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The perception of leaders as charismatic personalities has been linked to the level of (positive) emotion in their messages. The present paper reports a cross-modal perception study on the relationship between perceived charisma and positive as well as negative emotions. One hundred forty-nine participants listened or read Brexit speeches by four British politicians (David Cameron, Nicola Sturgeon, Nigel Farage, Theresa May) and rated their charisma using a 7-point Likert scale. Emotions in speeches were quantified on three dimensions (valence, arousal, dominance) and supplemented by analyses of person deixis (I vs. we). Results revealed that effects of emotions on perceived charisma are moderated by the modality of speeches. Emotionally positive words as well as inclusive person deixis increased charisma ratings in written messages, but the effect was reduced or not present in auditory versions of these messages. Implications arise for studies of political discourse that tend to focus on scripted speeches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To understand the ways in which heterogeneous aspects of intimate partner violence (IPV) differentially influence partners' emotional expression during the conflict, the present study examined the unique and interactive effects among (a) types of IPV (psychological and/or physical), (b) directionality of IPV (unilateral or bilateral), and (c) couples' conversation topic (initiated by men or women) on the trajectories of emotional arousal in distressed, different-gender couples (N = 106). Vocally encoded emotional arousal (f0) was measured during couples' recorded conversations. Findings from growth-curve analyses demonstrated that the level of IPV, directionality of IPV, and conversation topic were associated with different patterns of emotional arousal. First, during the discussion of the woman's topic, escalation was observed among recipients of violence in relationships with high levels of unilateral IPV, while their partners—that is, perpetrators of IPV—demonstrated stable, flat trajectories. Second, during men's conversations, stable levels of arousal were predominantly observed among both partners in relationships with men's unilateral IPV and with bilateral psychological and physical IPV. Finally, for partners who engaged in low levels of IPV, men and women both showed escalating arousal across women's conversations; however, when discussing the man's topic, they demonstrated different patterns, with men escalating linearly and women maintaining stable levels of arousal. These findings converge to suggest a picture in which distressed partners who either engage in or experience IPV use "all-or-nothing" approaches to emotional expression during conflict—not only escalating but also containing or controlling their emotional arousal across various contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Callous-unemotional (CU) traits are associated with severe and persistent juvenile offending. CU traits are also associated with dampened emotional arousal, which suggests that fundamental frequency (f0), a measure of vocally-encoded emotional arousal, may serve as an accessible psychophysiological marker of CU traits in youth. This study investigated the associations between f0 range measured during an emotionally evocative task, CU traits, and emotion dysregulation in a mixed-gender sample of 168 justice-involved youth. For boys, after controlling for covariates, wider f0 range—indicating greater emotional arousal—was negatively associated with CU traits and positively associated with emotion dysregulation. For girls, no significant associations with f0 range emerged; however, CU traits were positively associated with emotion dysregulation. Findings suggest that f0 range may serve as a valid indicator of CU traits in JJ-involved boys, and that detained boys and girls with high CU traits are characterized by different profiles of emotion dysregulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Increasing research data suggest that the dysfunction of emotional brain systems may be an important contributor to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. However, contemporary psychopathology consistently underestimates the role of emotions in the phenomenology of the disease. Psychotic arousal (PA) is a conceptually defined psychopathological construct aiming to portray the experiential emotional state of acute psychosis. The concept provides an explanatory model for the emergence of psychosis, and the formation and maintenance of delusions based on neurobiological models on the formation of core consciousness and subjectivity. This is the first exploratory study of the major assumptions, endorsed in the project summarized as follows: (1) psychotic arousal is a discrete state, eligible for investigation; (2) abnormal experiential feelings are an integral part of this state; and (3) the state is responsive to antipsychotic intervention during the first weeks of treatment. Methods: We developed the Psychotic Arousal Scale (PAS) accordingly, explored its first psychometric properties and tested its relation to other psychopathological measures. Fifty-five acute schizophrenia patients were evaluated with the PAS, the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, the Brown Assessment of Beliefs Scale, the Hamilton Anxiety Scale, and the Calgary Depression Scale. Cronbach α coefficients, t-test analysis, correlations and mixed linear regression models were applied for testing the internal reliability of the scale, associations between parameters and sensitivity to change in three time periods during therapeutic intervention. Results: The results of the study support that (PA) is eligible for investigation as a discrete psychopathological state. Abnormal experiential feelings are an integral part of this state, presenting high affinity with other affective measures; their degree of severity relates to the delusions' conviction and are amenable to antipsychotics early in treatment during the acute psychotic episode. Conclusions: The findings of this exploratory study are connotative of the presence of an emotional arousal permeated by abnormal experiential feelings during acute psychosis, largely overlooked by contemporary psychopathology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the relations between self‐reported math anxiety, task difficulty, and pupil dilation in adults and very young children during math tasks of varying difficulty levels. While task difficulty significantly influenced pupillary responses in both groups, the association between self‐reported math anxiety and pupil dilation differed across age cohorts. The children exhibited resilience to the effects of math anxiety, hinting at additional influential factors such as formal math education experiences shaping their relations to mathematics and their impact on cognitive processes over time. Contrary to expectations, no significant association between self‐reported math anxiety and pupil dilation during task anticipation was found in either group. In adults, math anxiety influenced pupil dilation exclusively during the initial phase of task processing indicating heightened cognitive load, but this influence diminished during sustained task processing. Theoretical implications emphasize the need for exploring individual differences, cognitive strategies, and the developmental trajectory of math anxiety in very young children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human blood is one of the most valuable and irreplaceable goods in modern medicine. Although its necessity increases daily, one of the most significant challenges we have to overcome is a scarcity of willing blood donors. Volunteer motives and attitudes have been studied for decades, but it is now considered vital to grasp the many aspects that will increase the effectiveness of attracting new blood donors. This study focuses on the impact of emotional arousal produced by advertising messages, as well as the determining role of altruistic and egoistic incentives in deciding behavior. We also incorporated the element of personality to investigate how personality traits influence behavioral intention to donate blood. To this end, a quantitative non-experimental correlational 2 × 2 experimental design (positive vs. negative emotional appeal; altruistic vs. egoistic message) was implemented with the participation of 462 respondents who were shown a total of 12 advertisements (ads) promoting blood donation. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling, with a focus on the direct impacts on donation intentions, the role of emotional arousals and attitude towards the ads as mediators and the moderating effect of the message. The empirical results of our hypotheses revealed that only Honesty–Humility had a strong direct impact on behavioral intention to donate, while Emotionality and Agreeableness did not have any direct effect. On the other hand, attitudes towards advertisements significantly and directly influenced positive and negative emotional arousals, respectively. Furthermore, if we consider these two variables alone, they can be found to exert a direct impact on BI. Mediation analysis showed that attitudes towards the advertisements and emotional arousals partially mediated the relation between Honesty-Humility and Behavioral Intention, thus confirming partial mediation. With respect to Emotionality and Agreeableness, mediation was found to be full since these factors only affected BI through a mediated path, which confirmed full mediation. Furthermore, the moderation analysis highlighted that the type of message (altruistic vs. egoistic) significantly moderated the relationship between both emotional arousals and BI. In particular, positive emotional arousal's influence is strengthened when it is aligned with altruistic messages, while negative emotional arousal's influence is weakened if it follows an altruistic message. These findings illustrate that using positive emotions will be more beneficial for increasing people's donation intentions than bringing negative ones, which implies that message framing has a hidden impact on donation decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different empathic responses are often reported in autism but remain controversial. To investigate which component of empathy is most affected by autism, we examined the affective, cognitive, and motivational components of empathy in 25 5‐ to 8‐year‐old autistic and 27 neurotypical children. Participants were presented with visual stimuli depicting people's limbs in painful or nonpainful situations while their eye movements, pupillary responses, and verbal ratings of pain intensity and empathic concern were recorded. The results indicate an emotional overarousal and reduced empathic concern to others' pain in autism. Compared with neurotypical children, autistic children displayed larger pupil dilation accompanied by attentional avoidance to others' pain. Moreover, even though autistic children rated others in painful situations as painful, they felt less sorry than neurotypical children. Interestingly, autistic children felt more sorry in nonpainful situations compared with neurotypical children. These findings demonstrated an emotional overarousal in response to others' pain in autistic children, and provide important implications for clinical practice aiming to promote socio‐emotional understanding in autistic children. Lay Summary: The present study investigated the potentially divergent patterns among affective, cognitive, and motivational components of empathy in autistic children. Children were presented with visual stimuli depicting people's limbs in painful or nonpainful situations while their eye movements, pupillary responses, and oral ratings of pain intensity and empathic concern were recorded. We found that autistic children displayed emotional overarousal, as reflected by greater pupil dilation, accompanied by attentional avoidance. They also expressed reduced empathic concern for others' pain. Our findings provide important insights for clinical interventions aiming at improving social functioning in autism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Studies suggest a relationship between the emotional evocativeness of visual imagery and viewer responses, however, there is limited understanding of these associations, especially as they relate to viewers' personal experiences of adversities. Methods: In this exploratory study, we examined the relationship between the visual content of mask images and viewers' responses. In an online survey 699 participants (of n = 1,010 total initial participants) rated 98 masks based on valence, arousal, and personal relevance and completed the Life Events Checklist. The masks included those created by service members (SMs) with traumatic brain injury (TBI), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depicting physical, psychological, and moral injuries and matched neutral masks created by creative arts therapists and arts in health scholars. Findings: The findings indicated that responses to mask image content (traumatic versus neutral) were associated with viewers' personal history of adversity and trauma. Specifically, images representing injury/trauma provoked stronger reactions on valence and arousal than neutral images. Moreover, participants with personal histories of trauma had heightened emotional responses to distressing imagery. Discussion: These findings have implications for art therapists as well as for clinical and general populations in that these results highlight the potential impact of distressing imagery particularly for individuals with personal histories of experiencing or witnessing traumatic events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emotional false memories are the erroneous recollection of events accompanied by an emotional experience. In high-risk domains like psychotherapy and the legal system, emotional false memories are of particular importance. Despite the systematic research conducted on emotional false memories in recent years, findings remain contradictory. Some studies have suggested that negative emotion reduces false memories, while others have suggested that negative emotion increases false memories. Research has mainly employed words and pictures as experimental stimuli, and studies using both types of memory stimuli are reviewed here. From this examination, it emerged that the main reasons for contradictory findings are as follows: (1) different materials have varying effects on inducing false memories, with pictures demonstrating a memory advantage compared to words; (2) recall and recognition tests have been used interchangeably, leading to different false-memory effects depending on the memory test employed; and (3) different studies have adopted different levels of control over valence and arousal when manipulating emotional variables. Future studies should distinguish between the use of different memory materials, examine specific differences in recall and recognition tests, and measure the impact of specific emotions on false memory beyond the dimensions of valence and arousal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During risky interactions like social play, motor resonance phenomena such as facial mimicry can be highly adaptive. Here, we studied Rapid Facial Mimicry (RFM, the automatic mimicking of a playmate's facial expression, play faces) during play fighting between young rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) living in a large zoo-housed group. For the first time and in contrast to previous data on highly despotic-intolerant macaques, we found RFM to be present at high frequency in young rhesus macaques, especially when the trigger was dominant over the responder and when both players were subadults. The hierarchical modulation of RFM may be associated with the increased uncertainty and riskiness of play involving a higher-ranking playmate. This highlights the importance of mimicry in improving communication and coordination during such interactions. Interestingly, RFM prolonged playful sessions, possibly indicating a more effective fine-tuning of motor patterns. Moreover, the occurrence of RFM had an effect on shortening the latency to restart playing after a break, possibly acting as an engine to potentially maintain playmates' arousal. When investigating if bystanders could replicate play faces emitted by the playing subjects, we failed to find RFM, thus highlighting that being directly involved in the interaction might be crucial for RFM activation in monkeys. Even though further comparative studies should investigate the role of RFM across tolerant and despotic-intolerant species, our findings offer valuable insights into the communicative and adaptive value of motor resonance phenomena in regulating social play in despotic societies. Significance statement: In risky interactions involving competition and vigorous physical contact, such as play fighting, replicating partners' facial expressions can serve as a strategy to convey positive mood and intentions. Here we investigated the presence and possible roles of Rapid Facial Mimicry (RFM) in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). For the first time, our study demonstrates that communicative strategies, including Rapid Facial Mimicry (RFM), can be both present and frequent in despotic-intolerant macaque species. We demonstrate that the role of mimicry not only prolongs playful interactions but can also be linked to the reinforcement and/or transmission of playful arousal. Our study shows how the adaptive value of motor resonance phenomena may have driven their evolution to cope with challenges during social interactions also for despotic-intolerant species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractObjectiveDesignResultsConclusionThis study examined the effects of emotional arousal, emotional competence, emotion regulation (ER), and compassion on COVID-19 and flu vaccination intentions (VI) among the French population.Data were collected online from October to December 2020. Altogether, 451 participants (Mage = 35.8, SD = 16.4) were allocated to four groups. High positive (n = 104) or negative (n = 103) emotional arousal were induced into two groups using pictures and music, and compared against a control group (flu group; n = 116) and a reference group (COVID-19 group; n = 114). All groups completed questionnaires on emotional arousal, ER, emotional competence, compassion, and VI.The findings indicated a significant effect of group on VI, h2=.023, 95% CI [–.002, .09]. The Group*Gender interaction on emotional arousal was non-significant, ηp2=.015, 95%CI [.000, .041]. However, emotional arousal was observed to have a significant main effect on VI, ηp2=.09, 95% CI [.043, .238]. The ER type*Emotional arousal*Gender interaction on ER use was trend, ηp2 = .002, 95% CI [.000, .005]. The emotional competence*ER type interaction on ER use was significant, ηp2 = .028, 95% CI [.011, .049]. Only experiential avoidance mediated the relationship between emotional arousal and VI, p < .018, 95% CI [.015, .18].Emotional arousal impacts VI. High emotional competence only reduces the use of dysfunctional ER strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online mothering is an arising and multifaceted phenomenon as the online world offers unique opportunities and risks in a particularly challenging period. The overall aim of this work is to investigate the features of the hashtag movement #itcouldbeme, which was born after a terrible news event concerning a newborn's death, specifically concerning (a) the e-activation levels; (b) the emotional arousal; (c) the potential presence of deconstruction of stereotypes concerning intensive mothering. To investigate positioning, reactions, and emotions, a database of 394 online posts gathered from popular Italian social networks was created, manually codified, and analyzed through the chi-square test. The results enabled us to deepen the associations among these variables, thus revealing the opportunities for empowerment offered by the socio-cultural positioning, different emotional pathways, and adhesion to this online movement. Finally, implications for professionals and public health issues are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the multi‐states (MuSt) theory framework, this study examined the interplay between self‐confidence, emotional arousal control, worry, concentration disruption, challenge and threat appraisals, psychobiosocial experiences, and self‐evaluated performance of medalist kickboxers involved in the WAKO World Kickboxing Championship 2021. Participants were 103 gold, silver, or bronze medalists (58 women and 45 men), aged 18–39 (M = 25.16 ± 4.54 years), who were contacted via email and social media and asked to fill an online survey 3 months after the event. According to the MuSt theory predictions, self‐confidence and emotional arousal control were positively related to challenge appraisal, functional psychobiosocial experiences, and self‐evaluated performance. Worry and concentration disruption were positively associated with threat appraisal, and negatively related to functional psychobiosocial experiences; concentration disruption was also negatively related to self‐evaluated performance. Results from path analysis revealed a positive indirect link from self‐confidence to self‐evaluated performance via challenge appraisal and psychobiosocial experiences. Negative indirect links from worry and concentration disruption to self‐evaluated performance through threat appraisal and psychobiosocial experiences were significant. A positive indirect effect from emotional arousal control to self‐evaluated performance via psychobiosocial experiences was also shown. The findings are discussed in light of the MuSt theory. Highlights: According to the multi‐states (MuSt) theory predictions, we observed that self‐confidence and emotional arousal control were positively related to challenge appraisal, functional psychobiosocial experiences, and self‐evaluated performance.We also showed that worry and concentration disruption were positively associated with threat appraisal, and negatively related to functional psychobiosocial experiences, with concentration disruption being also negatively related to self‐evaluated performance.We provide preliminary support to the multidimensional interplay between functional (i.e., self‐confidence and emotional arousal control) and dysfunctional (i.e., worry and concentration disruption) individual dispositions, challenge and threat appraisals, psychobiosocial experiences, and performance.We recommend that athletes adopt self‐regulation strategies, such as self‐talk, imagery, cognitive restructuring, mindfulness, and action monitoring to improve their self‐confidence, challenge appraisal, functional emotions, and ability to manage competitive pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the role of negative emotional arousal in attention disengagement difficulties in college students with social anxiety. Methods: Totally 35 college students with social anxiety[38≤Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale(LSAS) total scores≤72, Beck Depression Inventory Ⅱ(BDI-Ⅱ) total scores ＜14] and 35 college students without social anxiety(0≤LSAS total scores ＜38, BDI-Ⅱ total scores ＜14) were selected, and 2(groups: social anxiety group, non-social anxiety group) × 3(stimulus types: high arousal angry face, low arousal angry face, neutral face) two factor mixed experimental design was used to investigate the reaction time and accuracy of college students with social anxiety under different arousal conditions. Results: The reaction time in social anxiety group was longer under high arousal than that under low arousal and neutral conditions(Ps ＜0. 