Felt Arousal Research Articles

Effects of Carbohydrate and Protein Supplementation on Mood, Affect and Discomfort Perception during Endurance Exercise

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of carbohydrate and protein supplementation on mood, affect and discomfort perception during endurance exercise. METHODS:Ten well trained, healthy Chinese males (Age: 27.33±4.40 yr, height: 172.89±3.86 cm, weight: 63.50±5.12 kg, body fat percentage: 8.97±4.30 %, VO2max: 62.93±5.66 ml•kg-1•min-1) participated in the study with a double-blind counterbalance crossover design. Three types of nutritional treatments were implemented in three trials: 1) CHO+PRO: CHO-electrolyte solution (6.6% CHO, 26mg•L Na+, 8mg•L K+) with 24g whey protein isolate; 2) CHO-electrolyte solution (6.6% CHO, 26mg/L Na+, 8mg•L K+) with 24g sugar; 3) Sweetened electrolyte solution (26mg•L Na+, 8mg•L K+). All of the treatments were matched in sweetness with a zero-calorie sweetener and 5ml•kg was ingested before exercise and 2m•kg ingested every 15 minutes during exercise. The Chinese version of 24-item Brunel Mood Scale (BRUMS), Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE), Pain intensity scale, Felt Arousal Scale (FAS) and Feeling Scale (FS) were applied in this study. Gas analysis was conducted every 30 minutes. Three-way ANOVA (time x treatment x stage) were applied for comparing the difference among treatments and time point. RESULTS:Blood glucose in CHO+PRO was higher than in the control group (5.35±0.81 vs. 4.45±1.03 mmol•L, P<0.05) at 90 min. RPE, FAS and pain intensity scale increased along with time; no difference was found among treatments. There was no difference among scores of dimensions in Depression, Anger, Confusion, Fatigue, Tension and Vigor among different time points of exercise. However, the score of Vigor dimension in CHO+CHO is higher than two other groups (2.10±2.07 vs. 4.10±1.52 vs.2.40±2.27, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS:Exercise could induce a higher level of arousal, muscle pain and perceived exertion; however, pleasure-displeasure and the overall mood state were not affected. Ingestion of CHO+PRO drink did not induce stomach discomfort and overall mood disturbance during exercise, compared with CHO+CHO or placebo drink. In comparison with CHO+PRO, positive mood of Vigor could stay higher after ingesting an energy-matched amount of CHO in the present study.

Cancer Survivors Report Positive Affect during High-Intensity Group Based Exercise

PURPOSE: In rehabilitating populations, concerns arise with sustaining and adhering to popular group exercise programs of increased intensity due to the physically demanding requirements. Positive affect values like pleasure improve the likelihood of engaging in exercise behaviors. High-intensity functional training (HIFT) is a group-based exercise method of combined aerobic and resistance training functional exercises completed at relative high intensities. This study investigated effects of a HIFT program on cancer survivors’ perceptions of pleasure to predict efficacy and adherence. METHODS: Eight cancer survivors (53.5±5.0y, 75% female) participated in a 5-week, 3 days/week HIFT intervention, consisting of 12 workouts (WODS). For three pre-selected WODs, participants self-reported changes in mood/pleasure via the Feeling Scale (FS) from -5 (very bad) to +5 (very good); arousal via the Felt Arousal Scale (FAS) from 1 (very lowly) through 6 (very highly) aroused; and Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) via the Borg scale from 6 (resting) to 20 (maximal) at 6 times (after the warm-up, after ¼, ½, and ¾ of the WOD, immediately after the WOD, and after cool-down). Heart rate (HR) was assessed with Polar Pro-trainers throughout. Repeated measures ANOVA was used to examine within-measurement differences over time. Correlation analysis was used to compare RPE and HR for 2 exercise sessions. RESULTS: Average FS ratings ranged 1.3 to 3.4 indicating that mood remained positive throughout the session. Average RPE peaked immediately after the WOD and ranged from 6.9 to 15.5. Average predicted HRmax% for age was 80.2+/- 0.9 % throughout the WOD. There was main effect for changes in FAS over time, F(2,1)=16.0, p<.001, where the first measurement was significantly lower than all following measurements. There were significant main effects for changes in RPE, F(2,1)=43.2, p<.001, and HR, F(5,1)=74.8, p<.001, over time. Both were positively correlated, r=.97, p=.001 and had significantly greater values during the WOD than warm-up or cool-down. CONCLUSIONS: Improved FS during HIFT contrasts with previous research showing that pleasure decreases as physiological work demands reach high intensity. These data show that cancer survivors can sustain and even find high intensity exercise enjoyable.

