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Murray RJ, Kreibig SD, Pehrs C, Vuilleumier P, Gross JJ, Samson AC. Mixed emotions to social situations: An fMRI investigation. Neuroimage 2023; 271:119973. [PMID: 36848968 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2023.119973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuroscience research has generally studied emotions each taken in isolation. However, mixed emotional states (e.g., the co-occurrence of amusement and disgust, or sadness and pleasure) are common in everyday life. Psychophysiological and behavioral evidence suggests that mixed emotions may have response profiles that are distinguishable from their constituent emotions. Yet, the brain bases of mixed emotions remain unresolved. METHODS We recruited 38 healthy adults who viewed short, validated film clips, eliciting either positive (amusing), negative (disgusting), neutral, or mixed (a mix of amusement and disgust) emotional states, while brain activity was assessed by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). We assessed mixed emotions in two ways: first by comparing neural reactivity to ambiguous (mixed) with that to unambiguous (positive and negative) film clips and second by conducting parametric analyses to measure neural reactivity with respect to individual emotional states. We thus obtained self-reports of amusement and disgust after each clip and computed a minimum feeling score (shared minimum of amusement and disgust) to quantify mixed emotional feelings. RESULTS Both analyses revealed a network of the posterior cingulate (PCC), medial superior parietal lobe (SPL)/precuneus, and parieto-occipital sulcus to be involved in ambiguous contexts eliciting mixed emotions. CONCLUSION Our results are the first to shed light on the dedicated neural processes involved in dynamic social ambiguity processing. They suggest both higher-order (SPL) and lower-order (PCC) processes may be needed to process emotionally complex social scenes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan J Murray
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland; Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sylvia D Kreibig
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
| | - Corinna Pehrs
- Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, BCCN, Berlin, Germany
| | - Patrik Vuilleumier
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland; Neuroscience Department, Laboratory for Behavioral Neurology and Imaging of Cognition, Medical school, University of Geneva, Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - James J Gross
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 USA
| | - Andrea C Samson
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, Campus Biotech, Geneva, Switzerland; Faculty of Psychology, UniDistance Suisse, Brig, Switzerland; Institute of Special Education, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland.
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Abstract
Affective ambivalence is the simultaneous experience of oppositely valenced emotions, such as happiness and sadness. Historic writings on the valence of nostalgia have proposed that nostalgia can best be conceptualized as an ambivalent emotion. A growing body of research provides empirical evidence for this proposal. Here, I review and summarize this evidence that nostalgia is an ambivalent emotion, albeit more positive than negative. I end by discussing implications and future research directions.
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Sopcak P. Understanding mixed and ambiguous emotions - integrating neurophenomenology and literary studies. Cogn Neurosci 2023; 14:73-74. [PMID: 36847365 DOI: 10.1080/17588928.2023.2181323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
This commentary makes three suggestions on Willems' neurocognitive model for understanding mixed and ambiguous emotions and morality. First, it proposes that his atheoretical approach risks unwittingly adopting theoretical and conceptual limitations implicit in reigning paradigms and overlooking the need for theoretical impetus and constraints in the development of valid constructs of targeted emotions. Second, it suggests that a dynamical systems approach to emotions provides a fruitful theory and neuro-phenomenology as a corresponding methodology. Lastly, it proposes that Willems' objective would benefit from a more systematic integration of insights from the humanities into the nature and nuances of literary (moral) emotions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Sopcak
- Department of English and American Studies, RWTH Aachen University, Aache, Germany
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Auer A, von Känel R, Lang I, Thomas L, Zuccarella-Hackl C, Degroote C, Gideon A, Wiest R, Wirtz PH. Do Hypertensive Men Spy With an Angry Little Eye? Anger Recognition in Men With Essential Hypertension - Cross-sectional and Prospective Findings. Ann Behav Med 2022; 56:875-889. [PMID: 35323902 DOI: 10.1093/abm/kaab108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Higher trait anger has inconsistently been associated with hypertension and hypertension development, but social context in terms of recognition of other persons' anger has been neglected in this context. PURPOSE Here, we investigated anger recognition of facial affect and trait anger in essential hypertensive and normotensive men in addition to prospective associations with blood pressure (BP) increases. METHODS Baseline assessment comprised a total of 145 participants including 57 essential hypertensive and 65 normotensive men who were otherwise healthy and medication-free. Seventy-two eligible participants additionally completed follow-up assessment 3.1 (±0.08 SEM) years later to analyze BP changes over time. We assessed emotion recognition of facial affect with a paradigm displaying mixed facial affect of two morphed basic emotions including anger, fear, sadness, and happiness. Trait anger was assessed with the Spielberger trait anger scale. RESULTS Cross-sectionally, we found that with increasing BP, hypertensive men overrated anger displayed in facial expressions of mixed emotions as compared to normotensive men (ps ≤ .019) while there were no differences in trait anger (p = .16). Prospectively, the interaction between mean anger recognition and trait anger independently predicted BP increases from baseline to follow-up (ps ≤ .043), in that overrating displayed anger predicted future BP increases only if trait anger was high. