Pub Date : 2025-09-12DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109105
Yaji He , Zhijun Cheng , Xudong Wang , Zhikun Zhou , Kuilin Ying , Yan Mu , Xiaogang Wang , Yangmei Luo , Xuhai Chen
Emotional communication is crucial for maintaining the romantic relationships of couples, particularly in situations of failed cooperation. However, little is known about how expressions of happiness and anger affect the subsequent behavioural performance of couples and their neural synchrony mechanisms in the context of cooperative failure. To address this, lover dyads were asked to perform a cooperative task with a high probability of failure while viewing their partner’s happy or angry expressions as feedback. Meanwhile, neural activity was recorded via functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Results showed that happy expressions promote intraindividual emotional experience, emotional similarity, and cooperative performance more than do angry expressions, and such a facilitated effect was associated with higher interpersonal neural synchronization (INS) in the right Middle Frontal Gyrus (MFG) and lower INS at right Superior Frontal Gyrus (SFG). These findings can guide emotional communication strategies for couples in managing failures and promoting positive interactions.
{"title":"Smile when life is stranded: Positive feedback promotes romantic couples’ cooperation and neural synchrony","authors":"Yaji He , Zhijun Cheng , Xudong Wang , Zhikun Zhou , Kuilin Ying , Yan Mu , Xiaogang Wang , Yangmei Luo , Xuhai Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109105","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109105","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Emotional communication is crucial for maintaining the romantic relationships of couples, particularly in situations of failed cooperation. However, little is known about how expressions of happiness and anger affect the subsequent behavioural performance of couples and their neural synchrony mechanisms in the context of cooperative failure. To address this, lover dyads were asked to perform a cooperative task with a high probability of failure while viewing their partner’s happy or angry expressions as feedback. Meanwhile, neural activity was recorded via functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Results showed that happy expressions promote intraindividual emotional experience, emotional similarity, and cooperative performance more than do angry expressions, and such a facilitated effect was associated with higher interpersonal neural synchronization (INS) in the right Middle Frontal Gyrus (MFG) and lower INS at right Superior Frontal Gyrus (SFG). These findings can guide emotional communication strategies for couples in managing failures and promoting positive interactions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55372,"journal":{"name":"Biological Psychology","volume":"201 ","pages":"Article 109105"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145066339","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-12DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109127
Jing-Fong Wang , Zai-Fu Yao , Tzu-Hua Wang
How does task complexity influence cognitive performance and neural dynamics, and how do individual differences shape these effects? We employed a two-stage arithmetic load verification task to investigate the impacts of increasing cognitive load on accuracy, reaction time (RT), inverse efficiency scores (IES), and neural activity indexed by P300 and frequency-band dynamics. Participants completed tasks of varying complexity (low, intermediate, and high) and were categorized as high-performing (HG) or low-performing (LG) based on task outcomes of the pilot study. Behavioral results showed that increasing task complexity reduced accuracy, slowed RT, and elevated IES. Electrophysiological analyses revealed phase-specific patterns: during the problem presentation stage, P300 amplitudes showed anterior-central dominance without cognitive load effects; HG exhibited smaller amplitudes than LG, while LG displayed decreasing frontal theta and alpha power with increasing load—indicating attentional limitations. During the response evaluation stage, P300 amplitudes exhibited a robust cognitive load effect (low > intermediate > high) and posterior dominance, but no group differences. Theta and alpha power at Cz predicted accuracy under intermediate load. Together, these findings demonstrate complementary contributions of ERP and oscillatory measures in tracking neural resource allocation and adaptability, thereby extending cognitive load theory.