05). There was no statistically significant difference in the reaction time under high arousal, low arousal and neutral conditions in non-social anxiety group(Ps＞ 0. 05). Conclusion: Compared with neutral and low arousal negative emotional stimulus, college students with social anxiety are more difficult to disengage attention to high arousal negative emotional stimulus, but this pattern do not exist in college students without social anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Current research on Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response (ASMR) assumes that ASMR is always accompanied by contentment, and it is distinct from frisson due to positive emotions. Thus, research investigations tend to limit their scope to solely focusing on the sensation of relaxation that ASMR induces. This study explores whether it is possible to have a different emotional experience and still perceive ASMR, testing the theory of ASMR as an amplifier of pre-existing emotion instead of a determination of positive affect. Methods: The emotional arousal and valence, and mood changes of 180 ASMRcapable and incapable individuals were analysed using questionnaires after altering the affective interpretation associated with auditory ASMR (tapping) with visual priming to examine whether the primed emotion (fearful, relaxing, or neutral) could be amplified. Results: It was found that an ASMR response occurred in all priming conditions, including the fear priming group. No significant difference was found in the emotional outcome or mood of the neutral and relaxing priming groups. Upon comparison with ASMR-incapable individuals, both the relaxing and neutral priming groups demonstrated the same affect, but greater potent for ASMRcapable. Individuals who appraised ASMR after visual fear priming demonstrated a significant decrease in positive emotional valence and increased arousal. Conclusion: The findings suggest that ASMR occurs in both positive and negative emotional situations, suppressing contentment induction if ASMR stimuli are interpreted negatively and amplifying contentment when interpreted positively. While more research is needed, the results highlight that ASMR and frisson might describe the same phenomenon, both a physically felt signature of emotion. Therapeutic usage of ASMR should carefully select appropriate stimuli that emphasise contentment to avoid potential health risks associated with negative emotions until a further understanding of ASMR's affective parameters has been established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blood donation is essential in health-care systems worldwide, dealing with the demand for transfusions, and for the treatment of a variety of medical conditions. A major obstacle is raising the rate of blood donations by recruiting and retaining donors in an efficient manner. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of blood donation, utilizing an enhanced framework based on the theory of planned behavior with an emphasis on emotional arousal (positive and negative), attitudes towards advertisements, and blood donation anxiety, revealing critical psychological and communicative determinants of blood donation intention. To achieve this, a quantitative non-experimental correlational technique was employed to collect data from 414 individuals using an online questionnaire circulated across Greek society. The data were analyzed using structural equation modelling, with a focus on the direct impacts on donation intentions and the role of emotional arousal as a mediator. The findings indicate that attitudes and anxiety have strong direct impacts on the behavioral intention to donate, underlining the important barriers generated by donation anxieties as well as the efficacy of positive attitudes and successful advertising. Furthermore, the study demonstrates emotional arousal as a partial mediator, implying that both cognitive assessments and emotional responses play a role in influencing donation intentions. This study takes on a new approach to give emphasis and provide evidence of the mediating effect of emotional arousal on donation intention, utilizing structural equation modeling. Despite the critical role of marketing as a primary source of blood donors, the implementation of emotional marketing techniques has been one aspect less addressed throughout marketing professionals and communication efforts. Our results demonstrate the significance of emotional arousal on blood donation intentions, thus suggesting a more emotionally resonant approach of attracting potential donors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since consumers' impulse buying intentions can be easily completed via mobile platforms, impulse buying of travel products has become more common. Hence, this study aimed to understand how mobile tourism applications affect travelers' impulse purchase behaviors. Utilizing the S-O-R framework and distinguishing environmental stimuli and consumer behaviors, this study proposed a conceptual model and hypotheses to investigate the relationship between usability, information effectiveness, emotional arousal, and impulsive purchase intentions in the context of mobile applications. Based on 63 responses, the experiment applied neuroscience methods and found that information effectiveness positively affected impulsive purchase intentions, while usability and emotional arousal did not have significant effects. Hence, results offer practical insights into the development of travel applications and extend the S-O-R framework with the inclusion of emotional arousal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionStudies suggest a relationship between the emotional evocativeness of visual imagery and viewer responses, however, there is limited understanding of these associations, especially as they relate to viewers’ personal experiences of adversities.MethodsIn this exploratory study, we examined the relationship between the visual content of mask images and viewers’ responses. In an online survey 699 participants (of n = 1,010 total initial participants) rated 98 masks based on valence, arousal, and personal relevance and completed the Life Events Checklist. The masks included those created by service members (SMs) with traumatic brain injury (TBI), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depicting physical, psychological, and moral injuries and matched neutral masks created by creative arts therapists and arts in health scholars.FindingsThe findings indicated that responses to mask image content (traumatic versus neutral) were associated with viewers’ personal history of adversity and trauma. Specifically, images representing injury/trauma provoked stronger reactions on valence and arousal than neutral images. Moreover, participants with personal histories of trauma had heightened emotional responses to distressing imagery.DiscussionThese findings have implications for art therapists as well as for clinical and general populations in that these results highlight the potential impact of distressing imagery particularly for individuals with personal histories of experiencing or witnessing traumatic events.

