Startle eye-blink modulation by facial self-resemblance and current mood

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Human-computer interaction

Background:

• Salient stimuli modulate startle eye-blink responses.
• One's own face is highly salient.
• Effects of facial self-resemblance on startle responsiveness are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate the impact of facial self-resemblance on startle eye-blink responses.
• Examine the influence of stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) and self-resemblance levels.
• Explore the moderating role of mood on the startle response to self-resembling faces.

Main Methods:

• Participants (N=37) viewed morphed faces with varying degrees of self-resemblance (25-50-75%) and control shapes.
• Startle responses were elicited by white noise at SOAs of 300ms and 3000ms.
• Orbicularis oculi activity was recorded via EMG; mood was assessed using the PANAS.

Main Results:

• Faces, compared to shapes, reduced startle magnitude at short SOAs (300ms) but not long SOAs (3000ms).
• A linear decrease in startle magnitude with increased self-resemblance was observed at the 300ms SOA.
• Negative affect predicted stronger startle attenuation for self-resembling faces at longer SOAs.

Conclusions:

• Facial self-resemblance attenuates startle responses, particularly at short lead intervals, indicating heightened salience.
• The startle-modulating effect of self-resembling faces is influenced by current mood, with negative affect potentially increasing self-focus.