The Effect of Caffeine and Rhodiola Rosea, Alone or in Combination, on 5-km Running Performance in Men

Background: To examine the effect of acute Rhodiola Rosea (R.Rosea) ingestion, acute caffeine ingestion, or combined caffeine and R.Rosea on 5-km running time trial performance. Methods: Twelve male recreational exercisers (mean age ± SD: 24.6 ± 6 years) undertook four trials each (placebo, caffeine [3 mg.kg−1], R.Rosea [3 mg.kg−1], and caffeine [3 mg.kg−1] and R.Rosea [3 mg.kg−1]) in a double-blind randomized order. Results: There was a small but significant main effect of treatment for 5-km run time (p = 0.048) where performance was faster in the presence of caffeine compared with placebo, but not between any other combination of trials. Heart rate, blood lactate, and rating of perceived exertion increased with km run, irrespective of substance ingested (all p < 0.05). Scores for Felt Arousal increased preingestion to postingestion (p = 0.028) and were maintained to postexercise (p = 0.026), irrespective of the substance ingested. There was a small significant treatment × time interaction (p = 0.011, Pη...

Moderating Effect of Luxury Value Perceptions in the Relationship between In-Store Emotions and Perceived Brand Luxury

The meaning of luxury varies by individuals. The differing luxury perceptions should influence the way individuals react to relevant marketing programs for luxury. Limited research exists on the topic despite interest in luxury segmentation and consumer-oriented values for luxury in marketplaces. Referring to the conceptual framework by Wiedmann et al. (2007), we explored the moderation role of four dimensions of luxury value perceptions (LVP; financial, functional, individual, and social dimensions), in the relationship between in-store emotion and perceived brand luxury. A total of 218 U.S. consumers participated in our online survey using a hypothetical luxury store image. The results revealed the following: First, on the relationship between felt pleasure and perceived brand luxury (PBL), the financial dimension of LVP only showed a significant moderation effect. Second, the effect of felt arousal on PBL was moderated by the financial and social dimensions of LVP. Lastly, the individual dimension of LVP only moderated the relationship between felt dominance and PBL. Theoretical and managerial implications are suggested.

Acute effects of outdoor physical activity on affect and psychological well-being in depressed patients – A preliminary study

IntroductionPhysical activity (PA) is well established in the treatment of people with depressive symptoms. Most of this activity is done in an indoor setting. There is growing evidence that PA outdoors shows larger positive effects on affective states than PA indoors. The aim of the present study was to compare the affective experience of an acute outdoor exercise bout with indoor and sedentary equivalents for individuals with clinical depression. Method14 in-patients with mild to moderate depression were recruited during treatment in a mental health center. In a within-subjects experimental study, all participants completed three 60-min sessions: a sedentary control condition (SC), an indoor PA condition (IC), and an outdoor PA condition (OC). Mood, valence and activation were assessed throughout each session using the Mood Survey Scale (MSS), Feeling Scale and Felt Arousal Scale. ResultsConcerning the MSS subscales, whilst patients in the SC exhibited minimal changes, significantly lower “excitement” scores and higher “activation” scores were reported following the OC. Affective activation also differed significantly between OC and IC. ConclusionA single outdoor exercise bout showed greater affective improvements compared to indoor and sedentary equivalents for self-reported excitement and activation. As patients felt more active, an outdoor setting might be useful in overcoming listlessness during depression treatment. Due to methodological limitations associated with the pragmatic nature of the trial, findings must be interpreted with caution. Further trials should focus on wider feasibility and acceptability of outdoor exercise in depressive patients.