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate an anger recognition bias in men with essential hypertension and that overrating displayed anger in combination with higher trait anger seems to predict future BP increases. This might be of clinical relevance for the development and progression of hypertension and cardiovascular disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alisa Auer
- Biological Work and Health Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Roland von Känel
- Department of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Ilona Lang
- Biological Work and Health Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Livia Thomas
- Biological Work and Health Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Claudia Zuccarella-Hackl
- Department of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Clinical Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.,Department of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Cathy Degroote
- Biological Work and Health Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Angelina Gideon
- Biological Work and Health Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Roland Wiest
- Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, University Hospital Bern, and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Petra H Wirtz
- Biological Work and Health Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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Oh VYS. Torn Between Valences: Mixed Emotions Predict Poorer Psychological Well-Being and Job Burnout. J Happiness Stud 2022; 23:2171-2200. [PMID: 35095334 PMCID: PMC8783779 DOI: 10.1007/s10902-021-00493-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Conflicting perspectives on whether mixed emotions are adaptive states which promote integrative processes or uncomfortable states which are agonizing make divergent predictions on whether mixed emotions in daily life are conducive towards psychological well-being. We examined this across three studies. Study 1 (N = 335, 135 males; M age = 41.31) examined associations between state mixed emotions and psychological well-being. Study 2 (N = 389; 160 males; M age = 40.86) examined associations between workplace-specific mixed emotions and workplace ill-being assessed based on burnout. Both direct measures and indirect measures were examined in Study 1 and 2, allowing some comparison of methodological issues related to their predictive validity. Study 3 (N = 3444; 1587 males; M age = 55.34) examined bidirectional relationships between an index of emotional ambivalence and psychological well-being about ten years later, controlling for baselines. Demographic covariates, positive emotions, and negative emotions were controlled for in all studies. Analyses were performed using latent variable structural equation modelling. After adjusting for all covariates, the direct measures of mixed emotions predicted poorer psychological well-being (Study 1) and greater burnout (Study 2). However, indirect measures were found to suffer from relatively greater multicollinearity and poorer predictive validity upon controlling for positive and negative emotions. In Study 3, emotional ambivalence predicted poorer long-term psychological well-being, while psychological well-being also predicted lower emotional ambivalence, supporting bidrectionality. The findings provide preliminary evidence that naturalistically experienced mixed emotions may be conflicting and unpleasant, with potentially negative implications for psychological well-being over and above positive and negative emotions. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10902-021-00493-z.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Y. S. Oh
- Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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Abstract
Experiencing mixed emotions, a combination of two oppositely-valenced emotions, has been shown to reduce bias in decision making and improve the accuracy of judgements made. However, most previous research has been limited to laboratory-based experiments. In this pre-registered study, we looked at mixed emotions and judgements in the naturalistic context of watching sport during the FIFA world cup. N = 80 participants reported on mixed emotions before and after each England game during the World Cup, and made score predictions for each game, collecting a total of k = 480 observations. We used a lagged-effect design and multilevel modelling to analyse the data. We found that participants who felt more mixed emotions at the end of a match made significantly more likely score predictions in the following match, indicating that experiencing stronger mixed emotions subsequently predicted more reasonable judgements. This result was supported even after controlling for a number of affective, attitudinal, and socio-demographic variables. This provides evidence that naturally occurring mixed emotions are related to improved real-world judgements. The evidence is discussed through the lens of fantasy realisation theory, and the importance of feeling mixed during decisions involving puzzling or uncertain outcomes is emphasised.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J Hostler
