Emotional Processing Research Articles

Modality-specific effects of threat on self-motion perception

BackgroundThreat and individual differences in threat-processing bias perception of stimuli in the environment. Yet, their effect on perception of one’s own (body-based) self-motion in space is unknown. Here, we tested the effects of threat on self-motion perception using a multisensory motion simulator with concurrent threatening or neutral auditory stimuli.ResultsStrikingly, threat had opposite effects on vestibular and visual self-motion perception, leading to overestimation of vestibular, but underestimation of visual self-motions. Trait anxiety tended to be associated with an enhanced effect of threat on estimates of self-motion for both modalities.ConclusionsEnhanced vestibular perception under threat might stem from shared neural substrates with emotional processing, whereas diminished visual self-motion perception may indicate that a threatening stimulus diverts attention away from optic flow integration. Thus, threat induces modality-specific biases in everyday experiences of self-motion.

An activity theory inquiry into emotional vulnerability and professional identity construction of language teacher educators

ABSTRACT Despite the growth of research on language teachers’ emotion and professional identity in the past decades, little is known about the emotional life of language teacher educators (LTEs), much less about their emotional vulnerability. Accordingly, the present study drew on activity theory and explored 14 Iranian LTEs’ emotional vulnerability and professional identity construction. Drawing on data from narrative frames and semi-structured interviews, our study demonstrated how context created tensions that profoundly shaped the LTEs’ emotional vulnerability and identification processes. Specifically, we found that LTEs’ emotional vulnerability results from others’ malpractice and/or their own lack of autonomy, leading to further identity investment. Although they faced a myriad of challenges serving as sources of emotional and professional identity tensions, the LTEs adhered to ethics in maintaining their identity standards to positively contribute to teachers’ professional growth. We provide implications for institutional policymakers to better acknowledge the professional status of LTEs so that they become less emotionally vulnerable.

Investigating the Correlation between Frustration and Values with an Emphasis on Gender

This research paper investigates the correlation between individuals’ reactions to frustration and their values, with an emphasis on sex differences. Frustration is an arbitrary emotional response to obstacles or unmet expectations, although social values carry beliefs and principles that guide behavior within a societal context. Getting a gist of how sex influences these aspects can shed light on societal dynamics and inform interventions aimed at promoting psychological well-being and social harmony. The study undergoes a quantitative approach to the data, through different scales using SPSS to analyze data and gather comprehensive insights. Results reveal new patterns in how individuals of different genders perceive and respond to frustration in relation to their value system, Enlightening the need for gender-sensitive works in addressing emotional regulation and socialization processes.

Socioeconomic factors, sleep timing and duration, and amygdala resting-state functional connectivity in children.

Reduced sleep health has been consistently linked with increased negative emotion in children. While sleep characteristics have been associated with neural function in adults and adolescents, much less is known about these associations in children while considering socioeconomic context. In this study, we examined the associations among socioeconomic factors, sleep duration and timing, and resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) of the amygdala in children. Participants were typically-developing 5- to 9-year-olds from socioeconomically diverse families (61% female; N = 94). Parents reported on children's weekday and weekend bedtimes and wake-up times, which were used to compute sleep duration and midpoint. Analyses focused on amygdala-anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) connectivity followed by amygdala-whole brain connectivity. Lower family income-to-needs ratio and parental education were significantly associated with later weekday and weekend sleep timing and shorter weekday sleep duration. Shorter weekday sleep duration was associated with decreased amygdala-ACC and amygdala-insula connectivity. Later weekend sleep midpoint was associated with decreased amygdala-paracingulate cortex and amygdala-postcentral gyrus connectivity. Socioeconomic factors were indirectly associated with connectivity in these circuits via sleep duration and timing. These results suggest that socioeconomic disadvantage may interfere with both sleep duration and timing, in turn possibly altering amygdala connectivity in emotion processing and regulation circuits in children. Effective strategies supporting family economic conditions may have benefits for sleep health and brain development in children.

