INSERM, Imaging Brain & Neuropsychiatry iBraiN U1253, Université de Tours, Tours, 37032, France.
FEMTO-ST Institute, CNRS, Université de Bourgogne Franche Comté, Besançon, France.
Sci Rep. 2024 Oct 23;14(1):25043. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-74848-w.
The interplay between the different components of emotional contagion (i.e. emotional state and facial motor resonance), both during implicit and explicit appraisal of emotion, remains controversial. The aims of this study were (i) to distinguish between these components thanks to vocal smile processing and (ii) to assess how they reflect implicit processes and/or an explicit appraisal loop. Emotional contagion to subtle vocal emotions was studied in 25 adults through motor resonance and Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) reactivity. Facial expressions (fEMG: facial electromyography) and pupil dilation were assessed during the processing and judgement of artificially emotionally modified sentences. fEMG revealed that Zygomaticus major was reactive to the perceived valence of sounds, whereas the activity of Corrugator supercilii reflected explicit judgement. Timing analysis of pupil dilation provided further insight into both the emotional state and the implicit and explicit processing of vocal emotion, showing earlier activity for emotional stimuli than for neutral stimuli, followed by valence-dependent variations and a late judgement-dependent increase in pupil diameter. This innovative combination of different electrophysiological measures shed new light on the debate between central and peripherical views within the framework of emotional contagion.
情感传染的不同组成部分（即情绪状态和面部运动共鸣）之间的相互作用，无论是在情绪的内隐和外显评价中，都存在争议。本研究的目的是（i）通过声音微笑处理来区分这些组成部分，（ii）评估它们如何反映内隐过程和/或外显评价循环。通过运动共鸣和自主神经系统（ANS）反应，研究了 25 名成年人对微妙声音情绪的情感传染。在处理和判断人工情感修饰的句子时，评估了面部表情（fEMG：面部肌电图）和瞳孔扩张。fEMG 显示，颧大肌对声音的感知效价有反应，而皱眉肌的活动反映了外显判断。瞳孔扩张的时间分析为声音情绪的情感状态以及内隐和外显处理提供了更深入的了解，结果表明情绪刺激的活动早于中性刺激，随后是效价依赖的变化，以及瞳孔直径的后期判断依赖的增加。这种不同电生理测量的创新组合，为情感传染框架内的中央和外周观点之间的争论提供了新的视角。
