The processing of anticipated and unanticipated fearful faces: an ERP study

Ming Peng; Alain De Beuckelaer; Lin Yuan; Renlai Zhou

doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2012.08.009

The processing of anticipated and unanticipated fearful faces: an ERP study

Neurosci Lett. 2012 Sep 27;526(2):85-90. doi: 10.1016/j.neulet.2012.08.009. Epub 2012 Aug 14.

Authors

Ming Peng¹, Alain De Beuckelaer, Lin Yuan, Renlai Zhou

Affiliation

¹ Beijing Key Lab of Applied Experimental Psychology, School of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.

PMID: 22910612
DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2012.08.009

Abstract

This study examined the processing of fearful and neutral expressions, which could either be anticipated or not from a prime word (i.e., 'fear' or 'neutral') with or without predictive value. In total, data from 17 participants (i.e., reaction times; ERP waveforms) were analyzed. ERP data showed that the expression effect (fearful vs. neutral faces) was different between predictable and unpredictable trials in early components (N1, N170 and P2) after face onset. However, the expression effect was essentially the same between predictable and unpredictable trials in late components (N300 and P3) after face onset. These results revealed that emotion processing of anticipated vs. non-anticipated stimuli differs mainly in the early stage of neural activity after face onset.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Anticipation, Psychological*
Electroencephalography
Evoked Potentials, Visual*
Facial Expression*
Female
Humans
Male
Reaction Time
Young Adult