Effects of assisted aquatic movement and horseback riding therapies on emotion and brain activation in patients with cerebral palsy.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of assisted aquatic movement and horseback riding therapies on emotion and brain activation in patients with cerebral palsy. [Subjects and Methods] Thirty-two right-handed patients with cerebral palsy (18 male, 14 female) whose ages ranged from 8 to 48 years participated in this experiment. Their cerebral palsy levels ranged from 1 to 3. The participants were assigned to one of three groups according to the experimental conditions: an assisted aquatic movement therapy group, a horseback riding therapy group, or a control group. Electroencephalograms, the Feeling Scale and the Felt Arousal Scale were examined as dependent variables. [Results] Analysis of self-reported data demonstrated a significant positive improvement in the emotions of participants in the assisted aquatic movement therapy group in comparison with the control group. With regard to the electroencephalogram analysis, the results of this study showed increased alpha power in the assisted aquatic movement therapy group compared with the horseback riding and control groups. [Conclusion] The results of this study suggest that professionals can consider assisted aquatic movement therapy as an effective therapeutic intervention for the improvement of mental health and brain activation.

The Eye is Listening: Music-Induced Arousal and Individual Differences Predict Pupillary Responses.

Pupillary responses are a well-known indicator of emotional arousal but have not yet been systematically investigated in response to music. Here, we measured pupillary dilations evoked by short musical excerpts normalized for intensity and selected for their stylistic uniformity. Thirty participants (15 females) provided subjective ratings of music-induced felt arousal, tension, pleasantness, and familiarity for 80 classical music excerpts. The pupillary responses evoked by these excerpts were measured in another thirty participants (15 females). We probed the role of listener-specific characteristics such as mood, stress reactivity, self-reported role of music in life, liking for the selected excerpts, as well as of subjective responses to music, in pupillary responses. Linear mixed model analyses showed that a greater role of music in life was associated with larger dilations, and that larger dilations were also predicted for excerpts rated as more arousing or tense. However, an interaction between arousal and liking for the excerpts suggested that pupillary responses were modulated less strongly by arousal when the excerpts were particularly liked. An analogous interaction was observed between tension and liking. Additionally, males exhibited larger dilations than females. Overall, these findings suggest a complex interplay between bottom-up and top-down influences on pupillary responses to music.

Carbohydrate and Caffeine Mouth Rinses Do Not Affect Maximum Strength and Muscular Endurance Performance.

Oral carbohydrate (CHO) rinsing has beneficial effects on endurance performance and caffeine (CAF) mouth rinsing either independently or in conjunction with CHO may enhance sprinting performance. However, the effects of CHO and CAF mouth rinses on resistance exercise have not been examined previously. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of CHO and CAF rinsing on maximum strength and muscular endurance performance. Fifteen recreationally resistance-trained males completed an exercise protocol, which involved a 1 repetition maximum (RM) bench press followed by 60% of their 1RM to failure in a double-blind, randomized, counterbalanced crossover design. Before exercise, 25 ml of a 6% (15 g; 0.20 ± 0.02 g·kg(-1)) CHO, 1.2% (300 mg; 3.9 ± 0.3 mg·kg(-1)) CAF, carbohydrate with caffeine (C + C) solutions, or water (placebo; PLA) were rinsed for 10 seconds. During the remaining session, no solution was rinsed (control; CON). All solutions were flavored with (200 mg) sucralose. Felt arousal was recorded pre- and post-rinse, and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) was recorded immediately after the repetitions to failure. There were no significant differences in 1RM (p = 0.808; ηp(2)= 0.02), the number of repetitions performed (p = 0.682; ηp(2)= 0.03), or the total exercise volume (p = 0.482; ηp(2)= 0.03) between conditions. Rating of perceived exertion was similar for all trials (p = 0.330; ηp(2)= 0.08), whereas Felt arousal increased as a consequence of rinsing (p = 0.001; ηp(2)= 0.58), but was not different between trials (p = 0.335; ηp(2)= 0.08). These results suggest that rinsing with a CHO and CAF solution either independently or combined has no significant effect on maximum strength or muscular endurance performance.

Improvement of Sprint Performance in Wheelchair Sportsmen With Caffeine Supplementation.

