The psychophysiology of mixed emotional states

Abstract

How to conceptualize mixed emotional states is a central issue in the field of affective science. Nondifferentiation, additive, and emergence accounts of mixed emotions make divergent predictions regarding physiological responses in mixed emotions. To test these predictions, 43 women watched film clips that elicited amusement, disgust, or mixed emotions while feeling self-report, facial electromyography, cardiovascular, electrodermal, and respiratory measures were assessed. Simultaneous self-reports of amusement and disgust confirmed elicitation of a mixed emotional state. Physiologically, mixed emotions differed from pure amusement and pure disgust both in intensity and pattern. This suggests a distinct physiological response of the mixed emotional state, as predicted by the emergence account of mixed emotions. Implications for emotion theory and research are discussed.

The psychophysiology of mixed emotional states: Internal and external replicability analysis of a direct replication study

“…Consistent with our previous study (Kreibig et al, ), amusement led to decreased cardiac activity, peripheral vasoconstriction, decreased electrodermal activity, and faster and shallower breathing; the current study additionally showed increased vagal reactivity and PVA. Both internal and external replicability analyses identified HR, TPR, FT, SCL, RR, and V i as measures with replicable results, suggesting involvement of cardiovascular, electrodermal, and respiratory systems in amusement.…”

“…Profile analyses on physiological variables that had a significant univariate omnibus effect in the previous study (Kreibig et al, ) and on those that were significant in both the current and previous study showed significant condition effects for amusing versus disgusting and mixed versus amusing film clips. We again found significant Condition × Variable effects for all three contrasts (Table middle and bottom and Figure b and c).…”

“…The identical array of 15 physiological measures reported in our previous study (Kreibig et al, ) was obtained according to the same procedures.…”

“…The current study examined internal and external replicability of the physiological differentiation of amusing, disgusting, and a mixed emotional state based on data from a direct replication and our previous study (Kreibig et al, ). As in our previous study, we elicited amusement, disgust, and a mixed emotional state by presenting film clips while assessing cardiovascular, electrodermal, and respiratory measures.…”

Developmental Cascade and Transactional Associations Among Biological and Behavioral Indicators of Temperament and Maternal Behavior

“…Many temperament researchers have focused specifically on young children's parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) functioning. From this work, scientists have been able to identify PNS biomarkers and highlight the important role they play in individuals’ ability to modulate their state, emotions, and arousal in ways that allow them to react in a socially appropriate manner (Kreibig, Samson, & Gross, ; Porges, ).…”