The Reward-Related Shift of Emotional Contagion from the Observer’s Perspective Correlates to Their Intimacy with the Expresser
Although previous studies have found a bidirectional relationship between emotional contagion and reward, there is insufficient research to prove the effect of reward on the social function of emotional contagion. To explore this issue, the current study used electroencephalography (EEG) and the int...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-11-01
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| Series: | Behavioral Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/13/11/934 |
| _version_ | 1797460102535446528 |
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| author | Ying Chen Wenfeng Chen Ling Zhang Yanqiu Wei Ping Hu |
| author_facet | Ying Chen Wenfeng Chen Ling Zhang Yanqiu Wei Ping Hu |
| author_sort | Ying Chen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Although previous studies have found a bidirectional relationship between emotional contagion and reward, there is insufficient research to prove the effect of reward on the social function of emotional contagion. To explore this issue, the current study used electroencephalography (EEG) and the interactive way in which the expresser played games to help participants obtain reward outcomes. The results demonstrated a significant correlation between changes in emotional contagion and closeness, indicating that emotional contagion has a social regulatory function. Regarding the impact of reward outcomes, the results showed that compared to the context of a loss, in the context of a win, participants’ closeness toward the expresser shifted to a more intimate level, their emotional contagion changed in a more positive direction, and the activity of the late positive component (LPC) of the event-related potentials (ERPs) changed to a greater extent. Significantly, the mediation results demonstrated the effect of reward and indicated that changes in the LPC elicited while experiencing the expressers’ emotion predicted the subsequent shifts in closeness through alterations in emotional contagion of the anger emotion in the winning context and the happy emotion in the loss context. This study provides empirical evidence regarding the social function of emotional contagion and proves for the first time that the reward context plays a role in it. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:01:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3389948b02054298974d64c7ac79bc25 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-328X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:01:22Z |
| publishDate | 2023-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Behavioral Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-3389948b02054298974d64c7ac79bc252023-11-24T14:29:28ZengMDPI AGBehavioral Sciences2076-328X2023-11-01131193410.3390/bs13110934The Reward-Related Shift of Emotional Contagion from the Observer’s Perspective Correlates to Their Intimacy with the ExpresserYing Chen0Wenfeng Chen1Ling Zhang2Yanqiu Wei3Ping Hu4Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, No. 59 of Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100872, ChinaDepartment of Psychology, Renmin University of China, No. 59 of Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100872, ChinaDepartment of Psychology, Renmin University of China, No. 59 of Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100872, ChinaDepartment of Psychology, Renmin University of China, No. 59 of Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100872, ChinaDepartment of Psychology, Renmin University of China, No. 59 of Zhongguancun Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100872, ChinaAlthough previous studies have found a bidirectional relationship between emotional contagion and reward, there is insufficient research to prove the effect of reward on the social function of emotional contagion. To explore this issue, the current study used electroencephalography (EEG) and the interactive way in which the expresser played games to help participants obtain reward outcomes. The results demonstrated a significant correlation between changes in emotional contagion and closeness, indicating that emotional contagion has a social regulatory function. Regarding the impact of reward outcomes, the results showed that compared to the context of a loss, in the context of a win, participants’ closeness toward the expresser shifted to a more intimate level, their emotional contagion changed in a more positive direction, and the activity of the late positive component (LPC) of the event-related potentials (ERPs) changed to a greater extent. Significantly, the mediation results demonstrated the effect of reward and indicated that changes in the LPC elicited while experiencing the expressers’ emotion predicted the subsequent shifts in closeness through alterations in emotional contagion of the anger emotion in the winning context and the happy emotion in the loss context. This study provides empirical evidence regarding the social function of emotional contagion and proves for the first time that the reward context plays a role in it.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/13/11/934emotional contagionsocial functionrewardlate positive component (LPC)intimacy |
| spellingShingle | Ying Chen Wenfeng Chen Ling Zhang Yanqiu Wei Ping Hu The Reward-Related Shift of Emotional Contagion from the Observer’s Perspective Correlates to Their Intimacy with the Expresser Behavioral Sciences emotional contagion social function reward late positive component (LPC) intimacy |
| title | The Reward-Related Shift of Emotional Contagion from the Observer’s Perspective Correlates to Their Intimacy with the Expresser |
| title_full | The Reward-Related Shift of Emotional Contagion from the Observer’s Perspective Correlates to Their Intimacy with the Expresser |
| title_fullStr | The Reward-Related Shift of Emotional Contagion from the Observer’s Perspective Correlates to Their Intimacy with the Expresser |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Reward-Related Shift of Emotional Contagion from the Observer’s Perspective Correlates to Their Intimacy with the Expresser |
| title_short | The Reward-Related Shift of Emotional Contagion from the Observer’s Perspective Correlates to Their Intimacy with the Expresser |
| title_sort | reward related shift of emotional contagion from the observer s perspective correlates to their intimacy with the expresser |
| topic | emotional contagion social function reward late positive component (LPC) intimacy |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/13/11/934 |
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