{"title":"Distinct P300 of cognitive load during problem presentation and response evaluation in an arithmetic verification task","authors":"Jing-Fong Wang , Zai-Fu Yao , Tzu-Hua Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109127","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109127","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>How does task complexity influence cognitive performance and neural dynamics, and how do individual differences shape these effects? We employed a two-stage arithmetic load verification task to investigate the impacts of increasing cognitive load on accuracy, reaction time (RT), inverse efficiency scores (IES), and neural activity indexed by P300 and frequency-band dynamics. Participants completed tasks of varying complexity (low, intermediate, and high) and were categorized as high-performing (HG) or low-performing (LG) based on task outcomes of the pilot study. Behavioral results showed that increasing task complexity reduced accuracy, slowed RT, and elevated IES. Electrophysiological analyses revealed phase-specific patterns: during the problem presentation stage, P300 amplitudes showed anterior-central dominance without cognitive load effects; HG exhibited smaller amplitudes than LG, while LG displayed decreasing frontal theta and alpha power with increasing load—indicating attentional limitations. During the response evaluation stage, P300 amplitudes exhibited a robust cognitive load effect (low > intermediate > high) and posterior dominance, but no group differences. Theta and alpha power at Cz predicted accuracy under intermediate load. Together, these findings demonstrate complementary contributions of ERP and oscillatory measures in tracking neural resource allocation and adaptability, thereby extending cognitive load theory.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55372,"journal":{"name":"Biological Psychology","volume":"201 ","pages":"Article 109127"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145066288","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-09DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109125
Nuno Gomes , Miguel F. Benrós , Jorge S. Martins , Gün R. Semin
Human sweat conveys a wealth of information about its donors, including their emotional state at the time of release. While extensive research has examined the communicative potential of human sweat, the mechanisms underlying emotional sweat production remain underexplored. This study employed a data-driven approach with a large sample of sweat donors (N = 334; most participants were university students) to investigate the relation between sweat production and the emotional state of males and females across three conditions – fear, happiness, and rest. Four key questions were addressed: (i) Do males produce more sweat than females across emotional conditions? (ii) Does sweat production vary as a function of emotional experience? (iii) Is sweat production associated with self-ratings of emotional experience? and (iv) Are there sex differences in these associations? Results revealed that males produced significantly more sweat than females in fear-inducing conditions, which also showed the highest overall sweat production. Contrary to prior findings, happiness-related sweat production did not exceed that of rest in either sex, a discrepancy potentially due to contextual factors. Moreover, sweat production was positively associated with reported negative emotional experience during the fear-inducing sessions, but only for males. This suggests that male, but not female, donors may have the capacity to encode emotional intensity in sweat production. These findings provide new insights into the physiological and contextual factors that shape emotional communication through sweat, with potentially important implications for future research. Additionally, the observed sex asymmetries are discussed in light of a possible evolutionary explanation.
{"title":"Sweating it out: The influence of sex and emotions on human sweat production","authors":"Nuno Gomes , Miguel F. Benrós , Jorge S. Martins , Gün R. Semin","doi":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109125","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109125","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Human sweat conveys a wealth of information about its donors, including their emotional state at the time of release. While extensive research has examined the communicative potential of human sweat, the mechanisms underlying emotional sweat production remain underexplored. This study employed a data-driven approach with a large sample of sweat donors (N = 334; most participants were university students) to investigate the relation between sweat production and the emotional state of males and females across three conditions – fear, happiness, and rest. Four key questions were addressed: (i) Do males produce more sweat than females across emotional conditions? (ii) Does sweat production vary as a function of emotional experience? (iii) Is sweat production associated with self-ratings of emotional experience? and (iv) Are there sex differences in these associations? Results revealed that males produced significantly more sweat than females in fear-inducing conditions, which also showed the highest overall sweat production. Contrary to prior findings, happiness-related sweat production did not exceed that of rest in either sex, a discrepancy potentially due to contextual factors. Moreover, sweat production was positively associated with reported negative emotional experience during the fear-inducing sessions, but only for males. This suggests that male, but not female, donors may have the capacity to encode emotional intensity in sweat production. These findings provide new insights into the physiological and contextual factors that shape emotional communication through sweat, with potentially important implications for future research. Additionally, the observed sex asymmetries are discussed in light of a possible evolutionary explanation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55372,"journal":{"name":"Biological Psychology","volume":"201 ","pages":"Article 109125"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145042182","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-09DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109126