Caffeine can be beneficial during endurance and repeated-sprint exercise in able-bodied individuals performing leg or whole-body exercise. However, little evidence exists regarding its effects during upper-body exercise. This study therefore aimed to investigate the effects of caffeine on sprint (SPR) and 4-min maximal-push (PUSH) performance in wheelchair sportsmen. Using a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design, 12 male wheelchair rugby players (age 30.0 ± 7.7 y, body mass 69.6 ± 15.3 kg, training 11.1 ± 3.5 h/wk) completed 2 exercise trials, separated by 7-14 d, 70 min after ingestion of 4 mg/kg caffeine (CAF) or dextrose placebo (PLA). Each trial consisted of four 4-min PUSHes and 3 sets of 3 × 20-m SPRs, each separated by 4 min rest. Participants responded to the Felt Arousal (a measure of perceived arousal), Feeling (a measure of the affective dimension of pleasure/displeasure), and rating-of-perceived-exertion (RPE) scales. Salivary caffeine secretion rates were measured. Average SPR times were faster during CAF than PLA during SPR 1 and SPR 2 (P = .037 and .016). There was no influence of supplementation on PUSHes 2-4 (P > .099); however, participants pushed significantly farther during PUSH 1 after CAF than after PLA (mean ± SD 677 ± 107 and 653 ± 118 m, P = .047). There was no influence of CAF on arousal or RPE scores (P > .132). Feeling scores improved over the course of the CAF trial only (P = .017) but did not significantly differ between trials (P > .167). Pre-warm-up (45 min postingestion) salivary CAF secretion rates were 1.05 ± 0.94 and 0.08 ± 0.05 μg/min for CAF and PLA, respectively. Acute CAF supplementation can improve both 20-m-sprint performance and a 1-off bout of short-term endurance performance in wheelchair sportsmen.

Higher chronic psychological stress is associated with blunted affective responses to strenuous resistance exercise: RPE, pleasure, pain

The aim of this study was to determine whether mental stress moderates perceptions of muscular pain, exertion, pleasure and arousal during a bout of strenuous resistance exercise. Two hundred and ten undergraduate students recruited from resistance exercise classes were screened with the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). Fifty-seven individuals (age = 20.1 ± 1.2 y) were invited to complete the Undergraduate Stress Questionnaire (USQ), a measure of life event stress, and fitness testing. They later performed a two-phase, acute heavy-resistance exercise protocol: first phase: 10-repetition maximum (RM) leg press test; second phase: six sets at 80–100% of 10-RM. During exercise, participants responded to the Feeling Scale (pleasure), Felt Arousal Scale, Omni-RPE and the Pain Intensity Scale. Affective responses and heart rate were analyzed with a hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) growth curve analysis. USQ moderated the trajectories of affective responses and heart rate during exercise. Higher stress (USQ) levels were significantly related to lower rise in RPE (time2, p = .002; time3, p < .001) and heart rate (time2, p < .001; time3, p < .001). USQ had a main effect on pleasure and arousal (p values < .001), in which higher levels of stress were related to less affect. Models using the PSS scale produced similar results. PSS, but not USQ, interacted with time to predict pain (time2, p = .048; time3, p = .024). Relationships held even after adjusting for covariates, such as depression. Future research should determine if differential responses to exercise by stress have implications for behavioral interventions and mental health outcomes.

