Digital Commons Network^™

The Feeling Heart In Medieval And Early Modern Europe: Meaning, Embodiment, And Making, Katie Barclay, Bronwyn Reddan

Studies in Medieval and Early Modern Culture

The heart is an iconic symbol in the medieval and early modern European world. In addition to being a physical organ, it is a key conceptual device related to emotions, cognition, the self and identity, and the body. The heart is read as a metaphor for human desire and will, and situated in opposition to or alongside reason and cognition. In medieval and early modern Europe, the “feeling heart”—the heart as the site of emotion and emotional practices—informed a broad range of art, literature, music, heraldry, medical texts, and devotional and ritual practices. This multidisciplinary collection brings together art historians, …

How Responsiveness From A Communication Partner Affects Story Retell In Aphasia: Quantitative And Qualitative Findings, Tyson G. Harmon, Adam Jacks, Katarina L. Haley, Antoine Bailliard

Faculty Publications

Purpose: Because people with aphasia frequently interact with partners who are unresponsive to their communicative attempts, we investigated how partner responsiveness affects quantitative measures of spoken language and subjective reactions during story retell.

Method: A quantitative and a qualitative study were conducted. In study 1, participants with aphasia and controls retold short stories to a communication partner who indicated interest through supportive backchannel responses (responsive) and another who indicated disinterest through unsupportive backchannel responses (unresponsive). Story retell accuracy, delivery speed, and ratings of psychological stress were measured and compared. In study 2, participants completed semi-structured interviews about their story retell …

Visual Attention And Emotion Regulation In Schizophrenia, Bern Lee

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Emotion regulation and emotion processing deficits cut across the varying symptom presentations of schizophrenia. Emotion processing deficits are inadequately treated by pharmacologic interventions and are related to real-world functional impact and disability. This study investigated behavioral and psychophysiological responses to a series of emotion regulation tasks while concurrently collecting eye tracking data as an index of visual attention. A brief neurocognitive assessment was also completed in order to examine potential cognitive determinants of emotion. Participants completed tasks designed to assess cognitive change and directed attention strategies for down-regulation of unpleasant and pleasant emotion. For each of our two unpleasant emotion …

Is Endorsement Of Fear Of Happiness Associated With Behavioral Aversion To Reward?, Amanda Collins

Theses and Dissertations

Previous research suggests that some individuals have negative views about happiness and may actively avoid positivity due to associating it with previous negative experiences. The Approach-Avoidance Task (AAT) is a paradigm that examines approach and avoidance tendencies. However, the AAT has previously never been used to examine motivational tendencies in individuals who fear happiness. In this study, we used the AAT to examine if individuals who fear happiness respond aversively in the face of prospective positivity. Results revealed that the difference between the duration of pulling the joystick for both stimuli is negatively related to fear of happiness (FHS) such …

Turn That Frown Upside-Down! The Effectiveness Of Opposite Action In Changing Emotion, Kaitlyn Diane Chamberlain

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

While research demonstrates that opposite action (OA) impacts emotion (Rizvi & Linehan, 2005), we lack an understanding of the mechanisms by which it produces opposite emotions. The current study dismantled emotion regulation skill components by comparing tasks with different combinations of cognitive, emotive and behavioral components. I predicted that the OA condition would be the most effective in altering negative emotion. University students (n = 194) completed a sadness induction and were randomly assigned to either a (1) control, (2) low arousal positive imagery (3) high arousal positive imagery, or (4) OA plus high arousal positive imagery condition. The control …

A Consumer Neuroscience Study Of Conscious And Subconscious Destination Preference, Thomas Zoëga Ramsøy, Noela Michael, Ian Michael

All Works

© 2019, The Author(s). In studying consumer behaviors, the inclusion of neuroscience tools and methods is improving our understanding of preference formation and choice. But such responses are mostly related to the consumption of goods and services that meet an immediate need. Tourism represents a consumer behavior that is related to a more complex decision-making process, involving a stronger relationship with a future self, and choices typically being of a higher level of involvement and of a transformational type. The aim of this study was to test whether direct emotional and cognitive responses to travel destination would be indicative of …

