The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, Jan 15, 2012
Highly emotional events are associated with vivid "flashbulb" memories. Here we examine... more Highly emotional events are associated with vivid "flashbulb" memories. Here we examine whether the flashbulb metaphor characterizes a previously unknown emotion-enhanced vividness (EEV) during initial perceptual experience. Using a magnitude estimation procedure, human observers estimated the relative magnitude of visual noise overlaid on scenes. After controlling for computational metrics of objective visual salience, emotional salience was associated with decreased noise, or heightened perceptual vividness, demonstrating EEV, which predicted later memory vividness. Event-related potentials revealed a posterior P2 component at ∼200 ms that was associated with both increased emotional salience and decreased objective noise levels, consistent with EEV. Blood oxygenation level-dependent response in the lateral occipital complex (LOC), insula, and amygdala predicted online EEV. The LOC and insula represented complimentary influences on EEV, with the amygdala statistically me...
It is well-known that emotionally salient events are remembered more vividly than mundane ones. O... more It is well-known that emotionally salient events are remembered more vividly than mundane ones. Our recent research has demonstrated that such memory vividness (Mviv) is due in part to the subjective experience of emotional events as more perceptually vivid, an effect we call emotionally enhanced vividness (EEV). The present study built on previously reported research in which fMRI data were collected while participants rated relative levels of visual noise overlaid on emotionally salient and neutral images. Ratings of greater EEV were associated with greater activation in the amygdala and visual cortex. In the present study, we measured BOLD activation that predicted recognition Mviv for these same images 1 week later. Results showed that, after controlling for differences between scenes in low-level objective features, hippocampus activation uniquely predicted subsequent Mviv. In contrast, amygdala and visual cortex regions that were sensitive to EEV were also modulated by subsequ...
ABSTRACT Motor production may play an important role in learning to recognize facial expressions.... more ABSTRACT Motor production may play an important role in learning to recognize facial expressions. The present study explores the influence of facial production training on the perception of facial expressions by employing a novel production training intervention built on feedback from automated facial expression recognition. We hypothesized that production training using the automated feedback system would improve an individual’s ability to identify dynamic emotional faces. Thirty-four participants were administered a dynamic expression recognition task before and after either interacting with a production training video game called the Emotion Mirror or playing a control video game. Consistent with the prediction that perceptual benefits are tied to expression production, individuals with high engagement in production training improved more than individuals with low engagement or individuals who did not receive production training. These results suggest that the visual-motor associations involved in expression production training are related to perceptual abilities. Additionally, this study demonstrates a novel application of computer vision for real-time facial expression intervention training.
The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, Jan 15, 2012
Highly emotional events are associated with vivid "flashbulb" memories. Here we examine... more Highly emotional events are associated with vivid "flashbulb" memories. Here we examine whether the flashbulb metaphor characterizes a previously unknown emotion-enhanced vividness (EEV) during initial perceptual experience. Using a magnitude estimation procedure, human observers estimated the relative magnitude of visual noise overlaid on scenes. After controlling for computational metrics of objective visual salience, emotional salience was associated with decreased noise, or heightened perceptual vividness, demonstrating EEV, which predicted later memory vividness. Event-related potentials revealed a posterior P2 component at ∼200 ms that was associated with both increased emotional salience and decreased objective noise levels, consistent with EEV. Blood oxygenation level-dependent response in the lateral occipital complex (LOC), insula, and amygdala predicted online EEV. The LOC and insula represented complimentary influences on EEV, with the amygdala statistically me...
It is well-known that emotionally salient events are remembered more vividly than mundane ones. O... more It is well-known that emotionally salient events are remembered more vividly than mundane ones. Our recent research has demonstrated that such memory vividness (Mviv) is due in part to the subjective experience of emotional events as more perceptually vivid, an effect we call emotionally enhanced vividness (EEV). The present study built on previously reported research in which fMRI data were collected while participants rated relative levels of visual noise overlaid on emotionally salient and neutral images. Ratings of greater EEV were associated with greater activation in the amygdala and visual cortex. In the present study, we measured BOLD activation that predicted recognition Mviv for these same images 1 week later. Results showed that, after controlling for differences between scenes in low-level objective features, hippocampus activation uniquely predicted subsequent Mviv. In contrast, amygdala and visual cortex regions that were sensitive to EEV were also modulated by subsequ...
ABSTRACT Motor production may play an important role in learning to recognize facial expressions.... more ABSTRACT Motor production may play an important role in learning to recognize facial expressions. The present study explores the influence of facial production training on the perception of facial expressions by employing a novel production training intervention built on feedback from automated facial expression recognition. We hypothesized that production training using the automated feedback system would improve an individual’s ability to identify dynamic emotional faces. Thirty-four participants were administered a dynamic expression recognition task before and after either interacting with a production training video game called the Emotion Mirror or playing a control video game. Consistent with the prediction that perceptual benefits are tied to expression production, individuals with high engagement in production training improved more than individuals with low engagement or individuals who did not receive production training. These results suggest that the visual-motor associations involved in expression production training are related to perceptual abilities. Additionally, this study demonstrates a novel application of computer vision for real-time facial expression intervention training.
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