AbstractObjectiveMethodsResultsConclusionParents’ rejection of their LGBTQ + young adults can have a negative impact on their young adult’s psychological welfare, and on the young adult-parent relationship. Parents’ ability to reflect on their child’s pain and unmet needs is thought to evoke empathy and compassion, and reduce rejection. Empirical and clinical evidence suggest that parents’ level of reflective functioning (RF) is impacted by their level of emotional arousal (EA). This study examined the association between parents’ EA and RF within the context of attachment-based family therapy for nonaccepting parents and their LGBTQ+ young adults.43 therapy sessions drawn from six different cases were coded for parental RF and EA, based on 30-second segments. This generated a total of 343 observations for analyses.Hierarchal linear modeling revealed that parents’ level of RF was a function of their concomitant EA, with moderate levels of arousal predicting the highest RF levels.Moderate EA may facilitate optimal parental reflective functioning. With nonaccepting parents, who typically present for treatment with high levels of maladaptive fear and shame, therapists would do well to assess their level of arousal and, when indicated, employ downregulating interventions before inviting them to reflect on their young adult’s experience and needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Previous evidence suggests that language influences bilinguals' moral judgements. One explanation for this phenomenon is that using a second language (L2) attenuates emotional arousal, thus leading to more rational decisions. This study examined whether bilinguals' moral arguments and emotional vocabulary are influenced by the language – first language (L1) or L2 – in which a moral dilemma is presented. Methodology and data analysis: A mixed-methods design was employed. We analysed the emotional vocabulary used by 204 Spanish-English bilinguals when making moral judgements and expressing their emotions in response to a highly emotional moral dilemma, as well as the type of arguments they employed to justify their moral decisions in L1 and L2. Findings: The participants were more emotional in their L1, as reflected in the arguments they used to justify their decisions. This finding was supported by a significantly lower number of emotional words in their L2. Moreover, the effect of language on moral judgements was mediated by the participants' emotions. Originality: This study is the first to qualitatively examine the types of arguments underlying bilinguals' moral decision-making in their L1 and in their L2. Moreover, the analysis of verbal emotional expressions in relation to moral decisions adds to the findings of previous research that was based almost exclusively on forced-choice measures and further supports the hypothesis that the reduction of emotional arousal in an L2 modulates individuals' moral judgements. Implications: The results have implications for L2 teaching and pedagogy. The L2 curriculum should include instruction in emotional vocabulary and should engage learners in discussions that require argumentation and critical thinking about strong emotional content. This may assist bilinguals not only to express their internal affective states more efficiently, but also to experience the intensity of L2 emotionally charged words in a similar way as they do in their L1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

John Chrysostom's use of imagined speech, or prosopopoeia, is an acknowledged and striking aspect of his exegetical practice. In his homilies, he often fills out the spare scriptural record by inserting additional dialogue and unfolding the characters' thoughts. He even draws attention to what figures did not say or think. An interesting and as yet undiscussed counterpoint to this rhetorical technique is the fourth-century preacher's practice of imagining objects. This too was an established rhetorical device, called enargeia. The objects that he evokes tend to be ordinary—they are usually pieces of furniture or items of clothing—but they are always associated with extraordinary people. This essay explores the agency that Chrysostom attributes to these objects: what he understood them to say and do to his listeners. Although the messages and feelings vary, they are always intense. And this intensity was the utility of these things for Chrysostom. Imagined objects were a way to stimulate listeners, to get them to overcome inertia and pursue virtue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Noradrenergic activation of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) by emotional arousal enhances different forms of recognition memory via functional interactions with the insular cortex (IC). Human neuroimaging studies have revealed that the anterior IC (aIC), as part of the salience network, is dynamically regulated during arousing situations. Emotional stimulation first rapidly increases aIC activity but suppresses it in a delayed fashion. Here, we investigated in male Sprague-Dawley rats whether the BLA influence on recognition memory is associated with an increase or suppression of aIC activity during the postlearning consolidation period. We first employed anterograde and retrograde viral tracing and found that the BLA sends dense monosynaptic projections to the aIC. Memory-enhancing norepinephrine administration into the BLA following an object training experience suppressed aIC activity 1 h later, as determined by a reduced expression of the phosphorylated form of the transcription factor cAMP response element-binding (pCREB) protein and neuronal activity marker c-Fos. In contrast, the number of perisomatic γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic inhibitory synapses per pCREB-positive neuron was significantly increased, suggesting a dynamic up-regulation of GABAergic tone. In support of this possibility, pharmacological inhibition of aIC activity with a GABAergic agonist during consolidation enhanced object recognition memory. Norepinephrine administration into the BLA did not affect neuronal activity within the posterior IC, which receives sparse innervation from the BLA. The evidence that noradrenergic activation of the BLA enhances the consolidation of object recognition memory via a mechanism involving a suppression of aIC activity provides insight into the broader brain network dynamics underlying emotional regulation of memory.