Shih-Chun Kao , Wei-Kuang Liang , Chun-Hao Wang , David Moreau
Over the past fifty years, cognitive neuroscience has greatly enriched our understanding of how sport and exercise influence the human brain. Electroencephalography (EEG), with its non-invasive nature and exceptional temporal resolution, has been instrumental in uncovering the neurocognitive processes linking physical exercise and sport to cognition. While traditional linear EEG analyses have yielded valuable insights, they are limited in capturing the complex non-linear dynamics inherent in EEG signals, potentially obscuring critical aspects of brain-behavior relationships. This perspective article first reviews contemporary research using linear EEG methods to examine neural correlates as both antecedents and consequences of sport and exercise behaviors. We then discuss the non-linear nature of brain dynamics and the advantages of non-linear EEG analyses—such as multiscale entropy (MSE)—for revealing adaptive neural changes induced by physical activity. Finally, we introduce two advanced non-linear EEG techniques, cross-frequency coupling (CFC) and Holo-Hilbert Spectral Analysis (HHSA), which, though yet to be applied in sport and exercise science, hold significant promise for uncovering complex neural mechanisms overlooked by traditional linear approaches. Advocating for the integration of non-linear EEG analyses alongside conventional methods, this review aims to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the neural underpinnings of sport, exercise, and cognition, paving the way for future research in this evolving field.
{"title":"Beyond linear measures: Revealing hidden neural dynamics in sports and exercise cognition with non-linear EEG","authors":"Shih-Chun Kao , Wei-Kuang Liang , Chun-Hao Wang , David Moreau","doi":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109126","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109126","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Over the past fifty years, cognitive neuroscience has greatly enriched our understanding of how sport and exercise influence the human brain. Electroencephalography (EEG), with its non-invasive nature and exceptional temporal resolution, has been instrumental in uncovering the neurocognitive processes linking physical exercise and sport to cognition. While traditional linear EEG analyses have yielded valuable insights, they are limited in capturing the complex non-linear dynamics inherent in EEG signals, potentially obscuring critical aspects of brain-behavior relationships. This perspective article first reviews contemporary research using linear EEG methods to examine neural correlates as both antecedents and consequences of sport and exercise behaviors. We then discuss the non-linear nature of brain dynamics and the advantages of non-linear EEG analyses—such as multiscale entropy (MSE)—for revealing adaptive neural changes induced by physical activity. Finally, we introduce two advanced non-linear EEG techniques, cross-frequency coupling (CFC) and Holo-Hilbert Spectral Analysis (HHSA), which, though yet to be applied in sport and exercise science, hold significant promise for uncovering complex neural mechanisms overlooked by traditional linear approaches. Advocating for the integration of non-linear EEG analyses alongside conventional methods, this review aims to provide a more comprehensive understanding of the neural underpinnings of sport, exercise, and cognition, paving the way for future research in this evolving field.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55372,"journal":{"name":"Biological Psychology","volume":"201 ","pages":"Article 109126"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145041983","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-04DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109117
Qiaoling Hua , Ziyuan Li , Qiang Liu
Working memory (WM) regulates information flow through gate mechanisms, consisting of four subprocesses: gate opening, gate closing, updating, and substitution. However, their neural mechanisms remain underexplored. While emotion-cognition interactions are well studied, the effects of negative mood on these subprocesses are unclear. This study examines the neural mechanisms underlying four WM subprocesses using event-related potentials (ERPs) and explores the influence of negative mood. Thirty-seven participants completed a cue-version reference-back task after mood induction (negative or neutral) across two sessions, with behavioral and EEG data recorded. Mood changes were assessed via the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) before and after the experiment. A total of 32 participants were included in the final analysis. The behavioral results showed that all WM subprocess (gate opening, gate closing, updating, and substitution) costs were observed in reaction time (RT), but only substitution costs were evident in error rate (ER). Negative mood only reduced substitution costs in RT. The ERP results revealed that gate opening was activated during both the cue phase (550–1000 ms at frontal and central areas) and the probe phase (670–920 ms at central and parietal areas), whereas no gate closing costs were observed in neural activity. Updating was activated at central, parietal, and occipital areas (630–1000 ms post-probe), and substitution was linked to parietal area (710–980 ms post-probe). Negative mood specifically reduced gate opening costs during the probe phase. This study confirms the existence of four WM subprocesses, and suggests that negative mood influences gate opening and substitution subprocesses.
