EEG responses during serial and free viewing of emotional images
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1
Cognitive Science & Cognitive Brain Research Unit, University of Helsinki, Finland
In the electroencephalogram (EEG), the 4 – 6 Hz responses emerge as a response to emotional visual stimuli. However, previous studies have typically presented the images in a strict serial order. The purpose here was to analyze the time course of emotional attention and processing of emotional images during free viewing. We recorded eye movement and EEG data simultaneously while 11 participants viewed images (from the International Affective Picture System, IAPS) with varying emotional valence. Sets of four images were shown either serially or in parallel. An ‘emotional’ image set included one image with a high positive or high negative valence content among neutral images. A ‘neutral’ set comprised four neutral images. After the presentation of an image set, the participants were asked to indicate which picture - if any - was emotional and to rate the selected image on the valence and arousal dimensions. The results from the serial presentation condition showed greater EEG responses in the 4 – 6 Hz frequencies around 500 ms after image onset for the negative as compared to the neutral images. In the free viewing, the same sets of four images were presented simultaneously on the screen, and the EEG responses were analyzed time-locked to the first gaze (minimum duration of 475 ms) on an image. This experimental setting allowed for direct comparisons of the serial and free viewing conditions. The results from the free viewing also showed enhanced 4 – 6 Hz responses around 500 ms from the first gaze on a negative image compared to the first gaze on an image taken from a neutral set. The results showed that EEG responses can be analyzed time-locked to eye movements, and that the same responses emerged during serial and free viewing when the emotional stimulus was attended.
Keywords:
Attention,
EEG
Conference:
XI International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON XI), Palma, Mallorca, Spain, 25 Sep - 29 Sep, 2011.
Presentation Type:
Poster Presentation
Topic:
Poster Sessions: Neurophysiology of Cognition and Attention
Citation:
Simola
J,
Torniainen
J,
Kivikangas
M and
Krause
C
(2011). EEG responses during serial and free viewing of emotional images.
Conference Abstract:
XI International Conference on Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON XI).
doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2011.207.00472
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Received:
25 Nov 2011;
Published Online:
28 Nov 2011.
*
Correspondence:
Dr. Jaana Simola, Cognitive Science & Cognitive Brain Research Unit, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland, jaana.simola@helsinki.fi