Effects Of Arousal Research Articles

Arousal and social anxiety but not the emotional category influence visual search performance when using task-irrelevant emotional faces

ABSTRACT The goal of the present study was to test the effects of emotional arousal elicited by emotional faces on visual search performance. In Experiment 1, facial expressions acted as distractors presented throughout the task. In Experiment 2, faces were presented only before the task. We found that the level of arousal elicited by faces can better describe their effects on visual search performance compared to their discrete emotional categories. In Exp1, faces with higher arousal ratings were more distracting, possibly because active inhibition is necessary to solve the task. However, in Exp2, higher levels of arousal resulted in better performance, possibly because they activate the arousal system, initiating readiness for action. We also showed that social anxiety diminishes attentional performance due to its influence on executive processing. This does not support the involvement of bottom-up attentional biases in the maintenance of social anxiety that many interventions seem to target.

Rhythmic entrainment of heart rate as a mechanism for musical emotion induction: A plausible hypothesis in need of evidence?

Several researchers have hypothesized that a musical rhythm can influence a listener’s heart rate through a process of entrainment and that this mechanism can influence the emotional feelings of the listener also. However, previous research has yielded mixed results, perhaps due to methodological problems. In this study, we independently manipulated the tempo of pieces of ambient instrumental music with a salient rhythm to influence the heart rate of 36 listeners with varying musical backgrounds, who also reported felt arousal and valence and subjective impressions of various induction mechanisms. Using a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design, we manipulated direction (up vs. down) and magnitude (±3% vs. ±30%) of tempo change and extent of listener movement (finger tapping vs. still listening). For each trial, the tempo was manipulated in reference to the present heart rate of the individual listener. The results showed little evidence of entrainment. In general, listeners’ heart rate did not align with the target tempo (i.e., entrainment proper) nor did it change in the direction of the target tempo (i.e., entrainment tendencies). Instead, regardless of direction and size of tempo change, we observed a similar small increase in heart rate and arousal. The results are consistent with a general arousal effect of musical rhythm.

Is “Arousal,” as a Scientific Concept, Worse than Useless?

This paper discusses (i) the usefulness and (ii) the clarity of the concept of arousal. In discussing its usefulness, I argue that we can explain some key “arousal effects” without relying on the concept of arousal. To do so, I consider the role of the appraisal of affective relevance as a process mainly subserved by the amygdala and explaining emotional effects on attention, memory, and learning. Then, with respect to the clarity of the concept of arousal, I use the componential approach to emotion to suggest that further research may investigate whether the umbrella term “arousal” covers five different concepts (energy, sympathetic nervous system activity, intensity, strength, and salience), each corresponding to a specific component of emotion.

Arousal effects on oscillatory dynamics in the non-human primate brain.

Arousal states are thought to influence many aspects of cognition and behavior by broadly modulating neural activity. Many studies have observed arousal-related modulations of alpha (~8 to 15Hz) and gamma (~30 to 50Hz) power and coherence in local field potentials across relatively small groups of brain regions. However, the global pattern of arousal-related oscillatory modulation in local field potentials is yet to be fully elucidated. We simultaneously recorded local field potentials in numerous cortical and subcortical regions in the primate brain and assessed oscillatory activity and inter-regional coherence associated with arousal state. In high arousal states, we found a uniquely strong and coherent gamma oscillation between the amygdala and basal forebrain. In low arousal rest-like states, a relative increase in coherence at alpha frequencies was present across sampled brain regions, with the notable exception of the medial temporal lobe. We consider how these patterns of activity may index arousal-related brain states that support the processing of incoming sensory stimuli during high arousal states and memory-related functions during rest.

Influence of Stretch Speed and Arousal State on Passive Ankle Joint Mechanics.