- Department of Psychology, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
| | - Raul Berrios
- Department of Management, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago de Chile, Chile
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Abstract
People sometimes report both pleasant and unpleasant feelings when presented with affective stimuli. However, what is reported as "mixed emotions" might reflect semantic knowledge about the stimulus (Russell, J. A. (2017). Mixed emotions viewed from the psychological constructionist perspective. Emotion Review, 9(2), 111-117). The following research examines to what degree self-reported mixed emotions represent actual feelings compared to knowledge about the stimulus. In a series of three experiments, participants reported either their feelings or their knowledge in response to affective stimuli. In Experiment 1, we sampled the entire IAPS pictorial space and examined the proportion of mixed emotion ratings using feelings-focused and knowledge-focused self-reports. We found a higher degree of mixed emotions under knowledge-focused than feelings-focused self-reports. In Experiment 2, we used a priori selected pictures to elicit mixed emotions. The proportion of mixed emotions was again higher under knowledge-focused instructions. In Experiment 3, we used movie clips that were previously used to elicit mixed emotions. In contrast to Experiments 1 and 2, there was no difference between feelings-focused and knowledge-focused self-reports. The results suggest a strong semantic component and a weak experiential component of self-reports in the case of pictorial stimuli. However, ambivalent movie clips elicited a stronger experiential component, thus supporting the existence of mixed emotions at the level of feelings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oksana Itkes
- a Department of Psychology, University of Haifa , Haifa , Israel
| | - Zohar Eviatar
- a Department of Psychology, University of Haifa , Haifa , Israel.,b The Institute of Information Processing and Decision Making, University of Haifa , Haifa , Israel
| | - Assaf Kron
- a Department of Psychology, University of Haifa , Haifa , Israel.,b The Institute of Information Processing and Decision Making, University of Haifa , Haifa , Israel
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Sanchez A, Romero N, Maurage P, De Raedt R. Identification of emotions in mixed disgusted-happy faces as a function of depressive symptom severity. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 2017; 57:96-102. [PMID: 28499119 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2017.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2016] [Revised: 02/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Interpersonal difficulties are common in depression, but their underlying mechanisms are not yet fully understood. The role of depression in the identification of mixed emotional signals with a direct interpersonal value remains unclear. The present study aimed to clarify this question. METHODS A sample of 39 individuals reporting a broad range of depression levels completed an emotion identification task where they viewed faces expressing three emotional categories (100% disgusted and 100% happy faces, as well as their morphed 50% disgusted - 50% happy exemplars). Participants were asked to identify the corresponding depicted emotion as "clearly disgusted", "mixed", or "clearly happy". RESULTS Higher depression levels were associated with lower identification of positive emotions in 50% disgusted - 50% happy faces. LIMITATIONS The study was conducted with an analogue sample reporting individual differences in subclinical depression levels. Further research must replicate these findings in a clinical sample and clarify whether differential emotional identification patterns emerge in depression for different mixed negative-positive emotions (sad-happy vs. disgusted-happy). CONCLUSIONS Depression may account for a lower bias to perceive positive states when ambiguous states from others include subtle signals of social threat (i.e., disgust), leading to an under-perception of positive social signals.
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Abstract
This research investigated whether (1) the experience of mixed emotions is a consequence of activating conflicting goals and (2) mixed emotions are distinct from emotional conflict. A preliminary experiment (Study 1, N = 35) showed that an elicited goal conflict predicted more mixed emotions than a condition where the same goals were not in conflict. The second experiment was based on naturally occurring goal activation (Study 2, N = 57). This illustrated that mixed emotions were experienced more following conflicting goals compared with a facilitating goals condition-on both a direct self-report measure of mixed emotions and a minimum index measure. The results also showed that mixed emotions were different to emotional conflict. Overall, goal conflict was found to be a source of mixed emotions, and it is feasible that such states have a role in resolving personal dilemmas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raul Berrios
- a Department of Psychology , University of Sheffield , Sheffield , UK
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