Human blood is one of the most valuable and irreplaceable goods in modern medicine. Although its necessity increases daily, one of the most significant challenges we have to overcome is a scarcity of willing blood donors. Volunteer motives and attitudes have been studied for decades, but it is now considered vital to grasp the many aspects that will increase the effectiveness of attracting new blood donors. This study focuses on the impact of emotional arousal produced by advertising messages, as well as the determining role of altruistic and egoistic incentives in deciding behavior. We also incorporated the element of personality to investigate how personality traits influence behavioral intention to donate blood. To this end, a quantitative non-experimental correlational 2 × 2 experimental design (positive vs. negative emotional appeal; altruistic vs. egoistic message) was implemented with the participation of 462 respondents who were shown a total of 12 advertisements (ads) promoting blood donation. The data were analyzed using structural equation modeling, with a focus on the direct impacts on donation intentions, the role of emotional arousals and attitude towards the ads as mediators and the moderating effect of the message. The empirical results of our hypotheses revealed that only Honesty–Humility had a strong direct impact on behavioral intention to donate, while Emotionality and Agreeableness did not have any direct effect. On the other hand, attitudes towards advertisements significantly and directly influenced positive and negative emotional arousals, respectively. Furthermore, if we consider these two variables alone, they can be found to exert a direct impact on BI. Mediation analysis showed that attitudes towards the advertisements and emotional arousals partially mediated the relation between Honesty-Humility and Behavioral Intention, thus confirming partial mediation. With respect to Emotionality and Agreeableness, mediation was found to be full since these factors only affected BI through a mediated path, which confirmed full mediation. Furthermore, the moderation analysis highlighted that the type of message (altruistic vs. egoistic) significantly moderated the relationship between both emotional arousals and BI. In particular, positive emotional arousal’s influence is strengthened when it is aligned with altruistic messages, while negative emotional arousal’s influence is weakened if it follows an altruistic message. These findings illustrate that using positive emotions will be more beneficial for increasing people’s donation intentions than bringing negative ones, which implies that message framing has a hidden impact on donation decisions.

The improvement of urban congestion and the mood of the populace is vital for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This paper aims to test the hypothesis that crowding in urban micro public spaces (UMPSs) affects emotions, and two different methods were used: a psychological questionnaire to measure whether crowding in such spaces elicits negative emotional responses from users and a portable electroencephalography (EEG) device to explore emotional responses. This study was conducted in Shenyang, China, based on the city's relevant policies and the type and number of micro spaces and micro public spaces, proving that Shenyang City has paid more attention to planning micro spaces and micro public spaces in its urban development. The results show that 1. UMPS crowding awakens negative emotions in users, which affects their intention to revisit the UMPS, and 2. If the UMPS is more attractive to users, it also improves the negative emotions due to crowding, which implies that the attractiveness of the environment does play an important moderating role. This study may inspire the construction concept of UMPSs in different countries and cities, complementing the planning of urban public spaces to provide more social equity. The creation of UMPS has a positive effect on neighborhood interactions, community network construction, and the reproduction of social capital, which can contribute to the sustainable development of cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selective retrieval of task-relevant information often facilitates memory retention of that information. However, it is still unclear if selective retrieval of task-relevant information can alter memory for task-irrelevant information, and the role of emotional arousal in it. In two experiments, we used emotional and neutral faces as stimuli, and participants were asked to memorise the name (who is this person?) and location (where does he/she come from?) associated with each face in initial study. Then, half of the studied faces were presented as cues, and participants were asked to retrieve the corresponding names (Experiment 1) or locations (Experiment 2). Finally, all the faces were presented and participants were asked to retrieve both the corresponding names and locations. The results of the final test showed that retrieval practice not only enhanced memory of task-relevant information but also enhanced memory of task-irrelevant information. More importantly, negative emotion amplified the retrieval practice effect overall, with a larger retrieval-induced benefit for the negative than neutral condition. These findings demonstrated an emotional arousal amplification effect on retrieval-induced enhancement effects, suggesting that the advantage of the retrieved memory representations can be amplified by emotional arousal even without explicit goals in a task setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Retail gift cards are requested by fraud perpetrators in many types of mass marketing scams because they are accessible to consumers and card values can be redeemed remotely and anonymously. We interviewed 27 individuals who experienced a gift card payment scam. Five themes emerged: (1) contexts of vulnerability, (2) cognitive and emotional dissociative states, (3) the mixed efficacy of retail interventions, (4) self-blame, and (5) consumer education and other safeguards. Contextual and situational factors, such as work stress, having a recent experience that corresponded with the premise of the scam, and having an unmet financial or socioemotional need, increased vulnerability. Perpetrators used strong emotional appeals to activate a stress response and to interfere with participants' reasoned decision making. To prevent victimization, direct questioning by retail employees was less effective than outright refusals to sell them gift cards. Several participants reported severe emotional distress and symptoms associated with trauma following victimization. Participants did not hold the retail stores or gift card issuers accountable for their losses and instead expressed self-blame. They advocated for more consumer education about gift card payment scams as well as more empathy and support for victims. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The experience of cancer can create considerable emotional distress for patients and their committed partners. How couples communicate about cancer-related concerns can have important implications for adjustment. However, past research has primarily utilized cross-sectional designs and retrospective self-reports of couple communication. While informative, little is known about how patients and partners express emotion during conversations about cancer, and how these emotional patterns predict individual and relational adjustment. Purpose The current investigation examined how patterns of emotional arousal within couples' communication about cancer was associated with concurrent and prospective individual psychological and relational adjustment. Methods At baseline, 133 patients with stage II– breast, lung, or colorectal cancer and their partners completed a conversation about a cancer-related concern. Vocally expressed emotional arousal (f 0) was extracted from recorded conversations. Couples completed self-report measures of individual psychological and relational adjustment at baseline and at 4, 8, and 12 months later. Results Couples who started the conversation higher in f 0 (i.e. greater emotional arousal) reported better individual and relational adjustment at baseline. If the non-cancer partner had lower f 0 relative to patients, this predicted worse individual adjustment across follow-up. Additionally, couples who maintained their level of f 0 rather than decreasing later in the conversation reported improvements in individual adjustment across follow-up. Conclusions Elevated emotional arousal within a cancer-related conversation may be adaptive for adjustment, as it may reflect greater emotional engagement and processing of an important topic. These results may suggest ways for therapists to guide emotional engagement to enhance resilience in couples experiencing cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online mothering is an arising and multifaceted phenomenon as the online world offers unique opportunities and risks in a particularly challenging period. The overall aim of this work is to investigate the features of the hashtag movement #itcouldbeme, which was born after a terrible news event concerning a newborn’s death, specifically concerning (a) the e-activation levels; (b) the emotional arousal; (c) the potential presence of deconstruction of stereotypes concerning intensive mothering. To investigate positioning, reactions, and emotions, a database of 394 online posts gathered from popular Italian social networks was created, manually codified, and analyzed through the chi-square test. The results enabled us to deepen the associations among these variables, thus revealing the opportunities for empowerment offered by the socio-cultural positioning, different emotional pathways, and adhesion to this online movement. Finally, implications for professionals and public health issues are discussed.