Studies investigating the mechanisms influencing maximum passive joint range of motion (ROMmax) and stiffness have not objectively assessed the possible influence of stretch speed and/or arousal state. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of arousal state and stretch speed on healthy individuals ROMmax, stiffness, gastrocnemius medialis, and soleus electromyographic activity (EMG). Fourteen participants performed one familiarization and then one testing session on separate days in the laboratory. In the familiarization (Session 1), participants practiced fast (30°/s ankle dorsiflexion) and slow (5°/s) plantar flexor stretches on an isokinetic dynamometer with the knee extended. In the experimental session (Session 2), they performed two slow, then two fast, stretches under three randomized arousal conditions: control (no music), arousing, and relaxing music. Dorsiflexion ROMmax, ankle joint stiffness, muscle activity during stretch, mean heart rate, and perception of arousal were measured. Perception of arousal was greater in the arousing than relaxing condition (p = 0.001). ROMmax was greater during fast (69.1° ± 7.8°) than slow stretches (64.9° ± 10.8°; p = 0.002) with no effect of arousal. Stiffness and EMG were higher at faster speeds, with a significantly greater percentage of stiffness observed in the arousing than the other conditions during faster stretches (p = 0.04). ROMmax was greater at the faster stretch speed despite greater stiffness and muscle activities being produced during the stretch. Thus, despite reflexive muscle activity and viscosity being higher during faster stretches, a greater, not lesser, ROMmax was observed. Arousal state, at least when altered by music, did not seem to affect ROMmax but somewhat influenced stiffness in the faster stretches.

Integrated reporting business models and the role of presentation format: insight from an eye tracking study

Purpose The integrated reporting framework affords considerable discretion over the form and content of business model disclosures, but a diagrammatic representation is favoured. In practice, most firms choose to use an infographic. This study aims to determine whether an infographic is a more effective and efficient form of communication than narrative-only information. Additionally, the mediating role of psychophysiological arousal is examined. Design/methodology/approach Using an explorative experimental design, this study uses eye-tracking technology to examine how users interact with different presentation formats for business model disclosures and how this affects the effectiveness and efficiency of the disclosures. Using pupillometry, the impacts of presentation format on arousal are also examined, in addition to the mediating effect of arousal on recall and comprehension. Findings Infographic presentation led to a substantial decrease in reading time coupled with moderately lower recall relative to narrative-only presentation. However, no significant difference in comprehension was observed. Additionally, infographic presentation was associated with higher arousal, but arousal was not found to mediate the relationship between presentation format and communicative effectiveness. Originality/value The study assists reporters and standard-setters, such as the International Accounting Standards Board and International Sustainability Standards Board, by providing qualified support for the diagrammatic representations of business models as an efficient means of communicating complex financial and non-financial information and highlighting future research opportunities.

Can priming a concept affect how intensely people feel? Exploring the connection between sense of control and fear

Evidence suggests that perceived control (the extent to which one believes they can exert influence over their environment) can predict fear levels, and studies reveal a causal relationship exists between low control and increased fear. These studies test effects by manipulating participant control, assuming this to shift perception of a stimulus. Kaufmann and Neumann (2019) claim that a priming paradigm can activate low control to cause fear, however, their results were not statistically significant. The current study tested Kaufmann and Neumann’s hypothesis to see if a low control prime could significantly increase fear responding. Adults (N = 96) completed a fragmented word task which either primed high or low control or featured no prime, followed by exposure to a short clip from a horror movie. Fear scores were obtained at pre-test and post-test using an adapted Differential Emotions Scale (DES). Results revealed no effect of priming, so do not support the claims of Kaufmann and Neumann (2019). The researcher concludes that there is no clear evidence that a low control prime can cause fear arousal effects and suggest that priming is not the best method for cross-context learning. Future research should be cautious about the application of priming paradigms when investigating cross-context effects.

The effects of emotional arousal on pupil size depend on luminance

Pupillometry is widely used to measure arousal states. The primary functional role of the pupil, however, is to respond to the luminance of visual inputs. We previously demonstrated that cognitive effort-related arousal interacted multiplicatively with luminance, with the strongest pupillary effects of arousal occurring at low-to-mid luminances (< 37 cd/m2), implying a narrow range of conditions ideal for assessing cognitive arousal-driven pupillary differences. Does this generalize to other forms of arousal? To answer this, we assessed luminance-driven pupillary response functions while manipulating emotional arousal, using well-established visual and auditory stimulus sets. At the group level, emotional arousal interacted with the pupillary light response differently from cognitive arousal: the effects occurred primarily at much lower luminances (< 20 cd/m2). Analyses at the individual-participant level revealed qualitatively distinct patterns of modulation, with a sizable number of individuals displaying no arousal response to the visual or auditory stimuli, regardless of luminance. Together, our results suggest that effects of arousal on pupil size are not monolithic: different forms of arousal exert different patterns of effects. More practically, our findings suggest that lower luminances create better conditions for measuring pupil-linked arousal, and when selecting ambient luminance levels, consideration of the arousal manipulation and individual differences is critical.