Weatherlessness: Affect, Mood, Temperament, The Death Of The Will, And Politics, John J. Stuhr

disClosure: A Journal of Social Theory

First, I develop an account of the nature of moods and the relation of mood to emotion and temperament. This account stresses that social and individual moods are marked by four features: They are transactional - neither wholly subjective nor objective; in experience they shade into and blur back and forth with feeling and temperament; they are ambient and atmospheric, a habit of living ·in the world more expansive than a habit of mind; and, whether conscious or not, moods have causes that, if known, may be manipulated to advance both personal and political ends. Second, I focus …

Adult Judges Use Heuristics When Categorizing Infants’ Naturally Occurring Responses To Others’ Emotions, Peter J. Reschke, Eric A. Walle

Faculty Publications

Inferring the motivations of others is a fundamental aspect of social interaction. However, making such inferences about infants can be challenging. This investigation examined adults’ ability to infer the eliciting event of an infant’s behavior and what information adults utilize to make such inferences. In Study 1, adult participants viewed recordings of 24-month-old infants responding to an actor’s emotional display (joy, sadness, fear, anger, or disgust) toward a broken toy and were asked to infer which emotion the actor expressed using only the infant’s behavioral responses. Importantly, videos were blurred and muted to ensure that the only information available regarding …

Are Emotions Influenced By Their Sequence? An Experimental Study Of Emotional Processing, Stephanie Nardone

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The present study examined whether resolution of lingering anger and sadness about an interpersonal interaction depends on the sequence in which anger and sadness are experienced. Within a total sample of 104 participants, two groups were identified based on presenting emotional concern: individuals with predominantly lingering anger about an interpersonal interaction (n = 26), and individuals with predominantly lingering sadness about an interpersonal interaction (n = 56). Participants completed a written emotional processing intervention in one of two randomly assigned conditions (i.e., anger-before-sadness condition or sadness-before-anger condition), which differed only by the order in which participants were guided to feel …

“Everyday” Knowledge And A New Paradigm Of Animal Research, David Fraser, Jeffrey M. Spooner, Catherine A. Schuppli

David Fraser, PhD

Commentary on Marino and Allen (2017) The Psychology of Cows

The Reliable Revisionist, Caitlyn Schaffer

Philosophy: Student Scholarship & Creative Works

The present text explores how the topic of head and heart is much more complicated than one would expect, according to Paul Henne and Walter Sinnot-Armstrong, contributors of Neuroexistentialism. “Does Neuroscience Undermine Morality” aims at figuring out the problem of which moral judgments we can trust, judgments from one’s head (revisionism) or judgments from one’s heart (conservatism). My hypothesis suggests the opposite of the authors, I believe that if you are a revisionist, your first order intuitions are reliable. After setting the framework, I make three main arguments. (A.) If you are able to self-correct then you can identify errors …

Trait Contempt Predicts Tendencies To Dehumanize Others, Russell Steiger

College of Science and Health Theses and Dissertations

Prior research pertaining to the Stereotype Content Model (SCM) has found that groups stereotyped as “cold and incompetent” (e.g., refugees, homeless people, drug addicts) are most likely to elicit both emotional state contempt and dehumanization. However, no prior studies have examined trait (dispositional) contempt’s relationship with dehumanization towards different SCM-relevant groups. Across two studies, I examined trait contempt as a predictor of dehumanization within the context of the SCM. Trait contempt is characterized by frequent cold feelings towards others and frequently viewing others as incompetent. I therefore proposed that since contemptuous people view their social world through a “cold and …

Modern Health Worries And Emotional Reactivity To Images Of Air Pollution, Garry Spink