{"title":"Exploring the effect of negative mood on working memory subprocesses: An event-related potential study","authors":"Qiaoling Hua , Ziyuan Li , Qiang Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109117","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109117","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Working memory (WM) regulates information flow through gate mechanisms, consisting of four subprocesses: gate opening, gate closing, updating, and substitution. However, their neural mechanisms remain underexplored. While emotion-cognition interactions are well studied, the effects of negative mood on these subprocesses are unclear. This study examines the neural mechanisms underlying four WM subprocesses using event-related potentials (ERPs) and explores the influence of negative mood. Thirty-seven participants completed a cue-version reference-back task after mood induction (negative or neutral) across two sessions, with behavioral and EEG data recorded. Mood changes were assessed via the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) before and after the experiment. A total of 32 participants were included in the final analysis. The behavioral results showed that all WM subprocess (gate opening, gate closing, updating, and substitution) costs were observed in reaction time (RT), but only substitution costs were evident in error rate (ER). Negative mood only reduced substitution costs in RT. The ERP results revealed that gate opening was activated during both the cue phase (550–1000 ms at frontal and central areas) and the probe phase (670–920 ms at central and parietal areas), whereas no gate closing costs were observed in neural activity. Updating was activated at central, parietal, and occipital areas (630–1000 ms post-probe), and substitution was linked to parietal area (710–980 ms post-probe). Negative mood specifically reduced gate opening costs during the probe phase. This study confirms the existence of four WM subprocesses, and suggests that negative mood influences gate opening and substitution subprocesses.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55372,"journal":{"name":"Biological Psychology","volume":"201 ","pages":"Article 109117"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145008602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-02DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109115
Hamada Al Zoubi , Assaf Harel
Category-selectivity is a ubiquitous property of high-level visual cortex manifested in distinct cortical responses to faces, objects, and scenes. These signatures emerge early during visual processing, with each category sensitive to specific types of visual information at different time points. However, it is still not clear what information is extracted during early scene-selective processing, as scenes are rich, complex, and multidimensional stimuli. Here, we tested the hypothesis that early scene-selective activity involves global processing by examining the impact that scene inversion has on visually-evoked Event-Related Potentials (ERPs), particularly the scene-selective P2 component (peaking around 220 ms post-stimulus onset). We recorded ERPs from participants as they were viewing images of faces, objects, and scenes. Images were presented in both upright and inverted orientations and spanned a wide range of category dimensions and properties, preventing the possibility of salient image properties influencing the results. Replicating previous studies, P2 was found to be the first scene-selective component, with higher amplitude in response to scenes compared to faces and objects. Inversion had a clear effect on P2, with a decrease in its amplitude to inverted scenes. No scene inversion effects were observed on P1 and N1, the earlier visually-evoked components. Conversely, face inversion impacted all three components, while inverting objects had no effect on any of the three components. The current findings support the notion that P2 indexes scene-selective processing and suggest that global scene information is extracted at the P2 time window
{"title":"The impact of scene inversion on early scene-selective activity","authors":"Hamada Al Zoubi , Assaf Harel","doi":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109115","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109115","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Category-selectivity is a ubiquitous property of high-level visual cortex manifested in distinct cortical responses to faces, objects, and scenes. These signatures emerge early during visual processing, with each category sensitive to specific types of visual information at different time points. However, it is still not clear what information is extracted during early scene-selective processing, as scenes are rich, complex, and multidimensional stimuli. Here, we tested the hypothesis that early scene-selective activity involves global processing by examining the impact that scene inversion has on visually-evoked Event-Related Potentials (ERPs), particularly the scene-selective P2 component (peaking around 220 ms post-stimulus onset). We recorded ERPs from participants as they were viewing images of faces, objects, and scenes. Images were presented in both upright and inverted orientations and spanned a wide range of category dimensions and properties, preventing the possibility of salient image properties influencing the results. Replicating previous studies, P2 was found to be the first scene-selective component, with higher amplitude in response to scenes compared to faces and objects. Inversion had a clear effect on P2, with a decrease in its amplitude to inverted scenes. No scene inversion effects were observed on P1 and N1, the earlier visually-evoked components. Conversely, face inversion impacted all three components, while inverting objects had no effect on any of the three components. The current findings support the notion that P2 indexes scene-selective processing and suggest that global scene information is extracted at the P2 time window</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55372,"journal":{"name":"Biological Psychology","volume":"201 ","pages":"Article 109115"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145002029","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-01DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109114