Olfaction modulates cortical arousal independent of perceived odor intensity and pleasantness

Throughout history, various odors have been harnessed to invigorate or relax the mind. The mechanisms underlying odors’ diverse arousal effects remain poorly understood. We conducted five experiments (184 participants) to investigate this issue, using pupillometry, electroencephalography, and the attentional blink paradigm, which exemplifies the limit in attentional capacity. Results demonstrated that exposure to citral, compared to vanillin, enlarged pupil size, reduced resting-state alpha oscillations and alpha network efficiency, augmented beta-gamma oscillations, and enhanced the coordination between parietal alpha and frontal beta-gamma activities. In parallel, it attenuated the attentional blink effect. These effects were observed despite citral and vanillin being comparable in perceived odor intensity, pleasantness, and nasal pungency, and were unlikely driven by semantic biases. Our findings reveal that odors differentially alter the small-worldness of brain network architecture, and thereby brain state and arousal. Furthermore, they establish arousal as a unique dimension in olfactory space, distinct from intensity and pleasantness.

Effective tourism destination stories: Matching effects between story type and destination type

Stories are a powerful tool for enhancing tourism. However, the factors that contribute to effective destination storytelling are poorly understood. Hence, this study investigates how destination type and destination gender influence the destination story design. Four scenario-based experiments were conducted online, using various experimental stimuli. This study verified the matching effect between destination story type (factual vs. fictional), destination gender (feminine vs. masculine), and destination type (hedonic vs. utilitarian). Specifically, factual stories are more effective for masculine destinations, while fictional stories better suit feminine destinations. The results also indicate that fictional stories are more suitable for hedonic destinations, whereas factual stories are preferable for utilitarian ones. Additionally, the mediating effects of imagination proclivity and emotional arousal were examined. Overall, this study provides valuable practical insights into the design and promotion of tourist destinations.

Judging emotion in natural images of crowds.

It has been suggested that humans use summary statistics such as the average of the emotion of individual faces when they rapidly judge group emotion. Previous studies have mainly used faces of actors posing basic emotions, and morphed versions of these faces, against a plain background. In the present study, photographs taken in real-world settings were used to investigate the influence of mean facial emotion, maximal facial emotion, and background context on judgments of group emotion, assessed using dimensional ratings of valence, arousal, and dominance. Background context explained a significant amount of unique variance in group ratings for each dimension. Mean emotion explained additional unique variance for valence ratings, whereas maximal emotion explained additional unique variance for arousal, with dominance showing more mixed results. Removing background context and disrupting the contextual and spatial relationship between faces by randomly replacing faces with ones from other images within the stimulus set increased reliance on mean emotion. However, under all conditions, the maximally arousing face continued to exert an influence on ratings of group arousal, in line with theoretical accounts arguing for a unique bottom-up effect of emotional arousal on attentional competition and postattentive perceptual processing. Together these findings suggest that individuals' reliance on average emotion when judging crowd scenes differs as a function of the dimension of affect. In addition, the presence of background context both directly impacts judgments of crowd emotion and modulates the relative influence of maximal versus mean emotion on these judgments. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Auditory cortex encodes lipreading information through spatially distributed activity

Watching a speaker's face improves speech perception accuracy. This benefit is enabled, in part, by implicit lipreading abilities present in the general population. While it is established that lipreading can alter the perception of a heard word, it is unknown how these visual signals are represented in the auditory system or how they interact with auditory speech representations. One influential, but untested, hypothesis is that visual speech modulates the population-coded representations of phonetic and phonemic features in the auditory system. This model is largely supported by data showing that silent lipreading evokes activity in the auditory cortex, but these activations could alternatively reflect general effects of arousal or attention or the encoding of non-linguistic features such as visual timing information. This gap limits our understanding of how vision supports speech perception. To test the hypothesis that the auditory system encodes visual speech information, we acquired functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data from healthy adults and intracranial recordings from electrodes implanted in patients with epilepsy during auditory and visual speech perception tasks. Across both datasets, linear classifiers successfully decoded the identity of silently lipread words using the spatial pattern of auditory cortex responses. Examining the time course of classification using intracranial recordings, lipread words were classified at earlier time points relative to heard words, suggesting a predictive mechanism for facilitating speech. These results support a model in which the auditory system combines the joint neural distributions evoked by heard and lipread words to generate a more precise estimate of what was said.