Dissertations - ALL

Modern health worries (MHW) represent individual differences in the perceived threat posed to health and well-being by aspects of modern life. Current evidence suggests that MHW are positively associated with trait negative emotionality, and given that trait negative emotionality is associated with state emotional reactivity to environmental stressors, it is reasonable to expect that persons with elevated MHW would show increased state emotional reactivity to MHW-related stimuli. Consequently, this study aimed to investigate the association of MHW with state emotional reactivity (i.e., valence and arousal) to MHW-related stimuli (i.e., images of air pollution). Combining these stimuli with other stimuli varying …

Improving Stimulus Realism: The Effect Of Visual Dimension On Affective Responding, Shannon Compton

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

For decades researchers have used 2D stimuli under the assumption that they accurately represent real objects. This assumption has been challenged by recent vision and neuroeconomics research which has found that 2D images can evoke different neural and behavioural responses than real objects. The current study continues this line of research in the field of affective cognitive neuroscience; a field where small effect sizes are common and rapid habituation to affective stimuli used in the lab often occurs. The present study uses realistic 2D and 3D emotional images to determine the impact of visual dimension on affective responding. Subjective ratings …

The Progress Of Passion, Kathryn Abrams

Kathryn Abrams

Like an abandoned fortress, the dichotomy between reason and the passions casts a long shadow over the domain of legal thought. Beset by forces from legal realism to feminist epistemology, this dichotomy no longer holds sovereign sway. Yet its structure helps to articulate the boundaries of the legal field; efforts to move in and around it infuse present thinking with the echoes of a conceptually distinct past. Early critics of the dichotomy may unwittingly have prolonged its influence through the frontal character of their attacks. By challenging a strong distinction between emotion and reason, critics kept it, paradoxically, before legal …

Preferential Activation For Emotional Western Classical Music Versus Emotional Environmental Sounds In Motor, Interoceptive, And Language Brain Areas, Rebecca J. Lepping, Jared M. Bruce, Kathleen M. Gustafson, Jinxiang Hu, Laura E. Martina, Cary R. Savage, Ruth Ann Atchley

Department of Psychology: Faculty Publications

Recent meta analyses suggest there is a common brain network involved in processing emotion in music and sounds. However, no studies have directly compared the neural substrates of equivalent emotional Western classical music and emotional environmental sounds. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging we investigated whether brain activation in motor cortex, interoceptive cortex, and Broca’s language area during an auditory emotional appraisal task differed as a function of stimulus type. Activation was relatively greater to music in motor and interoceptive cortex – areas associated with movement and internal physical feelings – and relatively greater to emotional environmental sounds in Broca’s area. …

Influences Of Autism Spectrum Disorder On Sensory And Emotional Responses To Smell And Taste Cues, Asmita Singh

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability that causes social, communication, behavioral and sensory challenges. The prevalence has been on a rise, with the latest reports stating 1 in 59 children is diagnosed with ASD. These challenges play a significant role in feeding behavior, leading to reduced nutrition among individuals. Much research in this field has been attributed to children, however, this study was focused on the adult population, in an attempt to improve their quality of life. Building on previous findings and knowledge gaps, the objectives of this thesis were two-fold: To better understand the sensory experiences of …

Dynamics Of Momentary Perceived Self-Regulation Abilities As Novel Predictors Of Overeating In Daily Life, Kayla Dawn Skinner

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Despite an increase of research in the realm of overeating - a well-known contributor to obesity - the psychological mechanisms that maintain overeating behaviors across time and context are still poorly understood. It may be that people’s perceptions of their self-regulation abilities fluctuate over time, and overeating results from momentary increases in negative mood eliciting negative perceptions of their self-efficacy and current willpower, stronger beliefs that cravings can be controlled and a greater ability to tolerate distress. The current study examined the dynamics of and momentary predictors of overeating using a 7-day EMA protocol to study unsuccessful restrained eaters (n …

Cannabis-Using Youth Demonstrated Blunted Rostral Anterior Cingulate Cortex Activation, But Normal Functional Connectivity, During An Emotional Go/No-Go Task, Kristin Elizabeth Maple

