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We present a new instrument for the assessment of responses to threat-related imagery directed towards a human body – the Body-Threat Assessment Battery (BTAB). The BTAB consists of a series of high-definition dynamic clips depicting body-threats and matched non-threat baseline behaviours. For body-threat stimuli a perspective manipulation was included to assess the effects of viewing threats from the point-of-view of the observer (POV) or from an external/exocentric perspective (EXO). Green-screen technology was used so that extraneous background information could be removed and standardised in post-production. Categorical normative data for psychological ratings (valence, arousal and pain), psychophysiological, phasic skin conductance responses (SCRs) and tonic skin conductance levels (SCLs) were obtained for all stimuli. Body-threat stimuli evoked significantly higher psychological ratings of arousal and pain, with more negative ratings of valence, relative to baseline stimuli. In addition, threat stimuli also had an increased efficacy at evoking SCRs, and these were significantly stronger relative to baseline stimuli. There were no effects of perspective on psychophysiological or psychological responses to threat imagery. The findings are discussed in the context of the utility and scope of the BTAB for supporting neurocognitive investigations of aversive imagery and body-threats specifically in the study of embodiment, body-processing and self-consciousness. • A new instrument for examining threats directed on a human body is presented. • Body-threats and non-body related baseline clips are provided. • A perspective manipulation for body-threat stimuli was created. • Normative large sample data for all dynamic clips are presented. • Psychophysiological and Psychological data are presented for all stimuli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Music-listening can be a powerful therapeutic tool for mood rehabilitation, yet quality evidence for its validity as a singular treatment is scarce. Specifically, the relationship between music-induced mood improvement and meaningful physiological change, as well as the influence of music- and person-related covariates on these outcomes are yet to be comprehensively explored. Ninety-four healthy participants completed questionnaires probing demographics, personal information, and musical background. Participants listened to two prescribed musical pieces (one classical, one jazz), an “uplifting” piece of their own choice, and an acoustic control stimulus (white noise) in randomised order. Physiological responses (heart rate, respiration, galvanic skin response) were recorded throughout. After each piece, participants rated their subjective responses on a series of Likert scales. Subjectively, the self-selected pieces induced the most joy, and the classical piece was perceived as most relaxing, consistent with the arousal ratings proposed by a music selection panel. These two stimuli led to the greatest overall improvement in composite emotional state from baseline. Psycho-physiologically, self-selected pieces often elicited a “eustress” response (“positive arousal”), whereas classical music was associated with the highest heart rate variability. Very few person-related covariates appeared to affect responses, and music-related covariates (besides self-selection) appeared arbitrary. These data provide strong evidence that optimal music for therapy varies between individuals. Our findings additionally suggest that the self-selected music was most effective for inducing a joyous state; while low arousal classical music was most likely to shift the participant into a state of relaxation. Therapy should attempt to find the most effective and “heartfelt” music for each listener, according to therapeutic goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study investigated whether fear expectancy in phobic individuals induces priming of the defensive system, thus generating a “blind” phobic response even to non-phobic stimuli. We employed a paradigm in which two different visual cues signalled the upcoming picture presentation of either a spider or an innocuous animal (congruent condition). Unknown to the participants, the visual cue was incorrectly followed by a picture from the opposite category on two additional trials (incongruent condition). Cardiac and skin conductance responses were recorded from young adults with (n=15) or without (n=14) spider phobia during both the expectation and exposure of these pictures in the congruent and incongruent conditions. In the congruent condition, the autonomic responses during expectation matched the responses during exposure. In particular, non-phobic controls showed an orienting response (bradycardia and moderate skin conductance increase) to both picture categories, while spider phobics showed an orienting response to the innocuous animals and a defence response (tachycardia and marked skin conductance increase) to spiders. In the incongruent condition, the autonomic responses during exposure were driven by the affective content of the pictures, and their amplitude was greater than in the congruent condition, likely due to the signal–stimulus discrepancy. In particular, the response to the innocuous picture of phobic participants expecting a spider did not shift in the direction of the defence response. Thus, spider phobics did not show priming of the defensive system but maintained discrimination between phobic and innocuous stimuli. Finally, the greatly amplified response to the incorrectly signalled spider in phobics suggests a discrepancy–phobia interaction. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The present study examined the effectiveness of the Guilty Action Test in detecting critical information from goal-oriented and task-oriented informed innocent examinees. A mock crime procedure was employed and informed innocent participants were either motivated to prove innocence (goal-oriented motivation) or to prove innocence by being cooperative on the test (task-oriented motivation). Half of the participants in each motivation condition were promised course credit reward for successful completion of their mission to prove innocence or to be cooperative (high incentive level). The other half were promised no reward (low incentive level). A fifth group of uninformed innocent participants served for control purposes. Electrodemal, respiration, and cardiovascular measures were used to indicate the motivation effects. Results showed that the combination of goal-oriented instructions and an incentive for success contributed to enhanced responses to the crime-related information. The combination of task-oriented instructions and an incentive for success attenuated these responses. Skin conductance responses were most sensitive to these effects. Theoretical and practical aspects of the results were discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We examined if emotional faces elicit physiological responses similar to pictures of emotional scenes. Forty one students viewed emotional scenes (negative, neutral, and positive) and emotional faces (angry, neutral, and happy). Heart rate, orbicularis oculi and electrodermal activity were measured continuously, and the startle reflex was elicited. Although the patterns of valence and arousal ratings were comparable, physiological response patterns differed. For scenes we replicated the valence-specific modulation of the startle response, heart rate deceleration, and the arousal-related modulation of the electrodermal response. In contrast, for faces we found valence-specific modulation only for the electrodermal response, but the startle and heart rate deceleration were modulated by arousal. Although arousal differences may account for some differences in physiological responding this shows that not all emotional material that is decoded similarly leads to the same psychophysiological output. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Studies on the physiological responses to emotional stimuli demonstrated that they can occur even when emotional stimuli are not consciously perceived. In this study, the subliminal stimulation was obtained by means of Backward Masking. Specifically, we analyzed the cardiac and electrodermal responses evoked by the unmasked and masked presentation of spider shapes in arachnophobic individuals. To evaluate whether unaware processing entails discrimination of physical features vs emotional significance, crabs, morphologically similar to the spiders but different for emotional significance, and squirrels, different in both shape and emotional content, were also employed. The response to unmasked spiders consisted of a typical defense response (sympathetic activation), while that to innocuous stimuli of an orienting response (moderate electrodermal and vagal activations). In the subliminal condition, the electrodermal response to masked spiders was greater than that to the other animals suggesting an early detection of emotional content rather than of physical characteristics. In contrast, cardiac responses to the masked stimuli did not show any differences as a function of valence. These findings suggest that individuals can appraise the emotional content of unconsciously perceived stimuli and react with an arousal response. However, subliminal emotional stimuli does not seem able to elicit the complete pattern of autonomic responses typical of the defense response. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The concealed information test (CIT) has been used to detect information that examinees possess by means of their autonomic responses. However, the central activities related to these autonomic responses remain unclear. In this study, we simultaneously recorded 128-ch event-related potentials (ERPs) and various autonomic responses (heart rate, respiratory rate, respiratory amplitude, cutaneous blood flow, and skin conductance response) to a critical item (i.e., the item that participants memorized) and to non-critical items (i.e., items other than the critical item) using the standard protocol of the autonomic-based CIT. A topographic analysis of variance and a temporal–spatial principal component analysis revealed that the critical item elicited a larger negative potential (N2b, 205–298 ms) at central regions and a larger positive potential (positive slow wave, 502–744 ms) at parieto-occipital regions, compared to the non-critical items. Correlation analysis across 21 participants showed a significant correlation between N2b increase and heart rate deceleration in response to critical items compared to non-critical items, but there were no autonomic correlates of the positive slow wave. The results suggest that at least two brain processes are involved in the autonomic-based CIT: The first is an attentional-orienting process that facilitates the processing of critical items, to which heart rate deceleration was linked, and the second is an additional process after the identification of critical items. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]