Blood donation is essential in health-care systems worldwide, dealing with the demand for transfusions, and for the treatment of a variety of medical conditions. A major obstacle is raising the rate of blood donations by recruiting and retaining donors in an efficient manner. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of blood donation, utilizing an enhanced framework based on the theory of planned behavior with an emphasis on emotional arousal (positive and negative), attitudes towards advertisements, and blood donation anxiety, revealing critical psychological and communicative determinants of blood donation intention. To achieve this, a quantitative non-experimental correlational technique was employed to collect data from 414 individuals using an online questionnaire circulated across Greek society. The data were analyzed using structural equation modelling, with a focus on the direct impacts on donation intentions and the role of emotional arousal as a mediator. The findings indicate that attitudes and anxiety have strong direct impacts on the behavioral intention to donate, underlining the important barriers generated by donation anxieties as well as the efficacy of positive attitudes and successful advertising. Furthermore, the study demonstrates emotional arousal as a partial mediator, implying that both cognitive assessments and emotional responses play a role in influencing donation intentions. This study takes on a new approach to give emphasis and provide evidence of the mediating effect of emotional arousal on donation intention, utilizing structural equation modeling. Despite the critical role of marketing as a primary source of blood donors, the implementation of emotional marketing techniques has been one aspect less addressed throughout marketing professionals and communication efforts. Our results demonstrate the significance of emotional arousal on blood donation intentions, thus suggesting a more emotionally resonant approach of attracting potential donors.

This article presents subjective norms for 1031 emojis in six dimensions: visual complexity, familiarity, frequency of use, clarity, emotional valence, and emotional arousal. This is the largest normative study conducted so far that relies on subjective ratings. Unlike the few existing normative studies, which mainly comprise face emojis, here we present a wide range of emoji categories. We also examine the correlations between the dimensions assessed. Our results show that, in terms of their affective properties, emojis are analogous to other stimuli, such as words, showing the expected U-shaped relationship between valence and arousal. The relationship between affective properties and other dimensions (e.g., between valence and familiarity) is also similar to the relationship observed in words, in the sense that positively valenced emojis are more familiar than negative ones. These findings suggest that emojis are suitable stimuli for studying affective processing. Emoji-SP will be highly valuable for researchers of various fields interested in emojis, including computer science, communication, linguistics, and psychology. The full set of norms is available at: https://osf.io/dtfjv/. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to images constitutes a ubiquitous day-to-dayexperience for most individuals. From mass-media exposure,to engagement with social-networking sites, to educationalcontexts, we are bombarded with images. Here, we explore theeffect that emotional images have on belief endorsement. Toinvestigate this effect, we test whether statements accompaniedby emotionally arousing images become more or lessbelievable than the same statements when they areaccompanied by neutral images or by no images. We find thatemotional images increase statement believability (Experiment1, replicated in preregistered Experiment 2). We discuss theimplications of this finding in the context of interventionsaimed at reducing misinformation.