The Role of Attention Modulation and Its Neurophysiological Mechanisms in Tinnitus Management: A Review

Background and Aim: Tinnitus, characterized by the perception of sound without the presence of an external auditory stimulus, can profoundly affect the quality of life. This review study aims to assess the role of attention modulation in tinnitus management and investigate the neurophysiological mechanism of attention and its interaction with emotional processing in patients with tinnitus. Recent Findings: The studies revealed differences in the function of attentional networks among individuals with tinnitus. The studies showed the positive impact of various techniques for attention modulation through direct attention training or indirect mechanisms influencing attention. These techniques could modify attentional biases, enhance attention control, and alleviate tinnitus-related distress. Conclusion: The results of studies suggest the potential role of attention modulation in tinnitus management. By targeting attentional processes, researchers and clinicians can provide more effective interventions for individuals with tinnitus. However, there is a need for further investigation to optimize the intervention protocols by collaboration between researchers, clinicians, and individuals with tinnitus to achieve success in tinnitus management. Background and Aim: Tinnitus, characterized by the perception of sound without the presence of an external auditory stimulus, can profoundly affect the quality of life. This review study aims to assess the role of attention modulation in tinnitus management and investigate the neurophysiological mechanism of attention and its interaction with emotional processing in patients with tinnitus. Recent Findings: The studies revealed differences in the function of attentional networks among individuals with tinnitus. The studies showed the positive impact of various techniques for attention modulation through direct attention training or indirect mechanisms influencing attention. These techniques could modify attentional biases, enhance attention control, and alleviate tinnitus-related distress. Conclusion: The results of studies suggest the potential role of attention modulation in tinnitus management. By targeting attentional processes, researchers and clinicians can provide more effective interventions for individuals with tinnitus. However, there is a need for further investigation to optimize the intervention protocols by collaboration between researchers, clinicians, and individuals with tinnitus to achieve success in tinnitus management. Keywords: Tinnitus; attention; tinnitus management; neurophysiological mechanism; attention training

Busting the blackbox between managerial coaching behaviors and employee outcomes from a perspective of discrete emotional process mechanism

PurposeAs coaching assumes an increasingly critical role in satisfying employees' demands for growth, the function of coaching has progressively shifted towards direct supervisors. This study seeks to investigate the distinct effects of managerial coaching behaviors on employee outcomes from an emotional perspective. Specifically, we aim to explore whether leaders' encourage-to-explore and guide-to-learn behaviors impact employees' creativity and performance through discrete emotional mechanisms upon appraisal theory of emotion.Design/methodology/approachWe conducted two studies to test our proposition. In study 1, an experiment using coaching scenarios was performed with 128 students majoring in management. In study 2, data were collected from 311 supervisor-subordinate dyads.FindingsThe results indicate that encourage-to-explore behaviors are positively related to employee creativity by fostering feelings of inspiration, and guide-to-learn behaviors are positively related to employee performance by alleviating anxiety. These findings suggest that different leaders’ coaching behaviors influence employee outcomes through different emotional processes. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are also discussed.Originality/valueThese findings suggest that different leaders’ coaching behaviors influence employee outcomes through different emotional processes. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are also discussed.

Electrophysiological Correlates of Amplified Emotion-Related Cognitive Processing Evoked by Self-Administered Disgust Images.

In the processing of emotions, the brain prepares and reacts in distinctive manners depending upon the negative or positive nuance of the emotion elicitors. Previous investigations showed that negative elicitors generally evoke more intense neural activities than positive and neutral ones, as reflected in the augmented amplitude of all sub-components of the event-related potentials (ERP) late posterior positivity (LPP) complex, while less is known about the emotion of disgust. The present study aimed to examine whether the LPP complex during the processing of disgust stimuli showed greater amplitude than other emotion elicitors with negative or positive valences, thus confirming it as a neural marker of disgust-related negativity bias at earlier or later stages. Thus, in the present study, we leveraged the ERP technique during the execution of an affective self-administered visual stimuli task to disentangle the neural contributions associated with images of positive, negative, disgust, or neutral emotions. Crucially, we showed that handling with disgust elicitors prompted the greatest neural activity and the highest delay during self-administration. Overall, we demonstrated progressive neural activities associated with the unpleasantness of the emotion elicitors and peculiar processing for disgust compared with all other emotions.

Information-based TMS to mid-lateral prefrontal cortex disrupts action goals during emotional processing

The ability to respond to emotional events in a context-sensitive and goal-oriented manner is essential for adaptive functioning. In models of behavioral and emotion regulation, the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) is postulated to maintain goal-relevant representations that promote cognitive control, an idea rarely tested with causal inference. Here, we altered mid-LPFC function in healthy individuals using a putatively inhibitory brain stimulation protocol (continuous theta burst; cTBS), followed by fMRI scanning. Participants performed the Affective Go/No-Go task, which requires goal-oriented action during affective processing. We targeted mid-LPFC (vs. a Control site) based on the individualized location of action-goal representations observed during the task. cTBS to mid-LPFC reduced action-goal representations in mid-LPFC and impaired goal-oriented action, particularly during processing of negative emotional cues. During negative-cue processing, cTBS to mid-LPFC reduced functional coupling between mid-LPFC and nodes of the default mode network, including frontopolar cortex—a region thought to modulate LPFC control signals according to internal states. Collectively, these results indicate that mid-LPFC goal-relevant representations play a causal role in governing context-sensitive cognitive control during emotional processing.

