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The influence of contextual uncertainty on facial expression processing: Evidence from behavior and ERPs
Xinchao Yang1, Weihan Wang1, Mingkui Yang1
1Department and Institute of Psychology, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, China.
Biological Psychology
|September 18, 2024
Summary
Contextual uncertainty negatively impacts how we perceive facial emotions, making neutral faces seem more negative. This brain processing is altered by predictability changes, affecting emotional responses.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Social Psychology
- Affective Neuroscience
Background:
- The brain uses emotional prediction to process faces in social interactions.
- Accurately predicting emotions is challenging due to environmental complexity.
- Contextual uncertainty, marked by unpredictability, intensifies emotions and anxiety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how contextual uncertainty influences facial expression processing.
- To examine the effects of dynamic changes in predictive relationships on emotional perception.
Main Methods:
- Utilized event-related potentials (ERPs) technology.
- Employed a novel S1-S2 paradigm with scene images (S1) and faces (S2).
- Manipulated uncertainty by comparing a certain-to-uncertain (CER to UNC) group with an uncertain-to-certain (UNC to CER) group.
Main Results:
- Behavioral data showed more negative valence ratings for neutral faces in the CER to UNC group.
- ERP data revealed more negative stimulus preceding negativity (SPN) amplitudes in the UNC to CER group.
- ERP data indicated more positive late positive potential (LPP) amplitudes in the UNC to CER group compared to the CER to UNC group.
Conclusions:
- Contextual uncertainty significantly affects the processing of facial expressions.
- Decreased uncertainty (UNC to CER) was associated with distinct neural responses (SPN, LPP) compared to increased uncertainty (CER to UNC).
- Findings enhance understanding of how prediction and uncertainty shape emotional perception and social cognition.
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