From Specificity to Sensitivity: Affective states modulate visual working memory for emotional expressive faces
Previous findings suggest that visual working memory preferentially remembers angry looking faces. However, the meaning of facial actions is construed in relation to context. To date, there are no studies investigating the role of perceiver-based context when processing emotional cues in visual work...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2015-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01297/full |
| _version_ | 1818192959367020544 |
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| author | Thomas eMaran Pierre eSachse Marco eFurtner |
| author_facet | Thomas eMaran Pierre eSachse Marco eFurtner |
| author_sort | Thomas eMaran |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Previous findings suggest that visual working memory preferentially remembers angry looking faces. However, the meaning of facial actions is construed in relation to context. To date, there are no studies investigating the role of perceiver-based context when processing emotional cues in visual working memory. To explore the influence of affective context on visual working memory for faces, we conducted two experiments using both a visual working memory task for emotionally expressive faces and a mood induction procedure. Affective context was manipulated by unpleasant (Experiment 1) and pleasant (Experiment 2) IAPS pictures in order to induce an affect high in motivational intensity (defensive or appetitive, respectively) compared to a low arousal control condition. Results indicated specifically increased sensitivity of visual working memory for angry looking faces in the neutral condition. Enhanced visual working memory for angry faces was prevented by inducing affects of high motivational intensity. In both experiments, affective states led to a switch from specific enhancement of angry expressions in visual working memory to an equally sensitive representation of all emotional expressions. Our findings demonstrate that emotional expressions are of different behavioral relevance for the receiver depending on the affective context, supporting a functional organization of visual working memory along with flexible resource allocation. In visual working memory, stimulus processing adjusts to situational requirements and transitions from a specifically prioritizing default mode in predictable environments to a sensitive, hypervigilant mode in exposure to emotional events. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T00:38:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-714db3dafe4d443fa28ce168598ff51d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T00:38:47Z |
| publishDate | 2015-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-714db3dafe4d443fa28ce168598ff51d2022-12-22T00:44:18ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782015-08-01610.3389/fpsyg.2015.01297148845From Specificity to Sensitivity: Affective states modulate visual working memory for emotional expressive facesThomas eMaran0Pierre eSachse1Marco eFurtner2University of InnsbruckUniversity of InnsbruckUniversity of InnsbruckPrevious findings suggest that visual working memory preferentially remembers angry looking faces. However, the meaning of facial actions is construed in relation to context. To date, there are no studies investigating the role of perceiver-based context when processing emotional cues in visual working memory. To explore the influence of affective context on visual working memory for faces, we conducted two experiments using both a visual working memory task for emotionally expressive faces and a mood induction procedure. Affective context was manipulated by unpleasant (Experiment 1) and pleasant (Experiment 2) IAPS pictures in order to induce an affect high in motivational intensity (defensive or appetitive, respectively) compared to a low arousal control condition. Results indicated specifically increased sensitivity of visual working memory for angry looking faces in the neutral condition. Enhanced visual working memory for angry faces was prevented by inducing affects of high motivational intensity. In both experiments, affective states led to a switch from specific enhancement of angry expressions in visual working memory to an equally sensitive representation of all emotional expressions. Our findings demonstrate that emotional expressions are of different behavioral relevance for the receiver depending on the affective context, supporting a functional organization of visual working memory along with flexible resource allocation. In visual working memory, stimulus processing adjusts to situational requirements and transitions from a specifically prioritizing default mode in predictable environments to a sensitive, hypervigilant mode in exposure to emotional events.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01297/fullemotionstresscontextface processingmoodvisual working memory |
| spellingShingle | Thomas eMaran Pierre eSachse Marco eFurtner From Specificity to Sensitivity: Affective states modulate visual working memory for emotional expressive faces Frontiers in Psychology emotion stress context face processing mood visual working memory |
| title | From Specificity to Sensitivity: Affective states modulate visual working memory for emotional expressive faces |
| title_full | From Specificity to Sensitivity: Affective states modulate visual working memory for emotional expressive faces |
| title_fullStr | From Specificity to Sensitivity: Affective states modulate visual working memory for emotional expressive faces |
| title_full_unstemmed | From Specificity to Sensitivity: Affective states modulate visual working memory for emotional expressive faces |
| title_short | From Specificity to Sensitivity: Affective states modulate visual working memory for emotional expressive faces |
| title_sort | from specificity to sensitivity affective states modulate visual working memory for emotional expressive faces |
| topic | emotion stress context face processing mood visual working memory |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01297/full |
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