The language of nature in Murray Bowen's writings: how connection to nature informs Bowen theory and is essential to human survival

AbstractThe human is a product of nature, and the same emotional process at work in families is at work in the relationship of the human to nature. Current global concerns and environmental changes highlight the need for humans to revisit their relationships with the natural world. The purpose of this study was to survey Murray Bowen's professional letters to reify the constructs of Bowen theory. Qualitative methodology with a narrative research design was employed. A sample (N = 250) of Dr Bowen's professional letters from the archives dating from 1965 to 1990 was analysed. Results from this analysis reveal that Bowen's writings are grounded in the language of nature and that Bowen's thinking about the human species and the family offers ways in which to see the family and humans as part of a larger system. Relating more maturely to the natural world is essential for human survival.

The interaction effect of high social support and resilience on functional connectivity using seed-based resting-state assessed by 7-Tesla ultra-high field MRI.

Recent resilience research has increasingly emphasized the importance of focusing on investigating the protective factors in mentally healthy populations, complementing the traditional focus on psychopathology. Social support has emerged as a crucial element within the complex interplay of individual and socio-environmental factors that shape resilience. However, the neural underpinnings of the relationship between social support and resilience, particularly in healthy subjects, remain largely unexplored. With advances in neuroimaging techniques, such as ultra-high field MRI at 7T and beyond, researchers can more effectively investigate the neural mechanisms underlying these factors. Thus, our study employed ultra-high field rs-fMRI to explore how social support moderates the relationship between psychological resilience and functional connectivity in a healthy cohort. We hypothesized that enhanced social support would amplify resilience-associated connectivity within neural circuits essential for emotional regulation, cognitive processing, and adaptive problem-solving, signifying a synergistic interaction where strong social networks bolster the neural underpinnings of resilience. (n = 30). Through seed-based functional connectivity analyses and interaction analysis, we aimed to uncover the neural correlates at the interplay of social support and resilience. Our findings indicate that perceived social support significantly (p<0.001) alters functional connectivity in the right and left FP, PCC, and left hippocampus, affirming the pivotal roles of these regions in the brain's resilience network. Moreover, we identified significant moderation effects of social support across various brain regions, each showing unique connectivity patterns. Specifically, the right FP demonstrated a significant interaction effect where high social support levels were linked to increased connectivity with regions involved in socio-cognitive processing, while low social support showed opposite effects. Similar patterns by social support levels were observed in the left FP, with connectivity changes in clusters associated with emotional regulation and cognitive functions. The PCC's connectivity was distinctly influenced by support levels, elucidating its role in emotional and social cognition. Interestingly, the connectivity of the left hippocampus was not significantly impacted by social support levels, indicating a unique pattern within this region. These insights highlight the importance of high social support levels in enhancing the neural foundations of resilience and fostering adaptive neurological responses to environmental challenges.

Age-related differences in processing of emotions in speech disappear with babble noise in the background

ABSTRACT Older adults process emotional speech differently than young adults, relying less on prosody (tone) relative to semantics (words). This study aimed to elucidate the mechanisms underlying these age-related differences via an emotional speech-in-noise test. A sample of 51 young and 47 older adults rated spoken sentences with emotional content on both prosody and semantics, presented on the background of wideband speech-spectrum noise (sensory interference) or on the background of multi-talker babble (sensory/cognitive interference). The presence of wideband noise eliminated age-related differences in semantics but not in prosody when processing emotional speech. Conversely, the presence of babble resulted in the elimination of age-related differences across all measures. The results suggest that both sensory and cognitive-linguistic factors contribute to age-related changes in emotional speech processing. Because real world conditions typically involve noisy background, our results highlight the importance of testing under such conditions.

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.

Emotion Processing in Peripheral Neuropathic Pain: An Observational Study.