Theses and Dissertations

Cannabis use has been associated with deficits in self-regulation, including inhibitory control. Cannabis users have previously exhibited both structural and functional deficits in the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC), a region involved in self-regulation of emotional response and inhibitory control. The present study aimed to examine whether abstinent cannabis users demonstrated abnormal functional activation and connectivity of the bilateral rACC during an emotional inhibitory processing task, and whether gender moderated these relationships. The study also aimed to examine whether bilateral rACC activation and connectivity in cannabis users was related to perceived stress. It was hypothesized that cannabis users would exhibit …

Ocd And Impulsivity: Considering The Role Of Emotion, Stephanie E. Hudiburgh

Open Access Theses

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a condition marked by recurrent and distressing thoughts, images, and impulses that are typically accompanied by repetitive physical or mental rituals. Previous research has explored impulsivity as a potential risk factor for OCD using a variety of self-report and behavioral measures; however, these studies have yielded inconsistent results. An emerging line of work suggests that emotional precipitation may be an important consideration when looking at the role of impulsivity across the spectrum of psychopathology, including OCD. The current study examined the relationship between symptoms of OCD and emotion-based impulsivity using the Three Factor Impulsivity Index, a …

Watching “Insidious” – On The Social Construction Of Fear, Charlotte D. Renda

The Qualitative Report

As mass media are an integral part of our everyday lives, their role in constituting emotions and feeling rules receives heightened attention. However, content analyses and psychoanalytical/reaction analyses focus on a film-viewer-relation that does not consider the group character of media consumption. This article deals with the question of how fear is socially constructed and interactively negotiated by taking an ethnomethodological look at videos that teenagers have taken of themselves while watching the horror movie Insidious. It puts forward two inter-related forms of ambiguity: the ambiguity of what emotions are appropriate, that is, the ways in which feeling rules are …

Resolving Distressing Autobiographical Memories: The Role Of Perspective In Imagery, Writing, And Self-Reflection, Chantal M. Boucher

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

This program of research consists of three studies centered on the development and validation of a measure of psychological closure along with an investigation of how different strategies for recalling and writing about unresolved autobiographical events inform attributions of closure and aspects of emotion (valence, intensity, and reaction). Study 1 (Ntotal =601) centered on the construction of the Psychological Closure Scale (PCS). This began with a multifaceted conceptualization based on a thorough review of definitions and theoretical contexts. Factor analyses revealed a robust, good-fitting, and reliable structural solution. The PCS contains 42 items that assess seven facets of event resolution: …

The Shape Of You: Music's Impact On Identity, Codi Yhap

Music Summer Fellows

Investigating the multiple functions of music, scholars from various fields have expressed that music can regulate moods and emotions while providing listeners a way to navigate their identity. Focusing primarily on the genre of rap, this research has placed the field of Music and Emotion in conversation with Hip-Hop studies. The field of Music and Emotion has thoroughly measured/examined listener thought processes, bodily response, and cultural influences when engaging with music. Despite the rise in scholarship addressing popular music and emotion, the field rarely includes popular music in its discussions unless, perhaps, the genre is jazz. Recognizing that there are …

Orca Behavior And Subsequent Aggression Associated With Oceanarium Confinement, Robert Anderson, Robyn Waayers, Andrew Knight

Andrew Knight, Ph.D.

Based on neuroanatomical indices such as brain size and encephalization quotient, orcas are among the most intelligent animals on Earth. They display a range of complex behaviors indicative of social intelligence, but these are difficult to study in the open ocean where protective laws may apply, or in captivity, where access is constrained for commercial and safety reasons. From 1979 to 1980, however, we were able to interact with juvenile orcas in an unstructured way at San Diego’s SeaWorld facility. We observed in the animals what appeared to be pranks, tests of trust, limited use of tactical deception, emotional self-control, …

Orca Behavior And Subsequent Aggression Associated With Oceanarium Confinement, Robert Anderson, Robyn Waayers, Andrew Knight