Jiajia Yang , Ting Xu , Tingyong Feng
Achievement motivation serves as a fundamental psychological construct that underlies and predicts a wide range of human adaptive behaviors, including goal setting and performance across academic and social domains. Although prior research has shown that self-control is associated with achievement motivation, it remains unclear which neural substrates underlie the association between self-control and achievement motivation. To address this issue, we employed resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) and mediation analysis methods to investigate the neural basis of the relationship between self-control and achievement motivation in the discovery (N = 685) and replication sample (N = 210). In discovery sample, we found a significant positive correlation between self-control and achievement motivation. On the neural level, the FC between the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and the right superior temporal gyrus (STG), right inferior temporal gyrus (ITG), and left middle temporal gyrus (MTG) were negatively correlated with self-control. Furthermore, the mediation analysis demonstrated that self-control fully mediated the relationship between the FC between left dlPFC and the right ITG and achievement motivation. Repeating analyses in the independent replication sample also supported the robustness of the results obtained in the discovery study. Together these findings indicate that the FC between left dlPFC and right ITG may represent a key neural pathway through which self-control influences achievement motivation, providing new insights into their association from a neural perspective.
{"title":"Neural basis linking self-control with achievement motivation: Functional connectivity between left dlPFC and right inferior temporal gyrus","authors":"Jiajia Yang , Ting Xu , Tingyong Feng","doi":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109114","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109114","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Achievement motivation serves as a fundamental psychological construct that underlies and predicts a wide range of human adaptive behaviors, including goal setting and performance across academic and social domains. Although prior research has shown that self-control is associated with achievement motivation, it remains unclear which neural substrates underlie the association between self-control and achievement motivation. To address this issue, we employed resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) and mediation analysis methods to investigate the neural basis of the relationship between self-control and achievement motivation in the discovery (<em>N</em> = 685) and replication sample (<em>N</em> = 210). In discovery sample, we found a significant positive correlation between self-control and achievement motivation. On the neural level, the FC between the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and the right superior temporal gyrus (STG), right inferior temporal gyrus (ITG), and left middle temporal gyrus (MTG) were negatively correlated with self-control. Furthermore, the mediation analysis demonstrated that self-control fully mediated the relationship between the FC between left dlPFC and the right ITG and achievement motivation. Repeating analyses in the independent replication sample also supported the robustness of the results obtained in the discovery study. Together these findings indicate that the FC between left dlPFC and right ITG may represent a key neural pathway through which self-control influences achievement motivation, providing new insights into their association from a neural perspective.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55372,"journal":{"name":"Biological Psychology","volume":"200 ","pages":"Article 109114"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144925204","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-01DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109116
Huiyan Lin , Jiafeng Liang
Previous studies have investigated whether event-related potential (ERP) responses to negative and positive facial expressions are modulated by perceptual and working memory loads of face-irrelevant tasks, but results have been mixed. These studies typically employed traditional analysis methods that focus on a limited number of electrodes and timepoints, which increases the risk of statistical errors. Moreover, no studies have investigated these issues for emotionally ambiguous facial expressions. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate whether working memory loads influence ERP effects of positive, negative and importantly, emotionally ambiguous (e.g., surprised) facial expressions by using robust Mass Univariate Analysis (MUA). To address these issues, thirty-three participants were presented with angry, happy, surprised or neutral faces. Participants were required to memorize a letter (low working memory loads) or 5 letters (high loads) before face presentations and to recognize them afterwards. ERP results showed that working memory loads and facial expressions independently affected ERP responses, with no significant interaction. Working memory loads influenced ERP responses starting after the P100 peak. Regarding the effect of facial expressions, surprised facial expressions generally weakened late positive potential (LPP) responses compared to other facial expressions, and happy facial expressions weakened the responses at early time ranges, while angry facial expressions enhanced LPP responses at distinct electrode sites depending on the comparison. These findings underscore the value of employing MUA for comprehensive ERP analysis in face processing research.