In clinical practice, the implementation of tailored treatment is crucial for assessing the patient's emotional processing profile. Here, we investigate all three levels of analysis characterizing emotion processing, i.e., recognition, representation, and regulation, in patients with peripheral neuropathic pain (PNP). Sixty-two patients and forty-eight healthy controls underwent quantitative sensory testing, i.e., psychophysical tests to assess somatosensory functions such as perception of cold (CDT), heat-induced pain (HPT), and vibration (VDT), as well as three standardized tasks to assess emotional processing: (1) the Ekman 60-Faces Test (EK-60F) to assess recognition of basic facial emotions, (2) the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RME) to assess the ability to represent the feelings of another person by observing their eyes, and (3) the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) to assess emotional dysregulation, i.e., alexithymia. General Linear Model analysis revealed a significant relationship between left index finger VDT z-scores in PNP patients with alexithymia. The RME correlated with VDT z-scores of the left little finger and overall score for the EK-60F. In patients with PNP, emotion processing is impaired, which emphasizes the importance of assessing these abilities appropriately in these patients. In this way, clinicians can tailor treatment to the needs of individual patients.

Changes in interoceptive accuracy related to emotional interference in somatic symptom disorder

ObjectiveThe somatic symptom disorder (SSD) is characterized by one or more distressing or disabling somatic symptoms accompanied by an excessive amount of time, energy and emotion related to the symptoms. These manifestations of SSD have been linked to alterations in perception and appraisal of bodily signals. We hypothesized that SSD patients would exhibit changes in interoceptive accuracy (IA), particularly when emotional processing is involved.MethodsTwenty-three patients with SSD and 20 healthy controls were recruited. IA was assessed using the heartbeat perception task. The task was performed in the absence of stimuli as well as in the presence of emotional interference, i.e., photographs of faces with an emotional expression. IA were examined for correlation with measures related to their somatic symptoms, including resting-state heart rate variability (HRV).ResultsThere was no significant difference in the absolute values of IA between patients with SSD and healthy controls, regardless of the condition. However, the degree of difference in IA without emotional interference and with neutral facial interference was greater in patients with SSD than in healthy controls (p = 0.039). The IA of patients with SSD also showed a significant correlation with low-frequency HRV (p = 0.004) and high-frequency HRV (p = 0.007).ConclusionSSD patients showed more significant changes in IA when neutral facial interference was given. These results suggest that bodily awareness is more affected by emotionally ambiguous stimuli in SSD patients than in healthy controls.

Bowen theory, culture and therapeutic applications to Asian families

AbstractThis paper attempts to address the uncertainty of some non‐Western learners about the applicability of Bowen theory to Asian culture, as the theory was developed out of research on Western families and stresses defining self. Scepticism is due to the commonly held view that Asian families are collectivistic while Western families are more individualistic. This paper reviews the basic tenets of Bowen theory and its underlying premise that families are regulated by emotional processes that also operate in all living beings, that is, biological and universal. Bowen theory studies the emotional processes of families and how they react to anxiety. Viewed in this way, the theory certainly can be a useful framework for understanding family and enhancing family functioning, regardless of culture, ethnicity, and geography. The paper further discusses the use of Bowen theory in working with Asian families and Asian women, with case illustrations in enhancing mature and flexible practice of cultural values and increasing differentiation of self.

Borderline personality disorder: a symptom of the family system

AbstractThe present article explores the Bowen family systems theory (BFST) view that a mental disorder such as borderline personality disorder (BPD) is not a dysfunction occurring within an individual but a maladjustment of the family emotional system. A case study is presented illustrating how the emotional process moves between individuals within a family system so that when relationship processes become severely compromised, one member absorbs more of the stress, becoming vulnerable to acute symptoms. It is proposed that the use of a BFST approach with a client presenting with panic anxiety and low mood may have contributed to the lowering of symptom intensity for a sibling of the client. It appears that the client's work on her part in the relationship disturbances between her, her mother, father, and sister contributed to decreasing BPD symptoms in her sister and an improvement in overall family functioning. Therefore, the differentiating effort of one family member seemed to have a ripple effect on the whole family system. Shifting the theoretical lens from an individual‐medico‐diagnostic one to a BFST one sheds light on how all family members are expressions of a family organism and players in the symptoms emerging in one.

