What Is Psychophysiology? Where to go next?

Abstract

Psychophysiology is an area of science which helps us to differentiate between self-reported emotion and physiological expression of emotion. Many techniques such as EMG, EEG and MEG (Magnetoencephalograph) can be used for measuring muscular and electrical activities as well as event related potentials (ERP). EMG of facial muscles (e.g. corrugator, zygomatic, and levator labii superioris/alesque) patterning plus autonomic physiology (e.g. heart rate and skin conductance level) gives a basic picture of a person sense for certain situations. For example activity at a facial muscle, the levator labii was higher during disgust than during anger (Kuhl, 2008). Psychophysiology deals with the exploitation of psychological variables and their equivalent pragmatic effects on physiological processes. Thus, this discipline examines the interactions between physiological and psychological events. In general, psychophysiology studies the behavioral consequences of physiological properties of the body at a biochemical and anatomical level, and vice versa. In short this discipline examines the perception of emotion, behavioral states, stress, cognitive task performance, personality and intelligence. The initiation, execution, maintenance and termination of behavioral events can be determined by observing the relationships between psychological factors, stimulus perception and recognition, physiological response are used to better understand these perceptions.