besançon, France
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Sarasso P, Ronga I, Pistis A, Forte E, Garbarini F, Ricci R, Neppi-Modona M. Aesthetic appreciation of musical intervals enhances behavioural and neurophysiological indexes of attentional engagement and motor inhibition. Sci Rep 2019; 9:18550. [PMID: 31811225 PMCID: PMC6898439 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-55131-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 11/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
From Kant to current perspectives in neuroaesthetics, the experience of beauty has been described as disinterested, i.e. focusing on the stimulus perceptual features while neglecting self-referred concerns. At a neurophysiological level, some indirect evidence suggests that disinterested aesthetic appreciation might be associated with attentional enhancement and inhibition of motor behaviour. To test this hypothesis, we performed three auditory-evoked potential experiments, employing consonant and dissonant two-note musical intervals. Twenty-two volunteers judged the beauty of intervals (Aesthetic Judgement task) or responded to them as fast as possible (Detection task). In a third Go-NoGo task, a different group of twenty-two participants had to refrain from responding when hearing intervals. Individual aesthetic judgements positively correlated with response times in the Detection task, with slower motor responses for more appreciated intervals. Electrophysiological indexes of attentional engagement (N1/P2) and motor inhibition (N2/P3) were enhanced for more appreciated intervals. These findings represent the first experimental evidence confirming the disinterested interest hypothesis and may have important applications in research areas studying the effects of stimulus features on learning and motor behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Sarasso
- SAMBA (SpAtial, Motor & Bodily Awareness) Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
| | - I Ronga
- MANIBUS Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - A Pistis
- SAMBA (SpAtial, Motor & Bodily Awareness) Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - E Forte
- SAMBA (SpAtial, Motor & Bodily Awareness) Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - F Garbarini
- MANIBUS Lab, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - R Ricci
- SAMBA (SpAtial, Motor & Bodily Awareness) Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - M Neppi-Modona
- SAMBA (SpAtial, Motor & Bodily Awareness) Research Group, Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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18
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Schoeller F, Haar A, Jain A, Maes P. Enhancing human emotions with interoceptive technologies. Phys Life Rev 2019; 31:310-319. [DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2019.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2019] [Revised: 10/20/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
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19
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20
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Schoeller F, Bertrand P, Gerry LJ, Jain A, Horowitz AH, Zenasni F. Combining Virtual Reality and Biofeedback to Foster Empathic Abilities in Humans. Front Psychol 2019; 9:2741. [PMID: 30804868 PMCID: PMC6370744 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Felix Schoeller
- Centre de Recherches Interdisciplinaires, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France
- U1001, Institut National de la santé et de la Recherche Médicale, Paris, France
| | - Philippe Bertrand
- VR Frontiers Lab (CRI Labs), Institut Innovant de Formation par la Recherche, USPC, Centre de Recherches Interdisciplinaires, Paris, France
- Laboratoire de Psychologie et d'Ergonomie Appliquées (UMR), Université Paris Descartes - Sorbonne Paris Cité, Institut de Psychologie, Paris, France
- BeAnotherLab Research, BeAnotherLab Association, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lynda Joy Gerry
- Multisensory Experience Lab, Aalborg University Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Enactive Virtuality Lab, Tallinn University, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Abhinandan Jain
- Fluid Interfaces Group, MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | | | - Franck Zenasni
- Laboratoire de Psychologie et d'Ergonomie Appliquées (UMR), Université Paris Descartes - Sorbonne Paris Cité, Institut de Psychologie, Paris, France
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21
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Quesnel D, Riecke BE. Are You Awed Yet? How Virtual Reality Gives Us Awe and Goose Bumps. Front Psychol 2018; 9:2158. [PMID: 30473673 PMCID: PMC6237834 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 10/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
“Awe” is a category of emotion within the spectrum of self-transcendent experiences. Awe has wellness benefits, with feelings of social interconnectivity and increased life satisfaction. However, awe experiences remain rare in our everyday lives, and rarer in lab environments. We posit that Virtual Reality (VR) may help to make self-transcendent and potentially transformative experiences of awe more accessible to individuals. Here, we investigated how interactive VR as a positive technology may elicit awe, and how features of aesthetic beauty/scale, familiarity, and personalization (self-selection of travel destinations) may induce awe. In this mixed-methods study, participants used an interactive VR system to explore Earth from ground and orbit. We collected: introspective interviews and self-report questionnaires with participants’ experience of awe; information on personality traits and gender; and we recorded physiological goose bumps on the skin (using an arm-mounted goose bump camera instrument), which is a documented marker of an awe experience. Results showed that on a scale of 0–100 for self-reported awe, four different interactive VR environments yielded an average awe rating of 79.7, indicating that interactive VR can indeed induce awe. 43.8% of participants experienced goose bumps: awe ratings positively correlated with the occurrence of goose bumps with those who experienced goose bumps having showed significantly higher ratings of awe than those who did not. Most (64%) of the goose bumps occurred when participants self-selected their VR environment. Participant statements from the interviews were characteristic of an awe-inspiring experience, revealed themes of social connection, and usability problems with the VR interface. Personality traits yielded no clear correlation to awe ratings, and females appear to experience more goose bumps than males. In summary: (1) Interactive VR can elicit awe, especially within familiar, self-selected environments; (2) Physiological goose bumps can be recorded to provide reliable, non-intrusive indications of awe; (3) Care must be taken to design interaction interfaces that do not impede awe; and (4) While personality traits are not correlated to awe ratings, goose bumps were experienced more frequently among females. We aim to conduct future studies using custom VR environments, interfaces, and additional physiological measures to provide further insight into awe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Quesnel
