Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 16, 2026
04:14
Observational Fear as a Model of Affective Empathy in Mice
Published on: November 22, 2024
Color modulates disgust on surfaces, but not fear in scenes
Hiromi Sato1,2, Shiori Muranaka2, Isamu Motoyoshi2
1Chiba University, Japan.
I-Perception
|August 15, 2026
Summary
Chromatic information significantly impacts disgust perception, particularly for surface stimuli. However, color has minimal effect on fear, which is more associated with distant scenes.
Area of Science:
- Visual Perception
- Emotion Science
- Psychology
Background:
- Negative emotions like disgust and fear are crucial for threat avoidance.
- Visual stimuli, including early visual features, can directly evoke these emotions.
- The role of chromatic information in negative emotion perception remains underexplored.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the contribution of chromatic information to the perception of disgust and fear.
- To determine if color cues differentially affect disgust versus fear.
- To explore the relationship between image category (scenes vs. surfaces) and emotion perception.
Main Methods:
- Participants rated disgust and fear elicited by 100 chromatic images and their achromatic versions.
- Statistical analyses were performed to assess the impact of chromatic information removal.
- Image categories were analyzed in relation to elicited negative emotions.
Main Results:
- Removing chromatic information significantly decreased perceived disgust.
- Chromatic information removal had a negligible effect on perceived fear.
- Distant scenes elicited more fear, while proximal surfaces elicited more disgust.
Conclusions:
- Chromatic cues are vital for disgust perception, especially for surface stimuli.
- Fear perception relies less on chromatic information and is more influenced by scene characteristics.
- Visual processing of negative emotions is modulated by both stimulus features and context.
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