The effect of emotion on attention and working memory in face perception By: Setareh Mokhtari Supervisors: Dr Heather Buttle Dr Jennifer Stillman (Massey University, School of Psychology)

In every day life we are presented with many stimuli in our visual environment; But our cognitive mechanisms have limited capacity ; So focus on some stimuli and ignore the rest of them is necessary. ? (importance)

Among all visual stimuli, the human face is significantly important in terms of providing useful information very quickly. Age Race Gender Direction of attention Identity Emotional state

What else? “ Human face is a fundamental element in social interactions” looks friendly! can I approach? I should avoid.

Compared to other stimuli, extraction of information from the human face happens very fast, in absence of conscious awareness and with minimal degree of attentional resources. (AUTOMATIC PERCEPTION) Processing of the overall structure of the human face dominates over the processing of the component parts, so human face perceive as a whole. (HOLISTIC PERCEPTION)

“ Previous Studies” The effect of contextual factors on face perception The effect of emotional states on global-local processing of stimuli The interaction of GPE (global precedence effect) and emotional facial expressions.

What is GPE : Global Precedence Effect. In any compound visual scene (see the next slide) larger elements indicate the global level of the stimulus and small elements point out the local level of stimulus. GPE indicates a phenomenon that in a compound stimulus recognition of the global level of an object has an advantage (Navon, 1997, 2003). Global aspect of negative faces captures attention more efficiently so shifting to the local level of detail is more difficult. This means that global organization of the faces could block fast access to the local features and this happens for negative faces more effectively (Eastwood, 2003). The interaction of GPE (global precedence effect) and emotional facial expressions.

The compound visual stimulus. A circle made up squares . The circle indicates global level of the shape and squares are local level of the shape. From De Lillo & et al. (2005)

Which items could affect GPE : characteristics of the stimuli and caractersitics of the participants can manipulate the level of processing. For example, the spatial location and size, as well as the exposure duration, of the stimulus and emotional states of the participant can affect GPE. In positive (happy) mood people usually adopt global level of processing but in sad mood they more likely attending to the local level of processing (Gasper & Clore, 2002). The effect of emotional states on global-local processing of stimuli

Contextual factors : Special characteristics of the task Special characteristics of the participants Face perception is contextual-dependent (Eastwood et al., 2008). 1. For example if the local details are somehow salient (e.g. different colour), attention could easily shifted to the salient local target without any interference of the global aspect of the face (Eastwood, et al., 2008). 2. There is a tendency to categorize ambiguous facial expressions as sad when people are in sad mood (Bouhyys, Bloem, & Groothuis, 1995 & Lee, Ng, Tang & Chann, 2008). Can the global precedence effect in face perception be affected by emotional states of the participants? The effect of contextual factors on face perception

The effect of contextual factors on face perception The effect of emotional states on global-local processing of stimuli The interaction of GPE (global precedence effect) and emotional facial expressions.

The aim of this study is to investigate how emotional states (positive or negative mood), processing of facial expression, and global-local level of information affect one another. Emotional state seems to be a significant contextual factor that can affect face perception, nevertheless it is not clear that how emotional states manipulate attentional allocation in face perception. Emotional states can influence the level of processing (whether global or local) in various stimuli, but it is unclear if the emotional state has the same effect on face perception and can block or prevent holistic processing .

ReSeaRch pRoceDuRe mood evaluation (1) (PANAS) listening to the piece of music ( Mozart’ s “Eine Kleine Nachtmusic” or Barber ’s “Adagio for Strings”) mood evaluation (2) (PANAS) computer-based task

mood evaluation (1)

(PANAS)

listening to the piece of music

( Mozart’ s “Eine Kleine Nachtmusic” or Barber ’s “Adagio for Strings”)

mood evaluation (2)

(PANAS)