Effects Of Television Viewing On Enjoyment Of Exercise In College Students

PURPOSE: To determine if television viewing increases enjoyment of exercise in college students. METHODS: Forty-three students (mean±SD; age=19±2 y, body mass index=23.7±3.2 kg/m2) completed two 30-minute exercise sessions on a cycle ergometer, in randomized order. During one session, participants viewed the British Broadcasting Corporation’s TV program Life (TV), while in the other they did not (No-TV). Heart rate (HR), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and felt arousal (FAS) were measured at 10, 20 and 30 minutes of exercise. The physical activity enjoyment scale (PACES) was used to measure enjoyment following each session. Enjoyment of exercise was analyzed with a paired samples t-test (for PACES). Correlations were used to determine relationship of baseline trait measurements of exercise motivation, preference of exercise intensity, and stress with enjoyment of exercise between conditions. Baseline measures significantly correlated with enjoyment of exercise were divided into high and low groups using a median split, then repeated measures ANOVAs (group x condition) were used to determine if interactions existed. Repeated measures ANOVAs (condition x time) were also performed on HR, RPE and FAS. RESULTS: Exercise enjoyment during the TV condition was significantly higher than during No-TV (p = 0.016). Motivation was positively correlated with NO-TV (p=0.027). Specifically, the subcategories of amotivation, identified, and intrinsic motivation were significantly correlated with NO-TV (p<0.05). No significant interactions between motivation subcategories and exercise conditions existed. HR was significantly lower during TV (p=0.019), but there were no significant differences in RPE (p=0.127) or FAS (p=0.215) between sessions. CONCLUSIONS: Television viewing increased enjoyment of exercise, and enjoyment was not influenced by exercise motivation, preference of exercise intensity, or stress.

Effect of a 12-week aerobic training program on perceptual and affective responses in obese women.

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to observe the effect of self-selected intensity or imposed intensity during aerobic training on perceptual and affective responses in obese women. [Subjects] The study included 26 obese women aged 30–60 years. [Methods] The subjects were randomly divided into two groups, with 13 subjects in each group: self-selected intensity and imposed intensity (10% above ventilatory threshold) groups. All subjects completed an intervention program that lasted 12 weeks, with three exercise sessions a week. The rating of perceived exertion and affective responses (Feeling Scale and Felt Arousal Scale) were monitored in the first, sixth, and twelfth weeks. [Results] Significant differences were observed between groups in heart rate and rating of perceived exertion. The affective responses during exercise were more negative in the imposed intensity group. [Conclusion] Use of a self-selected exercise intensity can promote smaller negative affective responses during exercise and provide a sufficient stimulus for improvement in cardiorespiratory fitness.

Self-selected or imposed exercise? A different approach for affective comparisons

The aim of this study was to compare the psychological and physiological responses of self-selected and imposed sessions of equivalent intensities and durations and allowing to participants a free control of pace during the self-selected session. Seventeen participants completed three sessions on a cycle ergometer. Participant’s VO2Peak and lactate threshold were measured during an incremental exercise test. During the second and third sessions, participants could view a virtual cyclist on a monitor. During the self-selected session, participants were allowed free control of the intensity and duration. To ensure that the imposed session replicated the self-selected session in intensity, participants were instructed to follow an additional virtual cyclist, which was displayed on a monitor using the CompuTrainer 3D software. Power output and physiological and psychological variables were recorded during the sessions. A two-way ANOVA showed no effect of condition for power output (P = 0.940), heart rate (HR) (P = 0.965), VO2 (P = 0.898), blood lactate (P = 0.667), Feeling Scale (P = 0.877), Felt Arousal Scale (P = 0.924) and CR100 (P = 0.939). A paired t-test showed no significant difference in Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale scores between sessions (P = 0.054). In contrast to previous studies, the self-selected session did not provide better affective responses than the imposed session with same intensity and duration.

Affective change as a function of exercise intensity in a group aerobics class

This study examined, in a naturalistic setting, affective changes in 15 women. Measurements were obtained presession, postsession, and at 10-minute intervals during three aerobics sessions that were conducted at high (HI), low (LI) and self-selected (SS) intensities. The intensity was manipulated via changes in music tempo and movement size. Scores on the Feeling Scale (FS) and the Felt Arousal Scale (FAS) were subjected to two-way repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA). Circumplex models were constructed to display the path followed by the affective changes throughout the course of each exercise session. A main effect for time and condition emerged in that the FS scores were more positive in the SS intensity participants than in the LI participants, and the post-test FS scores were more favorable than they were at pretest or at 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, or 40 minutes. The FAS scores were higher in the SS intensity participants and HI participants than in the LI participants. A difference only emerged between the SS intensity and HI participants at the 20-minute interval. Variability in the circumplex profiles was evident across each intensity level and for each participant. The study supports and extends previous work in confirming that: (1) exercise can positively influence affective changes in ecologically valid settings; (2) a self-selected intensity is the most beneficial for producing affective changes; (3) idiosyncratic patterns of affective change occur when exercising at different intensities. The implications of these findings for exercise professionals are discussed.

