Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Relationship Formation02:12

Relationship Formation

40.0K
What do you think is the single most influential factor in determining with whom you become friends and whom you form romantic relationships? You might be surprised to learn that the answer is simple: the people with whom you have the most contact. This most important factor is proximity. You are more likely to be friends with people you have regular contact with. For example, there are decades of research that shows that you are more likely to become friends with people who live in your dorm,...
40.0K
Natural Selection and Mating Preferences01:06

Natural Selection and Mating Preferences

103
The principle of natural selection posits that organisms better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. This principle is closely intertwined with mating preferences, a key aspect of sexual selection, which evolutionary psychologists believe is driven by instincts to propagate one's genes. Such instincts significantly influence mating behaviors and preferences between genders.
Females, due to their biological roles in conception, pregnancy, and nursing,...
103

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Emotion recognition misclassification patterns in individuals with psychotic spectrum disorders and history of interpersonal aggression.

Schizophrenia (Heidelberg, Germany)·2026
Same author

Decomposing trust-related decision making: Dimensionality and predictability of phishing susceptibility in an adult lifespan sample.

The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences·2026
Same author

Pain and Nutrition in Dementia and Alzheimer's Phase 1: a cross-sectional, observational study design.

Frontiers in dementia·2026
Same author

The Social Iowa Gambling Task: a promising tool for assessing deception detection in real-world contexts in adulthood.

The journals of gerontology. Series B, Psychological sciences and social sciences·2026
Same author

Is this real? Susceptibility to deepfakes in machines and humans.

Cognitive research: principles and implications·2026
Same author

The active monitoring of oxytocin research evidence (AMORE) platform.

Psychoneuroendocrinology·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 30, 2025

Developing Neuroimaging Phenotypes of the Default Mode Network in PTSD: Integrating the Resting State, Working Memory, and Structural Connectivity
10:43

Developing Neuroimaging Phenotypes of the Default Mode Network in PTSD: Integrating the Resting State, Working Memory, and Structural Connectivity

Published on: July 1, 2014

15.1K

Why the Single-N Design Should Be the Default in Affective Neuroscience.

Håkan Fischer1,2,3, Mats E Nilsson1, Natalie C Ebner3,4,5,6

  • 1Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden.

Affective Science
|March 18, 2024
PubMed
Summary

Affective neuroscience research should shift from group averages to Single-N designs. Focusing on individual brains with deep imaging provides more accurate insights into emotions than group-based analyses.

Keywords:
Brain imagingEmotionMethodsPsychophysics approach

More Related Videos

Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling
06:04

Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling

Published on: January 17, 2025

493
Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Observing Virtual Social Interactions
10:45

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Observing Virtual Social Interactions

Published on: July 6, 2011

11.6K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 30, 2025

Developing Neuroimaging Phenotypes of the Default Mode Network in PTSD: Integrating the Resting State, Working Memory, and Structural Connectivity
10:43

Developing Neuroimaging Phenotypes of the Default Mode Network in PTSD: Integrating the Resting State, Working Memory, and Structural Connectivity

Published on: July 1, 2014

15.1K
Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling
06:04

Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling

Published on: January 17, 2025

493
Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Observing Virtual Social Interactions
10:45

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Observing Virtual Social Interactions

Published on: July 6, 2011

11.6K

Area of Science:

  • Affective neuroscience
  • Cognitive neuroscience
  • Neuroimaging

Background:

  • Current affective neuroscience research often relies on group averages.
  • Group-based analyses may misrepresent individual emotional experiences and brain activity.
  • Emotions are inherently individual phenomena, varying significantly across people.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Advocate for the Single-N design as the default research strategy in affective neuroscience.
  • Promote the use of deep imaging for extensive measurements of single-brain activity.
  • Shift focus from group averages to individual-level analysis for more accurate conclusions.

Main Methods:

  • Propose the Single-N design for in-depth study of one or a few individuals.
  • Highlight deep imaging as the neuroscientific equivalent of the Single-N design.
  • Emphasize extensive measurements of activity within individual brains.

Main Results:

  • Group-averaging in brain imaging can create artifacts, not representing any individual's brain.
  • Individual brains differ in shape, size, and response to emotional stimuli.
  • Deep imaging avoids group-averaging artifacts by concentrating on the individual brain.

Conclusions:

  • Conclusions based on group averages can be misleading or meaningless for individuals.
  • A methodological shift toward individual analysis is crucial for affective neuroscience.
  • Individual-focused research, like that in vision science, can open new avenues in emotion research.