Work

The pupil's response to affective pictures: Role of image duration, habituation, and viewing mode

Year: 2016

Type: article

Abstract: The pupil has been shown to be sensitive to the emotional content of stimuli. We examined this phenomenon by comparing fearful and neutral images carefully matched in the domains of luminance, image contrast, image color, and complexity of content. The pupil was more dilated after viewing affective pictures, and this effect was (a) shown to be independent of the presentation time of the images (from 100-3,000 ms), (b) not diminished by repeated presentations of the images, and (c) not affected by actively naming the emotion of the stimuli in comparison to passive viewing. Our results show that the emotional modulation of the pupil is present over a range of variables that typically vary from study to study (image duration, number of trials, free viewing vs. task), and encourages the use of pupillometry as a measure of emotional processing in populations where alternative techniques may not be appropriate.

Source: Psychophysiology

DOI: 10.1111/psyp.12668

Authors: Robert J. Snowden, Katherine R. O'Farrell, Daniel Burley, Jonathan T. Erichsen, Naomi V. Newton, Nicola S. Gray

Institutions: Cardiff University, Swansea University

Language: English

Topic: Emotion and Mood Recognition

Subfield: Experimental and Cognitive Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,942

Funder: Wellcome Trust