Comparison of Physiological and Psychological Responses to Exergaming and Treadmill Walking in Healthy Adults.

The purpose of this study was to compare treadmill walking with exergame play on the "EA Sports Active™" (Entertainment Arts, Redwood City, CA) for the Nintendo™ (Kyoto, Japan) Wii™. Thirty healthy adults (13 male, 17 female; 24.1±6.6 years old) spent 30 minutes walking briskly on a treadmill and approximately 40 minutes playing "Island Cardio Blast" on "EA Sports Active." Heart rate (HR) monitors, accelerometers, and Ratings of Perceived Exertion (RPE) were used to measure intensity. Participants also rated affect measures with the Feeling Scale and the Felt Arousal Scale and completed the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale following completion of exercise. Participants had a significantly higher HR and RPE on the exergame but a higher percentage of minutes in moderate- or higher-intensity activity on the treadmill. Affect measures were consistent with past research, with positive affect following exercise in both conditions. Play on the "EA Sports Active" game for the Nintendo Wii elicited higher HR, RPE, and enjoyment measures than treadmill walking, indicating that it may be a good mode of exercise.

The Effect of Exercise on Affective and Self-Efficacy Responses in Older and Younger Women

This study examined the self-efficacy and affective responses to an acute exercise bout in sedentary older and younger women to determine whether aging has an effect on affective states. Twenty-five sedentary younger (mean age = 19.9 yrs) and 25 older (mean age = 55.7 yrs) women completed an acute bout of exercise. Affective responses were measured before, during, and immediately following exercise. Self-efficacy responses were measured before and immediately following exercise. Positive engagement, revitalization, tranquility, Felt Arousal and Feeling Scale responses, and self-efficacy were all higher immediately following compared with before or during exercise for both groups of women. In addition, older women experienced higher overall positive engagement and lower physical exhaustion compared with younger women as well as higher tranquility and Feeling Scale responses immediately following exercise. This investigation found that an acute bout of moderate-intensity exercise produced more positive and fewer negative affective states in both younger and older women.

Effect of caffeine on RPE and perceptions of pain, arousal, and pleasure/displeasure during a cycling time trial in endurance trained and active men

Caffeine has been reported to alter perceptions of exertion, muscle pain, and mood, yet the majority of existing data were obtained in resting volunteers or during steady-state exercise. The primary aim of this study was to examine the effects of caffeine on rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and perceptions of leg pain, arousal, and pleasure/displeasure during a simulated cycling time trial. Endurance-trained (n=8, VO2max=57.5±3.9mL/kg/min) and active (n=8, VO2max=46.5±6.3mL/kg/min) men initially completed two familiarization trials separated by at least 48h. Over the next three trials, they completed a 10km time trial preceded by ingestion of drinks containing caffeine (5mg/kg ingested on 2 separate days) or placebo. Treatments were ingested using a single-blind, crossover design, and participants were deceived as to the content of all drinks. During exercise, RPE (6–20 scale), leg pain (0–10 scale), arousal (Felt Arousal Scale), and pleasure/displeasure (Feeling Scale) were recorded using various categorical scales. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to assess differences in all variables across time and treatments, with fitness level used as a between-subjects variable. Pleasure/displeasure was altered (p<0.05, partial eta-squared (η2)=0.23) with caffeine compared to placebo, although leg pain, RPE, and arousal were similar (p>0.05) across treatments. Caffeine increased (p<0.05, η2=0.27) cycling performance by 0.3–2.0% versus placebo, with no effect (p>0.05) of fitness level. Only in trained men; however, was there a significant caffeine-mediated improvement in cycling performance, which was consequent with diminished mood in trained and improved mood in active individuals.

