Startle reflex modification: emotion or attention?

Alternative interpretations of startle probe modulation by a pictorial foreground were tested: Either reflex amplitude varies as a function of modality-determined attention allocation, or, regardless of probe modality, reflex amplitude varies with the emotional valence of the foreground content. Thirty-six subjects viewed a series of 54 slides, divided into two 27-slide blocks. Each block consisted of nine exemplars of three independently rated emotional content categories--pleasant, neutral, and unpleasant. Startle probes, half visual (flashgun) and half acoustic (white noise), were presented unpredictably during and between slide presentations. Eyeblink reflexes, corrugator and orbicularis oculi muscle tension, heart rate, and skin conductance were recorded during a 6-s slide interval. Subjects subsequently rated the slides for emotional valence and arousal, and interest value. Free-viewing times were also recorded. Analysis of reflex response and all ancillary measures supported the hypothesis that the primary determinant of startle modulation was the emotional valence of foreground content.

[1]  J. S. Brown,et al.  Conditioned fear as revealed by magnitude of startle response to an auditory stimulus. , 1951, Journal of experimental psychology.

[2]  K. Spence,et al.  Temporal effects of conditioned fear on the eyelid reflex. , 1958, Journal of experimental psychology.

[3]  L. E. Ross,et al.  Conditioned fear as a function of CS-UCS and probe stimulus intervals. , 1961, Journal of experimental psychology.

[4]  P. Sheehan,et al.  A shortened form of Betts' questionnaire upon mental imagery. , 1967, Journal of clinical psychology.

[5]  Forrest W. Young.  Computer program abstracts , 1968 .

[6]  R. Hare,et al.  Orienting and defensive responses to visual stimuli. , 1973, Psychophysiology.

[7]  Michael Davis,et al.  Conditioned fear and startle magnitude: effects of different footshock or backshock intensities used in training. , 1978, Journal of experimental psychology. Animal behavior processes.

[8]  Basil G. Englis,et al.  Conditioning of counter-empathetic emotional responses ☆ , 1982 .

[9]  Frances K. Graham,et al.  Early selective attention effects on cutaneous and acoustic blink reflexes , 1983 .

[10]  R. Krauss,et al.  Facial and autonomic manifestations of the dimensional structure of emotion , 1984 .

[11]  Michael Davis.  CHAPTER 8 – Intrinsic and Extrinsic Mechanisms of Habituation and Sensitization: Implications for the Design and Analysis of Experiments , 1984 .

[12]  P. Lang,et al.  Individual differences in autonomic response: conditioned association or conditioned fear? , 1985, Psychophysiology.

[13]  F. Graham,et al.  Modality-repetition and attentional effects on reflex blinking in infants and adults , 1985 .

[14]  R. Simons,et al.  Engaging visual stimuli and reflex blink modification. , 1985, Psychophysiology.

[15]  Frances K. Graham,et al.  Blink reflex modification by selective attention: Evidence for the modulation of ‘automatic’ processing , 1985, Biological Psychology.

[16]  J. Cacioppo,et al.  Electromyographic activity over facial muscle regions can differentiate the valence and intensity of affective reactions. , 1986, Journal of personality and social psychology.

[17]  A. J. Fridlund,et al.  Guidelines for human electromyographic research. , 1986, Psychophysiology.

[18]  J. Richard Jennings,et al.  Editorial Policy on Analyses of Variance With Repeated Measures , 1987 .

[19]  P. Lang,et al.  The startle probe response: a new measure of emotion? , 1988, Journal of abnormal psychology.

[20]  Fear imagery and the startle-probe reflex. , 1990 .

[21]  M. Bradley,et al.  Emotion, attention, and the startle reflex. , 1990, Psychological review.