How immersive technologies impact behavioral responses in destination marketing: the role of physiological arousal, presence, and age

PurposeThis paper aims to investigate the effectiveness of immersive virtual reality (VR) media and the influence of user’s age in the context of destination marketing by exploring their impact on cognition (presence), affection (arousal), and behavioral (intention to visit and intention to recommend the destination) outcomes.Design/methodology/approachA laboratory experiment was conducted to compare the impact of using immersive VR (vs. 2D desktop) to experience a 360-degree virtual tour of Valencia on consumers’ behavior. The sample included 187 participants. Both self-reported and physiological measures were collected during the experimentation.FindingsResults showed that participants in the immersive condition experienced a stronger sense of presence and higher physiological arousal than those exposed to nonimmersive content. Presence significantly mediated both the intention to visit and the intention to recommend the promoted venue. Physiological arousal mediated the relationship between media typology and the intention to recommend the destination. Upon introducing age as a moderating variable, the effect of physiological arousal on behavioral outcomes proves to be significant.Practical implicationsThe study presents destination marketing organizations with a compelling use case for immersive technologies. It also offers design principles, potential applications and targeting strategies for VR marketing in hospitality management.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to investigate the combined effect of physiological arousal and presence on behavioral intentions in VR destination marketing, while also examining the impact of age as an individual characteristic.

INDONESIAN’S TOURIST SHOPPING JOURNEY (TSJ) DURING AND AFTER THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

This study aims to determine the effect of performance expectancy, effort expectancy, social influence, facilitating condition, pleasure, and arousal on the intention to use smartphones on the Tourist Shopping Journey (TSJ) on domestic tourists in Indonesia. There are two conditions in this study, namely during the Covid-19 pandemic and after. Data processing in this study used SPSS 24.0 and AMOS 24.0. The results showed that during the Covid-19 pandemic, the variables of facilitating condition and pleasure affected the intention to use smartphones when shopping on tourist trips. Meanwhile, in conditions after the Covid-19 pandemic, the influential variables are facilitating conditions and arousal.

The impact of destination brand experience on arousal, memorable tourism experience, and revisit intention: Gyeongbok palace night tour

ABSTRACT This study explores the impact of destination brand experience and perceptions of safety on revisit intention, and the mediating effect of arousal and memorable tourism experience (MTE). A sample of 357 tourists participating in a Gyeongbok palace night tour in South Korea was surveyed. The findings of structural equation modeling revealed that affective experience dominated the relationships with arousal, followed by behavioral and sensory experience. Perceptions of safety had positive and significant relationships with arousal and revisit intention. The links between arousal, MTE, and revisit intention were also confirmed. The study’s results emphasize that in night tourism destination brand experience and perceptions of safety are the major factors influencing revisit intention through arousal and MTE. The study offers theoretical and practical insights for destination marketing scholars and practitioners.

Arousal, interindividual differences and temporal binding a psychophysiological study

The sense of agency varies as a function of arousal in negative emotional contexts. As yet, it is unknown whether the same is true for positive affect, and how inter-individual characteristics might predict these effects. Temporal binding, an implicit measure of the sense of agency, was measured in 59 participants before and after watching either an emotionally neutral film clip or a positive film clip with high or low arousal. Analyses included participants’ individual differences in subjective affective ratings, physiological arousal (pupillometry, skin conductance, heart rate), striatal dopamine levels via eye blink rates, and psychopathy. Linear mixed models showed that sexual arousal decreased temporal binding whereas calm pleasure had no facilitation effect on binding. Striatal dopamine levels were positively linked whereas subjective and physiological arousal may be negatively associated with binding towards actions. Psychopathic traits reduced the effect of high arousal on binding towards actions. These results provide evidence that individual differences influence the extent to which the temporal binding is affected by high arousing states with positive valence.

Can Brief Listening to Mozart's Music Improve Visual Working Memory? An Update on the Role of Cognitive and Emotional Factors.

The aim of this research was to enhance understanding of the relationship between brief music listening and working memory (WM) functions. The study extends a previous large-scale experiment in which the effects of brief exposure to music on verbal WM were explored. In the present second phase of the experiment, these effects were assessed for the visuospatial subcomponent of WM. For that aim, visuospatial WM was measured using the Corsi blocks task-backwards and Visual Patterns Test in a large sample of 311 young and older adults after being exposed to musical excerpts coming from different music composers (Mozart, Vivaldi, Glass). To account for possible effects of arousal, a silence condition was used. Individual preference for music excerpts and emotional reactions to each condition were also subjectively rated using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) to account for the role of emotional reactions in shaping subsequent cognitive performance. Results showed that music affected the visuospatial sketchpad of WM. In line with the previously described Mozart effect, only Mozart's music had a significant positive impact on visuospatial WM in the two age groups, regardless of preferences, and on overall age-related WM decline in older adults. The Mozart effect was more prominent for the VPT than the Corsi task and was also expressed for the prevailing positive effect. These observations are in contrast to the selective influence of Vivaldi's music on verbal WM that was detected in our first study. Together, the results demonstrate a differential music influence on the phonological loop and on the visuospatial sketchpad. They thus contribute to the debate of whether music has the potential to affect distinct processes within working memory in an excerpt- or composer-specific manner. Also, they suggest that emotional activation and central executive attention are essentially involved in modulating the influence of music on subsequent cognition. These findings can assist in the selection of music excerpts used in cognitive rehabilitation programs that focus on visuospatial skills.

