Sustained and transient modulation of performance induced by emotional picture viewing.

Abstract

We investigated how viewing task-irrelevant emotional pictures affects the performance of a subsequent non-emotional visual detection task. Subjects performed target-detection trials following the offset of individual unpleasant, pleasant and neutral pictures. Sustained interference occurred when subjects viewed blocked unpleasant pictures (mutilated bodies). Such slowing down of reaction time appeared to "build up" with time, consistent with the instatement of a defensive emotional state. With a randomized picture presentation, only a transient interference effect was observed, consistent with increased attentional demands during the processing of unpleasant pictures. During blocked presentation of affiliative pleasant pictures, reaction times were faster, suggesting the activation of appetitive motivational systems. Ultimately, both attentional and motivational systems are intricately tied in the brain and, together, determine behavior.The processing of emotional stimuli can have both advantageous and detrimental effects on behavioral performance in general, and response time (RT) in particular. For instance, subjects were faster at detecting fearful or threatening target faces relative to neutral ones

Stimulus appraisal modulates cardiac reactivity to briefly presented mutilation pictures

“…The current results replicate previous findings confirming the validity of the picture-viewing paradigm to modulate physiological and behavioral reactions (Bradley et al, 1996;Lang et al, 1993;Low et al, 2008;Oliveira et al, 2009;Pereira et al, 2006;Sarlo et al, 2002). Heart rate responses varied as a function of picture valence.…”

How you perceive threat determines your behavior

“…Recently, de Oliveira et al (2012) demonstrated that the amplitude of the readiness potential, which is an electrophysiological marker of motor preparation, is modulated by emotion; these authors suggested that emotionally laden stimuli recruit a pre-set motor repertoire that is consistent with the valence of the stimuli. These studies lend support to the concept that emotional stimuli modulate motor output and our previous studies using aversive pictures are consistent with this idea (Pereira et al, 2004, 2006, 2010; Souza et al, 2012). …”

“…Pereira et al (2004, 2006) showed that viewing pictures of mutilated bodies increased RTs in performing a simple non-emotional visual detection task. This interference effect was accompanied by enhanced activity of the entire circuit involved in the task when presenting mutilated bodies compared to neutral pictures (Pereira et al, 2010).…”

Affective Learning Enhances Visual Detection and Responses in Primary Visual Cortex

“…For example, subjects exhibit fast, involuntary responses to emotional stimuli, such as faces with fearful expressions or aversive pictures (Globisch et al, 1999). In addition, negative stimuli appear to be a more effective source of involuntary interference to on-going tasks than neutral or positive ones (Hartikainen et al, 2000;Tipples and Sharma, 2000;Pereira et al, 2006), and to more readily recruit attention (Bradley et al, 1997;Eastwood et al, 2001). Enhanced visual processing of affective information is also suggested by neuroimaging data.…”