Postauricular and Superior Auricular Reflex Modulation During Emotional Pictures and Sounds

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-9-2011

Publication Title

Psychophysiology

Volume

48

Issue

3

First page number:

410

Last page number:

414

Abstract

The postauricular reflex is a relatively new psychophysiological measure of appetitive emotional processing during picture viewing. However, the degree to which other auricular (i.e., superior and anterior auricular) muscles might exhibit reflexive activity congruent with that found in the postauricular muscle has not been investigated, nor has the robustness of postauricular reflex modulation across stimulus modality. In this study, postauricular reflexes were the only reflexes that showed consistent emotional modulation across ears and genders. Additionally, postauricular reflexes were significantly modulated for both emotional pictures and sounds; in both cases, postauricular reflexes were greatest during pleasant stimuli.

Keywords

Postauricular reflex; Auricular; Startle; Emotion; Pictures; Sounds

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences | Psychiatry and Psychology | Psychological Phenomena and Processes

Language

English

UNLV article access

Search your library

Share

COinS