Greg Hajcak1, Jonathan P Dunning, Dan Foti. 1. Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794-2500, USA. greg.hajcak@stonybrook.edu
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: The present study examined the time-course of automatic and controlled modulation of the late positive potential (LPP) during emotional picture viewing. METHODS: Participants (N=32) viewed neutral and unpleasant stimuli for 6000 ms; at 3000 ms, one of two tones signaled participants to attend either to a more or less arousing portion of the picture. The time-course of the LPP was examined both during the passive viewing and directed attention portions of the trial using the method proposed by Guthrie and Buchwald [Guthrie D, Buchwald JS. Significance testing of difference potentials. Psychophysiology 1991;28(2):240-4]. RESULTS: During passive viewing, the LPP became reliably larger following the presentation of unpleasant pictures from 160 ms onward; the magnitude of the LPP became reliably smaller beginning 620 ms after participants were instructed to attend to the less arousing aspects of unpleasant pictures - and this difference was maintained throughout the duration of the trial. CONCLUSIONS: The LPP reflects relatively automatic attention to emotional visual stimuli, but is also sensitive to manipulations of directed attention toward arousing versus neutral aspects of such stimuli. SIGNIFICANCE: These results shed further light on the time-course of emotional and cognitive modulation of the LPP, and suggest that the LPP reflects the relatively rapid and dynamic allocation of increased attention to emotional stimuli.
OBJECTIVE: The present study examined the time-course of automatic and controlled modulation of the late positive potential (LPP) during emotional picture viewing. METHODS:Participants (N=32) viewed neutral and unpleasant stimuli for 6000 ms; at 3000 ms, one of two tones signaled participants to attend either to a more or less arousing portion of the picture. The time-course of the LPP was examined both during the passive viewing and directed attention portions of the trial using the method proposed by Guthrie and Buchwald [Guthrie D, Buchwald JS. Significance testing of difference potentials. Psychophysiology 1991;28(2):240-4]. RESULTS: During passive viewing, the LPP became reliably larger following the presentation of unpleasant pictures from 160 ms onward; the magnitude of the LPP became reliably smaller beginning 620 ms after participants were instructed to attend to the less arousing aspects of unpleasant pictures - and this difference was maintained throughout the duration of the trial. CONCLUSIONS: The LPP reflects relatively automatic attention to emotional visual stimuli, but is also sensitive to manipulations of directed attention toward arousing versus neutral aspects of such stimuli. SIGNIFICANCE: These results shed further light on the time-course of emotional and cognitive modulation of the LPP, and suggest that the LPP reflects the relatively rapid and dynamic allocation of increased attention to emotional stimuli.
Authors: Hatun Zengin-Bolatkale; Edward G Conture; Alexandra P Key; Tedra A Walden; Robin M Jones Journal: J Fluency Disord Date: 2018-04-19 Impact factor: 2.538
Authors: Nicholas P Allan; Matt R Judah; Brian J Albanese; Richard J Macatee; Carson A Sutton; Matthew D Bachman; Edward M Bernat; Norman B Schmidt Journal: Emotion Date: 2018-03-19