computer-based task

References Bouhuys, A. L., Bloem, G.M., & Groothuis, T. G. G. (1995). Induction of depressed and elated mood by music influences the perception of facial emotional expressions in healthy subjects. Journal of Affective Disorders, 33, 215-226. Buttle, H. (in press). Repetition blindness for face identity but not for facial expressions. Compton, R. (2003). The interface between emotion and attention: A review of evidence from psychology and neuroscience. Behavioural and Cognitive Neuroscience Reviews , 2, 115-129. De Lillo, C., Sponozzi, G., Truppa, V., & Naylor, D. M. (2005). A comparative analysis of global and local processing of hierarchical visual stimuli in young children and monkeys. Journal of Comparative Psychology, 119, 155-165. Eastwood, J. D., Frischen, A., Reynolds, M., Gerritsen, C., Dubins, M., & Smilek, D. (2008). Do emotionally expressive faces capture attention? Evidence from global-local interference. Visual Cognition , 16, 248-261. Eastwood, J. D., Smilek, D., & Merikle, P. M. (2001). Differential attentional guidance by unattended faces expressing positive and negative emotion. Perception & Psychophysics , 63, 1004-1013. Eastwood, J. D., Smilek, D., & Merikle, P. M. (2003). Negative facial expression capture attention and disrupts performance. Perception and Psychophysics , 65, 352-358. Farah, M., Wilson, K.D., Drain, M., & Tanaka, J.N. (1998). What is special about face perception? Psychological Review, 105, 482-498. Gasper, K., & Clore, G. L. (2002). Attending to the big picture: Mood and global versus local processing of visual information. Psychological Science, 13, 34-40. Hale, W. W. (1998). Judgment of facial expressions and depression persistence. Psychiatry Research , 80, 265-274. Kimchi, R. (1992). Primacy of wholistic processing and global/local paradigm: A critical review. Psychological Bulletin, 112, 24-38. Koster, E. H. W., Verschuere, B., Burssens, B., Custers, R., & Crombez, G. (2007). Attention for emotional faces under restricted awareness revisited: Do emotional faces automatically attract attention? Emotion, 2, 285-295. Krumhansl, C. L. (2002). Music: A link between cognition and emotion. Current Directions in Psychological Science , 11, 45-50. Lee, T. M. C., Ng, E. H. H., Tang, S. W., & Chan, C. C. H. (2008). Effect of sad mood on facial emotion recognition in Chinese people. Psychiatry Research , 159, 37-43. Lundqvist, D., Esteves, F., & Ohman, A. (1999). The face of wrath: Critical features for conveying facial threat. Cognition and Emotion, 13, 691-711. Martin, M. (1990). On the induction of mood. Clinical Psychology Review, 10, 669-697. Narmour, E. (1990). The analysis and cognition of basic melodic structures: The implication-realization model . Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Navon, D. (1977). Forest before trees: The precedence of global features in visual perception. Cognitive psychology , 9, 353-383. Navon, D. (2003). What does a compound letter tell the psychologist’s mind? Acta Psychologica , 114, 273-309. Nguyen, P. T., & Scharff, L. F. V. (2003). A new test of music mood induction and mood congruent memory. Presented Master’s thesis, Stephen F. Austin State University, TX, USA. ( Psychonomics) . Ohman, A. (1997). As fast as the blink of an eye: Evolutionary preparedness for pre-attentive processing of threat. In P. J. Lang, R. F. Simons, & M.T. Balaban (Eds.), Attention and orienting: Sensory and motivational processes (pp. 165-184). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Bouhuys, A. L., Bloem, G.M., & Groothuis, T. G. G. (1995). Induction of depressed and elated mood by music influences the perception of facial emotional expressions in healthy subjects. Journal of Affective Disorders, 33, 215-226.

Buttle, H. (in press). Repetition blindness for face identity but not for facial expressions.

Compton, R. (2003). The interface between emotion and attention: A review of evidence from psychology and neuroscience. Behavioural and Cognitive Neuroscience Reviews , 2, 115-129.

De Lillo, C., Sponozzi, G., Truppa, V., & Naylor, D. M. (2005). A comparative analysis of global and local processing of hierarchical visual stimuli in young children and monkeys. Journal of Comparative Psychology, 119, 155-165.

Eastwood, J. D., Frischen, A., Reynolds, M., Gerritsen, C., Dubins, M., & Smilek, D. (2008). Do emotionally expressive faces capture attention? Evidence from global-local interference. Visual Cognition , 16, 248-261.

Eastwood, J. D., Smilek, D., & Merikle, P. M. (2001). Differential attentional guidance by unattended faces expressing positive and negative emotion. Perception & Psychophysics , 63, 1004-1013.

Eastwood, J. D., Smilek, D., & Merikle, P. M. (2003). Negative facial expression capture attention and disrupts performance. Perception and Psychophysics , 65, 352-358.

Farah, M., Wilson, K.D., Drain, M., & Tanaka, J.N. (1998). What is special about face perception? Psychological Review, 105, 482-498.

Gasper, K., & Clore, G. L. (2002). Attending to the big picture: Mood and global versus local processing of visual information. Psychological Science, 13, 34-40.

Hale, W. W. (1998). Judgment of facial expressions and depression persistence. Psychiatry Research , 80, 265-274.

Kimchi, R. (1992). Primacy of wholistic processing and global/local paradigm: A critical review. Psychological Bulletin, 112, 24-38.

Koster, E. H. W., Verschuere, B., Burssens, B., Custers, R., & Crombez, G. (2007). Attention for emotional faces under restricted awareness revisited: Do emotional faces automatically attract attention? Emotion, 2, 285-295.

Krumhansl, C. L. (2002). Music: A link between cognition and emotion. Current Directions in Psychological Science , 11, 45-50.