{"title":"Independent effects of working memory loads and facial expressions on event-related potential (ERP) responses: Evidence from mass univariate analysis","authors":"Huiyan Lin , Jiafeng Liang","doi":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109116","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109116","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Previous studies have investigated whether event-related potential (ERP) responses to negative and positive facial expressions are modulated by perceptual and working memory loads of face-irrelevant tasks, but results have been mixed. These studies typically employed traditional analysis methods that focus on a limited number of electrodes and timepoints, which increases the risk of statistical errors. Moreover, no studies have investigated these issues for emotionally ambiguous facial expressions. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate whether working memory loads influence ERP effects of positive, negative and importantly, emotionally ambiguous (e.g., surprised) facial expressions by using robust Mass Univariate Analysis (MUA). To address these issues, thirty-three participants were presented with angry, happy, surprised or neutral faces. Participants were required to memorize a letter (low working memory loads) or 5 letters (high loads) before face presentations and to recognize them afterwards. ERP results showed that working memory loads and facial expressions independently affected ERP responses, with no significant interaction. Working memory loads influenced ERP responses starting after the P100 peak. Regarding the effect of facial expressions, surprised facial expressions generally weakened late positive potential (LPP) responses compared to other facial expressions, and happy facial expressions weakened the responses at early time ranges, while angry facial expressions enhanced LPP responses at distinct electrode sites depending on the comparison. These findings underscore the value of employing MUA for comprehensive ERP analysis in face processing research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55372,"journal":{"name":"Biological Psychology","volume":"200 ","pages":"Article 109116"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144996767","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-01DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109100
Shan Wang , Xiaoling Tang , Chuanqing He , Wenbo Luo , Mingming Zhang
Intrinsic neural timescales (INT) describe the storage time of neural information in local brain regions, representing the time window for information integration and segregation. Mental task-state electroencephalography (EEG) holds potential clinical value for patients; however, the test-retest reliability of INT remains an open issue. The present study aimed to explore the spatial characteristics of INT and investigate its test-retest reliability by analyzing the data from three mental tasks–subtraction, memory, and music–derived from an open-source EEG database. A classic spatial distribution hierarchy was demonstrated. Our results also revealed that INT had moderate-to-good test-retest reliability. The test-retest reliability of INT in the subtraction task was higher than that in memory and music tasks. Autocorrelation window (ACW)-0 exhibited superior test-retest reliability compared to ACW-50. In summary, our findings provide robust validation of the test-retest reliability of the mental task-state EEG INT from multiple perspectives, thereby facilitating its application in both basic research and clinical settings.