Mood Induction in Depressive Patients: A Comparative Multidimensional Approach

Anhedonia, reduced positive affect and enhanced negative affect are integral characteristics of major depressive disorder (MDD). Emotion dysregulation, e.g. in terms of different emotion processing deficits, has consistently been reported. The aim of the present study was to investigate mood changes in depressive patients using a multidimensional approach for the measurement of emotional reactivity to mood induction procedures. Experimentally, mood states can be altered using various mood induction procedures. The present study aimed at validating two different positive mood induction procedures in patients with MDD and investigating which procedure is more effective and applicable in detecting dysfunctions in MDD. The first procedure relied on the presentation of happy vs. neutral faces, while the second used funny vs. neutral cartoons. Emotional reactivity was assessed in 16 depressed and 16 healthy subjects using self-report measures, measurements of electrodermal activity and standardized analyses of facial responses. Positive mood induction was successful in both procedures according to subjective ratings in patients and controls. In the cartoon condition, however, a discrepancy between reduced facial activity and concurrently enhanced autonomous reactivity was found in patients. Relying on a multidimensional assessment technique, a more comprehensive estimate of dysfunctions in emotional reactivity in MDD was available than by self-report measures alone and this was unsheathed especially by the mood induction procedure relying on cartoons. The divergent facial and autonomic responses in the presence of unaffected subjective reactivity suggest an underlying deficit in the patients' ability to express the felt arousal to funny cartoons. Our results encourage the application of both procedures in functional imaging studies for investigating the neural substrates of emotion dysregulation in MDD patients. Mood induction via cartoons appears to be superior to mood induction via faces and autobiographical material in uncovering specific emotional dysfunctions in MDD.

Crossmodal transfer of arousal, but not pleasantness, from the musical to the visual domain.

Arousal and valence (pleasantness) are considered primary dimensions of emotion. However, the degree to which these dimensions interact in emotional processing across sensory modalities is poorly understood. We addressed this issue by applying a crossmodal priming paradigm in which auditory primes (Romantic piano solo music) varying in arousal and/or pleasantness were sequentially paired with visual targets (IAPS pictures). In Experiment 1, the emotion spaces of 120 primes and 120 targets were explored separately in addition to the effects of musical training and gender. Thirty-two participants rated their felt pleasantness and arousal in response to primes and targets on equivalent rating scales as well as their familiarity with the stimuli. Musical training was associated with elevated familiarity ratings for high-arousing music and a trend for elevated arousal ratings, especially in response to unpleasant musical stimuli. Males reported higher arousal than females for pleasant visual stimuli. In Experiment 2, 40 nonmusicians rated their felt arousal and pleasantness in response to 20 visual targets after listening to 80 musical primes. Arousal associated with the musical primes modulated felt arousal in response to visual targets, yet no such transfer of pleasantness was observed between the two modalities. Experiment 3 sought to rule out the possibility of any order effect of the subjective ratings, and responses of 14 nonmusicians replicated results of Experiment 2. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of the crossmodal priming paradigm in basic research on musical emotions.

Acute effects of brisk walking on affect and psychological well-being in individuals with type 2 diabetes

Aim To investigate the effects of an acute exercise bout on affect and psychological well-being in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Method Sixteen patients (mean BMI 28.6 kg/m 2) took part, on separate days, in two randomly ordered conditions, in a within-subject design: a 20 min semi-self-paced brisk walk or passive control (sitting with the opportunity of reading). Ten minutes before, during (5, 10, 15, 20 min) and following (5, 10, 15, 20, 180 min) each, participants completed the Felt Arousal Scale (FAS) for affective activation and the Feeling Scale (FS) for affective pleasure/valence. The Activation Deactivation Adjective Check List (Tense Arousal and Energetic Arousal) was also completed before and after each condition. Heart rate and Ratings of Perceived Exertion (RPE) were assessed during exercise. Glucose levels were obtained from participants before and after exercise and control. Results Repeated measures ANOVAs revealed significant condition by time interaction effects for FS, FAS, Energetic Arousal (EA) and Tense Arousal (TA). Brisk walking increased FS (15 min after exercise p = 0.020; 20 min after exercise p = 0.034) and FAS (all time points after baseline). EA was significantly higher 5 min after the exercise session ( p = 0.029) in comparison to the control situation. Conclusions This study demonstrated that an acute exercise bout has positive influences on affect and psychological well-being. The usefulness of exercise to elevate affective responses (activation and pleasure) should be highlighted when promoting exercise interventions in subjects with type 2 diabetes.