Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
Cogn Emot. 2012;26(2):252-60. doi: 10.1080/02699931.2011.579087. Epub 2011 Oct 5.
Theories of emotion propose that responses to emotional pictures can occur independently of whether or not people are aware of the picture content. Because evidence from dissociation paradigms is inconclusive, we manipulated picture awareness gradually and studied whether emotional responses varied with degree of awareness. Spider fearful and non-fearful participants viewed pictures of spiders and flowers at four levels of backward masking while electrodermal activity and heart rate were measured continuously. Recognition ratings confirmed that participants' picture awareness decreased with masking. Critically, effects of spider fear on emotion ratings and heart rate also decreased with masking. These findings suggest that effects of spider fear on emotion ratings and heart rate are closely related to picture awareness.
情绪理论提出，人们对情绪图片的反应可以独立于他们是否意识到图片的内容。由于分离范式的证据尚无定论，我们逐渐操纵图片意识，并研究情绪反应是否随意识程度而变化。蜘蛛恐惧和非恐惧的参与者在四种程度的后向掩蔽下观看蜘蛛和花朵的图片，同时连续测量皮肤电活动和心率。识别评分证实，参与者对图片的意识随着掩蔽而降低。关键的是，蜘蛛恐惧对情绪评分和心率的影响也随着掩蔽而降低。这些发现表明，蜘蛛恐惧对情绪评分和心率的影响与图片意识密切相关。