Andrew Knight, PhD

Based on neuroanatomical indices such as brain size and encephalization quotient, orcas are among the most intelligent animals on Earth. They display a range of complex behaviors indicative of social intelligence, but these are difficult to study in the open ocean where protective laws may apply, or in captivity, where access is constrained for commercial and safety reasons. From 1979 to 1980, however, we were able to interact with juvenile orcas in an unstructured way at San Diego’s SeaWorld facility. We observed in the animals what appeared to be pranks, tests of trust, limited use of tactical deception, emotional self-control, …

Profiling The Emotional Peaks And Valleys In Stories Of Cross-Border Shopping, Michael S. Mulvey, Charles E. Gengler

TTRA Canada 2019 Conference

The stories that travellers tell provide valuable insight to tourism managers responsible for shaping travel experiences. Access to consumer stories has never been greater due to the rise of online forums, reviews, and blogs (Gretzel, Fesenmaier, Lee, & Tussyadiah, 2010). Yet, researchers’ ability to make sense of these stories is limited by current theoretical and methodological approaches. We contend that there is an opportunity to develop new approaches to measure customer experience using advanced text analysis and sentiment indices. Specifically, we use narrative theory to explain the importance of emotional peaks and valleys in stories and propose a natural language …

Development And Validation Of A Battery Of Emotionally Evocative Film Clips For Use With Young Children, Lindsay Gabel

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Investigating normative and maladaptive emotional development requires the ability to elicit children’s reactivity to a range of affective stimuli. However, the field lacks a validated battery of stimuli tapping a broad range of childhood emotions. We therefore sought to validate a developmentally appropriate battery of emotionally evocative film stimuli, covering a range of affective responses, for use with children. During pilot work, clips were verified as age-appropriate by parents of young children. Next, during a laboratory visit, 39 children (22 girls; M_age = 7.19 years, SD = .76) viewed 20 film clips thought likely to elicit either positive affect, …

Emotional Manipulation And Cognitive Distraction As Strategy: The Effects Of Verbal Insults On Motivation And Performance In A Competitive Setting, Karen C. P. Mcdermott

Doctoral Dissertations

This study explored the effects of verbally aggressive insults on an opponent’s performance in a competitive setting, i.e. ‘trash talk.’ Bringing together literature from a number of fields, a model was tested which hypothesized that the perception of verbal insults would increase cognitive distraction, elevate levels of emotional arousal, and affect motivation to perform, such that competitive performance would decrease. Anger and shame were posited as the primary manifestations of emotional arousal. The study was operationalized through a video game racing competition as a true experiment with control and verbal insult conditions. Both groups received an auditory treatment delivered by …

Fascist Affect In 300, Carl Plantinga

University Faculty Publications and Creative Works

The stories we tell each other, or present via mass media, are important components of the cultural ecology of a place and time. This article argues that 300 (2007), directed by Zach Snyder and based on a comic book series both written and illustrated by Frank Miller, evinces what can legitimately be called a "fascist aesthetic" that depends in large part on the moods and emotions the screen story both represents and elicits. While many other commentators have charged this film with incipient fascism, this article both deepens and expands on the claim by showing how the film's elicitation of …

“I Need To Believe That Something Extraordinary Is Possible”: Effects Of Transcendent Media Experiences On The Destigmatization Of Mental Illness, Stephanie Whitenack

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Entertainment psychology is moving toward an area of study where being entertained means experiencing pleasure and/or satisfying fundamental, meaningful needs as human beings (Vorderer, 2011). Now, scholars are examining meaningful media experiences and a recent subset known as transcendent media experiences. Transcendent media experiences are defined as experiences that elicit mixed affective states that can heighten feelings of elevation, compassion, and connectedness that lead to more prosocial motivations. These subjective experiences of meaningfulness can inspire universality by cultivating desires to overcome intergroup hostility (Oliver et al., 2018).

Much is known about the cognitive processes that contribute to lessening social distance …