Attentional selectivity for emotional faces: Evidence from human electrophysiology

Abstract

This study investigated the temporal course of attentional biases for threat-related (angry) and positive (happy) facial expressions. Electrophysiological (event-related potential) and behavioral (reaction time [RT]) data were recorded while participants viewed pairs of faces (e.g., angry face paired with neutral face) shown for 500 ms and followed by a probe. Behavioral results indicated that RTs were faster to probes replacing emotional versus neutral faces, consistent with an attentional bias for emotional information. Electrophysiological results revealed that attentional orienting to threatening faces emerged earlier (early N2pc time window; 180-250 ms) than orienting to positive faces (after 250 ms), and that attention was sustained toward emotional faces during the 250-500-ms time window (late N2pc and SPCN components). These findings are consistent with models of attention and emotion that posit rapid attentional prioritization of threat.

Additive effects of emotional, endogenous, and exogenous attention: Behavioral and electrophysiological evidence

“…Some studies manipulating only one of the attention subcomponent have observed effects of emotional attention at the level of the cuelocked N2pc (see Holmes et al, 2009; note however that in their study the emotional cue was presented for 500 ms, which is five times longer than the presentation time of the current study). Other studies found effects of exogenous attention at the level of the target-locked P1 (e.g., Heinze, Luck, Mangun, & Hillyard, 1990).…”

“…The N2pc component reflects shifts of spatial attention related to the selection of lateralized stimuli appearing in the left or right visual field. It is elicited at posterior electrodes between 180 and 300 ms after stimulus onset in the hemisphere contralateral to the attended stimulus (Holmes, Bradley, Nielsen, & Mogg, 2009;Luck & Hillyard, 1994;Woodman & Luck, 1999). Once attention has been drawn to a location, it increases the perceptual processing of target stimuli appearing at this location.…”

“…2 and 3). These sites were selected based on related effects in previous ERP studies (Brosch et al, 2008;Di Russo, Martinez, & Hillyard, 2003;Holmes et al, 2009;Pourtois et al, 2004) and conspicuous topographic properties of the present ERP data set. Mean amplitudes of the N2pc component (averaged across a time window from 180 to 300 ms post cue onset) were analyzed using a 2 × 2 × 2-ANOVA with the repeated factors emotional attention (ipsilateral/contralateral), exogenous attention (ipsilateral/contralateral), and electrode position (P7/P8).…”

Psychophysiological evidence for cortisol-induced reduction in early bias for implicit social threat in social phobia

“…For this reason we included measurement of ERPs during task performance. Nevertheless, the demonstration of an attentional bias for threat using RTs would be helpful as a confirmatory measure to strengthen conclusions regarding ERP effects (e.g., Holmes et al, 2009). Inclusion of a larger subject sample is also recommended to increase the statistical power to detect small or medium sized effects.…”

Affective Priming in Music Listening

“…However, these attentional effects have also been demonstrated for positive emotional stimuli (e.g. Holmes, Bradley, Kragh Nielsen, Mogg, 2009;Plichta, Gerdes, Alpers, Harnisch, Brill, 2010). A second way in which emotions may affect cognition is by influencing our evaluations of a situation, person or object.…”