High-Performance Bidirectional Microelectrode Array for Assessing Sevoflurane Anesthesia Effects and In Situ Electrical Stimulation in Deep Brain Regions.

Precise assessment of wakefulness states during sevoflurane anesthesia and timely arousal are of paramount importance to refine the control of anesthesia. To tackle this issue, a bidirectional implantable microelectrode array (MEA) is designed with the capability to detect electrophysiological signal and perform in situ deep brain stimulation (DBS) within the dorsomedial hypothalamus (DMH) of mice. The MEA, modified with platinum nanoparticles/IrOx nanocomposites, exhibits exceptional characteristics, featuring low impedance, minimal phase delay, substantial charge storage capacity, high double-layer capacitance, and longer in vivo lifetime, thereby enhancing the sensitivity of spike firing detection and electrical stimulation (ES) effectiveness. Using this MEA, sevoflurane-inhibited neurons and sevoflurane-excited neurons, together with changes in the oscillation characteristics of the local field potential within the DMH, are revealed as indicative markers of arousal states. During the arousal period, varying-frequency ESs are applied to the DMH, eliciting distinct arousal effects. Through in situ detection and stimulation, the disparity between these outcomes can be attributed to the influence of DBS on different neurons. These advancements may further our understanding of neural circuits and their potential applications in clinical contexts.

Are vaccination uptake and non-uptake influenced by our emotions? An experimental study on the role of emotional processes and compassion

Objective This study examined the effects of emotional arousal, emotional competence, emotion regulation (ER), and compassion on COVID-19 and flu vaccination intentions (VI) among the French population. Design Data were collected online from October to December 2020. Altogether, 451 participants (Mage = 35.8, SD = 16.4) were allocated to four groups. High positive (n = 104) or negative (n = 103) emotional arousal were induced into two groups using pictures and music, and compared against a control group (flu group; n = 116) and a reference group (COVID-19 group; n = 114). All groups completed questionnaires on emotional arousal, ER, emotional competence, compassion, and VI. Results The findings indicated a significant effect of group on VI, h2 =.023, 95% CI [–.002, .09]. The Group*Gender interaction on emotional arousal was non-significant, η p 2 =.015, 95%CI [.000, .041]. However, emotional arousal was observed to have a significant main effect on VI, η p 2 =.09, 95% CI [.043, .238]. The ER type*Emotional arousal*Gender interaction on ER use was trend, η p 2 = .002, 95% CI [.000, .005]. The emotional competence*ER type interaction on ER use was significant, η p 2 = .028, 95% CI [.011, .049]. Only experiential avoidance mediated the relationship between emotional arousal and VI, p < .018, 95% CI [.015, .18]. Conclusion Emotional arousal impacts VI. High emotional competence only reduces the use of dysfunctional ER strategies.

The influence of affective processing on phishing susceptibility

ABSTRACT The heightened sophistication of phishing attacks results in billions of dollars of financial losses, loss of intellectual property, and reputational damage to organisations. Past work examining determinants of phishing susceptibility has been dominated by cognitive theoretical perspectives. However, recent research has also revealed the importance of emotion in phishing susceptibility. This study expands our understanding of phishing susceptibility by adopting an affective lens. Using an integrative perspective of emotion, we build on the Affective Infusion Model (AIM) to predict the effects of valence, certainty, and arousal on phishing susceptibility. We pilot our manipulations (N = 241) and then test our hypotheses using a mock phishing experiment (N = 474) in which phishing messages are sent directly to participant inboxes. We demonstrate that messages inducing positive valence and low certainty result in higher phishing susceptibility. This study contributes to phishing literature by illuminating the critical role that emotion plays in altering recipients’ susceptibility in the processing of phishing messages and has implications for scholars, practitioners, and organisations.