Background Adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is often associated with risky decision-making behavior. However, current research studies are often limited by the ability to adequately reflect daily behavior in a laboratory setting. Over the lifespan impairments in cognitive functions appear to improve, whereas affective functions become more severe. We assume that risk behavior in ADHD arises predominantly from deficits in affective processes. This study will therefore aim to investigate whether a dysfunction in affective pathways causes an abnormal risky decision-making (DM) behavior in adult ADHD. Methods Twenty-eight participants with ADHD and twenty-eight healthy controls completed a battery of questionnaires regarding clinical symptoms, self-assessment of behavior and emotional competence. Furthermore, skin conductance responses were measured during the performance in a modified version of the Balloon Analogue Risk Task. A linear mixed-effects model analysis was used to analyze emotional arousal prior to a decision and after feedback display. Results Results showed higher emotional arousal in ADHD participants before decision-making (β = -0.12, SE = 0.05, t = -2.63, p < 0.001) and after feedback display (β = -0.14, SE = 0.05, t = -2.66, p = 0.008). Although risky behavior was greater in HC than in ADHD, we found a significant interaction effect of group and anticipatory skin conductance responses regarding the response behavior (β = 107.17, SE = 41.91, t = 2.56, p = 0.011). Post hoc analyses revealed a positive correlation between anticipatory skin conductance responses and reaction time in HC, whereas this correlation was negative in ADHD. Self-assessment results were in line with the objective measurements. Conclusion We found altered changes in physiological activity during a risky decision-making task. The results confirm the assumption of an aberrant relationship between bodily response and risky behavior in adult ADHD. However, further research is needed with respect to age and gender when considering physiological activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Graphic warning labels (GWLs) on cigarette packs have been adopted by many jurisdictions world‐wide. In the United States, the introduction of GWLs has been delayed by claims that their high level of negative emotional arousal unnecessarily infringed upon the tobacco manufacturers' free speech. This study aimed to provide experimental data on the contribution of emotional arousal to GWL efficacy. Design: Observational study using long‐term naturalistic exposure and functional magnetic resonance imaging. Setting: Research university in Philadelphia, PA, USA. Participants: A total of 168 adult smokers. Measurements For 4 weeks, participants received cigarettes in packs that carried either high‐arousal or low‐arousal GWLs (n = 84 versus 84). Smoking behavior, quitting‐related cognitions and GWL‐induced brain response were measured before and after the 4‐week exposure. The amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex served as regions of interest. Findings Compared with the high‐arousal group, the low‐arousal group smoked fewer cigarettes [log10‐transformed, 1.076 versus 1.019; difference = 0.056, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.027, 0.085, χ2(1) = 14.21, P < 0.001] and showed stronger intention to quit (2.527 versus 2.810; difference = −0.283, 95% CI = −0.468, –0.098, χ2(1) = 8.921, P = 0.007) and endorsement of the GWLs' textual component (4.805 versus 5.503; difference = −0.698, 95% CI = −1.016, −0.380, χ2(1) = 18.47, P < 0.001). High‐arousal GWLs induced greater amygdala response than low‐arousal GWLs (0.157 versus 0.052; difference = 0.105, 95% CI = 0.049, 0.161, χ2(1) = 23.52, P < 0.001), although the response to high‐arousal GWLs declined over time (slope = −0.087 versus 0.016; difference = −0.103, 95% CI = −0.198, –0.009, χ2(1) = 6.370, P = 0.046). Greater baseline amygdala response was associated with more smoking at 4 weeks in the high‐arousal group, but less smoking in the low‐arousal group (slope = 0.179 versus −0.122; difference = 0.287, 95% CI = 0.076, 0.498, χ2(1) = 7.086, P = 0.008). Medial prefrontal response did not differ significantly between groups. Conclusions: High‐arousal cigarette graphic warning labels (GWLs) appear to be less efficacious than low‐arousal GWLs. The high emotional reaction that high‐arousal GWLs elicit wanes over time. Baseline amygdala response negatively predicts efficacy of high‐arousal GWLs and positively predicts efficacy of low‐arousal GWLs. High emotional arousal may not be required for sustained GWL efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conducted two studies to investigate whether children (3-6 years old) with high sensory processing sensitivity show greater susceptibility toward environmental influence in their prosocial development. In two independent samples (NStudy 1 = 120, 55 boys, 65 girls; NStudy 2 = 151, 72 boys, 79 girls), we successfully replicated the findings that children with high sensory processing sensitivity, particularly aesthetic sensitivity, demonstrated stronger susceptibility to the influence of negative parenting in their prosocial behaviors. In the laboratory experimental setting (Study 2), we found that children high in sensory processing sensitivity demonstrated stronger susceptibility to observed negative feedback compared to children with low sensitivity. The heightened susceptibility to observed feedback may potentially be attributed to their enhanced emotional reactivity in reaction to environmental stimuli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Distance Education (1672-0008) is the property of Zhejiang Open University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Virtual reality (VR) has served the entertainment industry all the way to world-leading museums in delivering engaging experiences through multisensory virtual environments (VEs). Today, the rise of the Metaverse fuels a growing interest in leveraging this technology, bringing along an emerging need to better understand the way different dimensions of VEs, namely social and interactive, impact overall user experience (UX). This between-subject exploratory field study investigates differences in the perceived and lived experience of 28 participants engaging, either individually or in dyads, in a VR experience comprising different levels of interactivity, i.e., passive or active. A mixed methods approach combining conventional UX measures, i.e., psychometric surveys and user interviews, as well as psychophysiological measures, i.e., wearable bio- and motion sensors, allowed for a comprehensive assessment of users' immersive and affective experiences. Results pertaining to the social dimension of the experience reveal that shared VR elicits significantly more positive affect, whereas presence, immersion, flow, and state anxiety are unaffected by the copresence of a real-world partner. Results pertaining to the interactive dimension of the experience suggest that the interactivity afforded by the VE moderates the effect of copresence on users' adaptive immersion and arousal. These results support that VR can be shared with a real-world partner not only without hindering the immersive experience, but also by enhancing positive affect. Hence, in addition to offering methodological directions for future VR field research, this study provides interesting practical insights into guiding VR developers toward optimal multiuser virtual environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated transparency estimation, that is, the ability to estimate how observable one's emotions are, in patients diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD) (n = 35) and healthy controls (HCs; n = 35). Participants watched emotionally evocative video clips and estimated the transparency of their own emotional experience while watching the clip. Facial expression coding software (FaceReader) quantified their objective transparency. BPD patients felt significantly less transparent than HCs, but there were no differences in objective transparency. BPD patients tended to underestimate the transparency of their emotions compared to HCs, who in turn overestimated their transparency. This suggests that BPD patients expect that others will not know how they feel, irrespective of how observable their emotions actually are. We link these findings to low emotional awareness and a history of emotional invalidation in BPD, and we discuss their impact on BPD patients' social functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Distance Education (1672-0008) is the property of Zhejiang Open University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)