Dataset Information

Dynamic Effects of Self-Relevance and Task on the Neural Processing of Emotional Words in Context.

ABSTRACT: We used event-related potentials (ERPs) to examine the interactions between task, emotion, and contextual self-relevance on processing words in social vignettes. Participants read scenarios that were in either third person (other-relevant) or second person (self-relevant) and we recorded ERPs to a neutral, pleasant, or unpleasant critical word. In a previously reported study (Fields and Kuperberg, 2012) with these stimuli, participants were tasked with producing a third sentence continuing the scenario. We observed a larger LPC to emotional words than neutral words in both the self-relevant and other-relevant scenarios, but this effect was smaller in the self-relevant scenarios because the LPC was larger on the neutral words (i.e., a larger LPC to self-relevant than other-relevant neutral words). In the present work, participants simply answered comprehension questions that did not refer to the emotional aspects of the scenario. Here we observed quite a different pattern of interaction between self-relevance and emotion: the LPC was larger to emotional vs. neutral words in the self-relevant scenarios only, and there was no effect of self-relevance on neutral words. Taken together, these findings suggest that the LPC reflects a dynamic interaction between specific task demands, the emotional properties of a stimulus, and contextual self-relevance. We conclude by discussing implications and future directions for a functional theory of the emotional LPC.

SUBMITTER: Fields EC

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4710753 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Dynamic Effects of Self-Relevance and Task on the Neural Processing of Emotional Words in Context.

Fields Eric C EC Kuperberg Gina R GR

Frontiers in psychology 20160113

We used event-related potentials (ERPs) to examine the interactions between task, emotion, and contextual self-relevance on processing words in social vignettes. Participants read scenarios that were in either third person (other-relevant) or second person (self-relevant) and we recorded ERPs to a neutral, pleasant, or unpleasant critical word. In a previously reported study (Fields and Kuperberg, 2012) with these stimuli, participants were tasked with producing a third sentence continuing the s ...[more]

PMID: 26793138

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Dataset Information

Dynamic Effects of Self-Relevance and Task on the Neural Processing of Emotional Words in Context.

Publications

Dynamic Effects of Self-Relevance and Task on the Neural Processing of Emotional Words in Context.

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