- iSpaceLab, School of Interactive Arts and Technology, Simon Fraser University, Surrey, BC, Canada
| | - Bernhard E Riecke
- iSpaceLab, School of Interactive Arts and Technology, Simon Fraser University, Surrey, BC, Canada
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22
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Schoeller F, Perlovsky L, Arseniev D. Reply on comments to “Physics of mind: Experimental confirmations of theoretical predictions” by Schoeller et al. Phys Life Rev 2018; 25:97-99. [DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2018.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Schoeller F, Perlovsky L, Arseniev D. Physics of mind: Experimental confirmations of theoretical predictions. Phys Life Rev 2018; 25:45-68. [PMID: 29398558 DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2017.11.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2017] [Accepted: 11/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
What is common among Newtonian mechanics, statistical physics, thermodynamics, quantum physics, the theory of relativity, astrophysics and the theory of superstrings? All these areas of physics have in common a methodology, which is discussed in the first few lines of the review. Is a physics of the mind possible? Is it possible to describe how a mind adapts in real time to changes in the physical world through a theory based on a few basic laws? From perception and elementary cognition to emotions and abstract ideas allowing high-level cognition and executive functioning, at nearly all levels of study, the mind shows variability and uncertainties. Is it possible to turn psychology and neuroscience into so-called "hard" sciences? This review discusses several established first principles for the description of mind and their mathematical formulations. A mathematical model of mind is derived from these principles. This model includes mechanisms of instincts, emotions, behavior, cognition, concepts, language, intuitions, and imagination. We clarify fundamental notions such as the opposition between the conscious and the unconscious, the knowledge instinct and aesthetic emotions, as well as humans' universal abilities for symbols and meaning. In particular, the review discusses in length evolutionary and cognitive functions of aesthetic emotions and musical emotions. Several theoretical predictions are derived from the model, some of which have been experimentally confirmed. These empirical results are summarized and we introduce new theoretical developments. Several unsolved theoretical problems are proposed, as well as new experimental challenges for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Félix Schoeller
- Centre de Recherches Interdisciplinaires, Université Paris Descartes, Paris, France; Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, U1001, Paris, France.
| | - Leonid Perlovsky
- Psychology and Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, United States; Peter the Great Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, Russia.
| | - Dmitry Arseniev
- Peter the Great Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg, Russia.
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Schoeller F, Eskinazi M, Garreau D. Dynamics of the knowledge instinct: Effects of incoherence on the cognitive system. COGN SYST RES 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogsys.2017.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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25
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Tihanyi BT, Ferentzi E, Beissner F, Köteles F. The neuropsychophysiology of tingling. Conscious Cogn 2017; 58:97-110. [PMID: 29096941 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2017.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2017] [Revised: 10/19/2017] [Accepted: 10/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Tingling is a bodily sensation experienced under a variety of conditions from everyday experiences to experimental and therapeutic situations. It can be induced by both peripheral or afferent (external stimulation, peripheral pathology) and higher cognitive (expectation) processes. The paper summarizes the current scientific knowledge on the neurophysiological and psychological concomitants of the tingling sensation. Four possible models are identified and presented: the afferent, the attention-disclosed, the attention-evoked, and the efferent model. Of these, only the attention-disclosed model, i.e., attention discloses the sensation by opening the gate for suppressed sensory information, appears to be able to explain every aspect of the tingling phenomenon. Terminological issues and the possible role of the tingling phenomenon in medically unexplained symptoms, nocebo and placebo reactions, and body-oriented therapeutic interventions are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedek T Tihanyi
- Institute of Health Promotion and Sport Sciences, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary; Doctoral School of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary
| | - Eszter Ferentzi
- Institute of Health Promotion and Sport Sciences, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary; Doctoral School of Psychology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary
| | - Florian Beissner
- Somatosensory and Autonomic Therapy Research, Institute of Neuroradiology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Ferenc Köteles
- Institute of Health Promotion and Sport Sciences, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary.
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Schoeller F, Perlovsky L. Aesthetic Chills: Knowledge-Acquisition, Meaning-Making, and Aesthetic Emotions. Front Psychol 2016; 7:1093. [PMID: 27540366 PMCID: PMC4973431 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.01093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
This article addresses the relation between aesthetic emotions, knowledge-acquisition, and meaning-making. We briefly review theoretical foundations and present experimental data related to aesthetic chills. These results suggest that aesthetic chills are inhibited by exposing the subject to an incoherent prime prior to the chill-eliciting stimulation and that a meaningful prime makes the aesthetic experience more pleasurable than a neutral or an incoherent one. Aesthetic chills induced by narrative structures seem to be related to the pinnacle of the story, to have a significant calming effect and subjects describe a strong empathy for the characters. We discuss the relation between meaning-making and aesthetic emotions at the psychological, physiological, narratological, and mathematical levels and propose a series of hypotheses to be tested in future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Schoeller
- Department of Media, Cognition and Communication, University of Copenhagen Copenhagen, Denmark
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27
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Schoeller F, Perlovsky L. Great Expectations—Narratives and the Elicitation of Aesthetic Chills. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2015. [DOI: 10.4236/psych.2015.616205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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