Lee, T. M. C., Ng, E. H. H., Tang, S. W., & Chan, C. C. H. (2008). Effect of sad mood on facial emotion recognition in Chinese people. Psychiatry Research , 159, 37-43.

Lundqvist, D., Esteves, F., & Ohman, A. (1999). The face of wrath: Critical features for conveying facial threat. Cognition and Emotion, 13, 691-711.

Martin, M. (1990). On the induction of mood. Clinical Psychology Review, 10, 669-697.

Narmour, E. (1990). The analysis and cognition of basic melodic structures: The implication-realization model . Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Navon, D. (1977). Forest before trees: The precedence of global features in visual perception. Cognitive psychology , 9, 353-383.

Navon, D. (2003). What does a compound letter tell the psychologist’s mind? Acta Psychologica , 114, 273-309.

Nguyen, P. T., & Scharff, L. F. V. (2003). A new test of music mood induction and mood congruent memory. Presented Master’s thesis, Stephen F. Austin State University, TX, USA. ( Psychonomics) .

Ohman, A. (1997). As fast as the blink of an eye: Evolutionary preparedness for pre-attentive processing of threat. In P. J. Lang, R. F. Simons, & M.T. Balaban (Eds.), Attention and orienting: Sensory and motivational processes (pp. 165-184). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.

Contact [email_address] if you are interested about this study Ohman, A., & Soares, J.J.F. (1998). Emotional conditioning to masked stimuli: Expectancies for aversive outcomes following non-recognized fear-relevant stimuli. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 127, 69-82. Ohman, A., Lundqvist, D., & Esteves, F. (2001). The face in the crowd revisited: A threat advantage with schematic stimuli. Journal of personality and social psychology, 80, 381-396. Palermo, R., & Rhodes, G. (2007). Are you always in my mind? A review of how face perception and attention interact. Neuropsychologia , 45, 75-92. Pessoa, L., Mc Kenna, M., Gutrierrez, E., & Ungerleider, L.G. (2002). Neural processing of emotional faces requires attention. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, 99, 11458-11463. Poirel, N., Pineau, A.,& Mellet, E. (2008). What does the nature of the stimuli tell us about the global precedence effect? Acta Psychological, 127, 1-11. Shull, S.S., Hupp, J. M., & Haff, R. A. (2003). Global-Local processing and the effect of familiarity. Poster presented at Midwestern Psychological association: Chicago, Illinois. Sousou, S. D. (1997). Effect of melody and lyrics on mood and memory. Perceptual and Motor Skills , 85, 31-40. Stenberg, R. J. (2008). Cognitive psychology. (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Tanaka, J.W., & Farah, M. (1993). Parts and wholes in face recognition. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology , 46, 225-245. Watson, D., Clark, L. A., & Tellegen, A. (1988). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54 , 1063-1070. Westermann, R., Spies, K., Stahl, G., & Hesse, F.W. (1996). Relative effectiveness and validity of mood induction procedures: A meta-analysis. European Journal of Social Psychology, 26, 557-580. All the images were downloaded from “google images”

Ohman, A., & Soares, J.J.F. (1998). Emotional conditioning to masked stimuli: Expectancies for aversive outcomes following non-recognized fear-relevant stimuli. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 127, 69-82.

Ohman, A., Lundqvist, D., & Esteves, F. (2001). The face in the crowd revisited: A threat advantage with schematic stimuli. Journal of personality and social psychology, 80, 381-396.

Palermo, R., & Rhodes, G. (2007). Are you always in my mind? A review of how face perception and attention interact. Neuropsychologia , 45, 75-92.

Pessoa, L., Mc Kenna, M., Gutrierrez, E., & Ungerleider, L.G. (2002). Neural processing of emotional faces requires attention. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, 99, 11458-11463.

Poirel, N., Pineau, A.,& Mellet, E. (2008). What does the nature of the stimuli tell us about the global precedence effect? Acta Psychological, 127, 1-11.

Shull, S.S., Hupp, J. M., & Haff, R. A. (2003). Global-Local processing and the effect of familiarity. Poster presented at Midwestern Psychological association: Chicago, Illinois.

Sousou, S. D. (1997). Effect of melody and lyrics on mood and memory. Perceptual and Motor Skills , 85, 31-40.

Stenberg, R. J. (2008). Cognitive psychology. (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Tanaka, J.W., & Farah, M. (1993). Parts and wholes in face recognition. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology , 46, 225-245.

Watson, D., Clark, L. A., & Tellegen, A. (1988). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS scales. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 54 , 1063-1070.

Westermann, R., Spies, K., Stahl, G., & Hesse, F.W. (1996). Relative effectiveness and validity of mood induction procedures: A meta-analysis. European Journal of Social Psychology, 26, 557-580.

All the images were downloaded from “google images”