Exploring the mechanisms responsible for the modulating role of frowning in emotional reasoning: An ERP study

Abstract

Studies show that emotions impact reasoning, and that emotions are embodied. A recent study revealed that emotions embodied in facial expressions can modulate the impact of emotional content on reasoning accuracy. In the current study, we aimed to explore the mechanisms responsible for the impact of frowning on emotional reasoning using electrophysiology. We examined two reasoning-related ERPs: the N400 related to inference process and the N2 related to conflict detection. We also measured the LPP, associated with sustained attention to emotional stimuli. Twenty-six participants completed a reasoning task with emotional content while we recorded their brain activity with electroencephalography. In one block, they were instructed to solve syllogisms while voluntarily frowning. In another block, they were asked to solve syllogisms while contracting a non-facial muscle. Results revealed that frowning influenced sustained attention towards emotional stimuli, as measured through LPP. Frowning also showed a trend for a deleterious effect on the inference process measured through the N400. In line with the dual process models, this suggests that frowning impacts sustained attention, but surprisingly it might also impact Type 2 processes. This study provides useful insight regarding the link between reasoning and emotions in the body.