The Acceptance and Refocus on Planning in Procrastination: The Suppression of Past Negative Time Perspective

The recent affect-regulation (AR) model emphasizes the relevance of context and the diversity of AR strategies, which deepens our understanding of emotional processes. This study, conducted with 228 Chinese undergraduates, aims to support the AR model by investigating the connection between cognitive emotion regulation (CER) and procrastination, as suggested by the temporal mood regulation (TMR) model. The findings discovered a positive correlation between past negative (PN) time perspective and procrastination. Acceptance showed no significant correlation with procrastination, while refocus on planning exhibited a weak negative correlation. Surprisingly, PN acted as a suppressor in the relationship between CER strategies and procrastination. This study highlights the diverse impact of CER strategies on procrastination, providing support for both the AR and TMR models.

Attentional Differences Between Males and Females for Emojis During the Emotional Stroop Task.

Introduction Cognitive load can be intensified by emotional components such as emotive words or facial expressions. Sexdifferences influence both emotional and cognitive functions for emotional facial expressions. Emojis, in contrast to human faces, serve as digital cues conveying emotional nuances in communication. The present study aimed to compare attentional differences prompted by emojis. Methods This study aimed to compare attentional differences in males and females elicited by emojis in 100 healthy adults (50 males and 50 females) within the age group of 18 to 40 years (mean ± SD: 27.87 ± 5.37 years) while performing the emotional Stroop task (EST). The EST comprised emojis depicting four emotions (happy, fear, sad, and angry) and emotionally charged words conveying similar emotions. An independent sample t-test was used to compare the reaction times among males and females. Results Results showed males had significantly longer reaction times than females across all task conditions. Both genders exhibited significant differences in reaction times across task conditions, except inhibition. Overall, reaction times increased notably from neutral to incongruent conditions for both genders. This suggests that response times increased significantly from neutral to incongruent conditions. Conclusion Emojis introduced in the EST revealed gender-related differences in attentional processing. This study showed the greater proficiency of females in emotional processing during EST compared to males. These findings contribute to our understanding of how gender is associated with cognitive responses to emotional stimuli in digital communication contexts.

Linking Striatal Dopaminergic Asymmetry with Personality Traits: Insights from Gambling Disorder.

The role of dopamine in the pathophysiology of gambling disorder (GD) remains incompletely understood, with disparate research findings concerning presynaptic and postsynaptic structures and dopaminergic synthesis. The aim of this study was to investigate potential correlations between striatal dopamine transporter (DAT) lateralization and asymmetry index, as assessed by 123I-FP-CIT SPECT, and temperamental traits, as measured by Cloninger's Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), in GD subjects. Significant associations were found between DAT binding asymmetries in the caudate and putamen and the temperamental dimensions of harm avoidance and novelty seeking. Specifically, high noveltyseeking scores correlated with increased DAT binding in the left caudate relative to the right, whereas higher harm avoidance scores corresponded to increased DAT binding in the right putamen relative to the left. These observations potentially imply that the asymmetry in DAT expression in the basal ganglia could be an outcome of hemispheric asymmetry in emotional processing and behavioural guidance. In summary, our study provides evidence supporting the relationship between DAT asymmetries, temperamental dimensions and GD. Future investigations could be directed towards examining postsynaptic receptors to gain a more comprehensive understanding of dopamine's influence within the basal ganglia circuit in disordered gambling. If confirmed in larger cohorts, these findings could have substantial implications for the tailoring of individualized neuromodulation therapies in the treatment of behavioural addictions.

An fMRI-based investigation of the effects of odors on the functional connectivity network underlying the working memory.

In the human brain, the regions responsible for emotion processing, motivation, and memory are heavily influenced by olfaction, whose neural pathway is directly exposed to the outer world. In this study, we used fMRI to examine how different olfactory conditions might affect the functional connectivity circuit underlying working memory in the brain. To this end, 30 adults (aged 20-35), 13 males and 17 females, with high educational levels were chosen. Participants were screened for potential olfactory issues before undergoing the Sniffin' sticks test, which was part of the inclusion criteria. Before imaging, each participant was given the required level of training and was then asked to complete four olfactory tests involving pleasant and unpleasant odors, air, and null stimulation. The results of Seed-based analysis suggested a function connection between the inferior parietal region and the left frontal pole region upon olfactory stimulation with vanilla scent in contrast to null stimulation in this comparison, ROI-based analysis revealed an inverse synchronous among the entorhinal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). Both dlPFC and hippocampus were involved in olfactory discrimination between two different stimulants. Our findings indicate the presence of inverse correlations between several regions associated with olfaction and working memory, with pleasant scents leaving a stronger impact on the working memory-related areas, particularly the inferior parietal region.