{"title":"Intrinsic neural timescales during mental tasks: An EEG test-retest reliability study","authors":"Shan Wang , Xiaoling Tang , Chuanqing He , Wenbo Luo , Mingming Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109100","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109100","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Intrinsic neural timescales (INT) describe the storage time of neural information in local brain regions, representing the time window for information integration and segregation. Mental task-state electroencephalography (EEG) holds potential clinical value for patients; however, the test-retest reliability of INT remains an open issue. The present study aimed to explore the spatial characteristics of INT and investigate its test-retest reliability by analyzing the data from three mental tasks–subtraction, memory, and music–derived from an open-source EEG database. A classic spatial distribution hierarchy was demonstrated. Our results also revealed that INT had moderate-to-good test-retest reliability. The test-retest reliability of INT in the subtraction task was higher than that in memory and music tasks. Autocorrelation window (ACW)-0 exhibited superior test-retest reliability compared to ACW-50. In summary, our findings provide robust validation of the test-retest reliability of the mental task-state EEG INT from multiple perspectives, thereby facilitating its application in both basic research and clinical settings.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55372,"journal":{"name":"Biological Psychology","volume":"200 ","pages":"Article 109100"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144812698","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-09-01Epub Date: 2025-08-05DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109096
Aisling M Costello, Siobhán Howard, Ann-Marie Creaven
Objective: The variability in the operationalisation of cardiovascular recovery from psychological stress across studies is well-established in the field but little is done to address these issues. The aim of this study was to establish the temporal stability of multiple computations of cardiovascular recovery already documented in the literature. Secondly, the aim was to determine if temporal stability depended on how recovery was computed.
Methods: This study used previously collected data from the Pittsburgh Cold Study 3 (PCS3). One-hundred and eighty-nine participants (58.7 % male, two thirds Caucasian, age range; 18-55 years) completed two separate, identical, standardized stress-testing protocols (Mean = 48 days apart) and had their blood pressure and heart rate (HR) monitored throughout a baseline, stress task and recovery phase. Drawing on a multiverse framework, recovery was computed as 1) delta change score from baseline, 2) delta change score from task, 3) percent change baseline, 4) percent change task, 5) area under the curve with respect to ground (AUCg) and 6) area under the curve with respect to increase (AUCi).
Results: Delta change score from task, percent change task and AUCg demonstrated the strongest temporal stability for blood pressure and HR recovery between visits.
Conclusions: This study highlights the fragility of significant findings when multiple computations of cardiovascular recovery are considered within the multiverse framework, confirming that the status of results strongly depends on the computation of recovery that is chosen. We recommend employing multiverse analyses where feasible to confirm which computations are preferable. Where the multiverse is not feasible, we suggest using more sophisticated curve-fitting techniques like AUCg.
{"title":"Cardiovascular recovery from acute psychological stress: Testing the temporal stability of multiple models of recovery.","authors":"Aisling M Costello, Siobhán Howard, Ann-Marie Creaven","doi":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109096","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.biopsycho.2025.109096","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>The variability in the operationalisation of cardiovascular recovery from psychological stress across studies is well-established in the field but little is done to address these issues. The aim of this study was to establish the temporal stability of multiple computations of cardiovascular recovery already documented in the literature. Secondly, the aim was to determine if temporal stability depended on how recovery was computed.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study used previously collected data from the Pittsburgh Cold Study 3 (PCS3). One-hundred and eighty-nine participants (58.7 % male, two thirds Caucasian, age range; 18-55 years) completed two separate, identical, standardized stress-testing protocols (Mean = 48 days apart) and had their blood pressure and heart rate (HR) monitored throughout a baseline, stress task and recovery phase. Drawing on a multiverse framework, recovery was computed as 1) delta change score from baseline, 2) delta change score from task, 3) percent change baseline, 4) percent change task, 5) area under the curve with respect to ground (AUCg) and 6) area under the curve with respect to increase (AUCi).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Delta change score from task, percent change task and AUCg demonstrated the strongest temporal stability for blood pressure and HR recovery between visits.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This study highlights the fragility of significant findings when multiple computations of cardiovascular recovery are considered within the multiverse framework, confirming that the status of results strongly depends on the computation of recovery that is chosen. We recommend employing multiverse analyses where feasible to confirm which computations are preferable. Where the multiverse is not feasible, we suggest using more sophisticated curve-fitting techniques like AUCg.</p>","PeriodicalId":55372,"journal":{"name":"Biological Psychology","volume":" ","pages":"109096"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144769388","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：
京公网安备 11010802042870号