Now I see you, now I don't - Responses to eye contact are modulated by the belief of whether being seen or not
MYLLYNEVA, AKI (2012)
2012
Psykologia - Psychology
Yhteiskunta- ja kulttuuritieteiden yksikkö - School of Social Sciences and Humanities
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Hyväksymispäivämäärä
2012-11-23
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:uta-1-23050
https://urn.fi/urn:nbn:fi:uta-1-23050
Tiivistelmä
Brain and autonomic responses elicited when seeing a face with straight gaze differ from those elicited when seeing a face with averted gaze. Recent studies have shown that the differential responses are elicited only when showing live faces as stimuli but not when showing pictures on a computer screen. An interesting question is what is the underlying reason for the differential responses between seeing a live face and seeing a picture. It is possible that it is not the differences in retinal images, but differences in higher order mental processes that have a crucial effect on responses to faces. In this study we concentrate on the influence of being or not being seen on the brain and autonomic responses to faces.
We measured participants’ skin conductance responses (SCR), heart rate (HR) and electroencephalogram (EEG) when showing a face of a live model with a direct and averted gaze. These measurements were carried out in two conditions: 1) when the participant knew that the model was able to see him/her and 2) when the participant was led to believe that the model’s vision was blocked. The latter condition was accomplished by leading the participant to believe that we used a special one-way mirror –type of sheet allowing the visibility only from one side of the sheet. In both conditions, the view from the participant’s side was exactly the same. The results showed that the SCR and HR responses, as well as a frontal P3 –component of event related potentials (ERP) were enhanced to direct gaze, but only when participant believed that he/she was being looked at by the model person. Additionally, early negative parietal and centro-parietal ERP components were enhanced to direct gaze regardless of presentation condition. Frontal EEG asymmetry in the alpha-band activity and N170 amplitude did not show any sensitivity to gaze direction or presentation condition. The results suggest that mental attributions – the belief of being or not being seen by another person – can have a strong impact on autonomic and brain responses.
Asiasanat:gaze direction, theory of mind, skin conductance, heart rate, electroencephalogram
We measured participants’ skin conductance responses (SCR), heart rate (HR) and electroencephalogram (EEG) when showing a face of a live model with a direct and averted gaze. These measurements were carried out in two conditions: 1) when the participant knew that the model was able to see him/her and 2) when the participant was led to believe that the model’s vision was blocked. The latter condition was accomplished by leading the participant to believe that we used a special one-way mirror –type of sheet allowing the visibility only from one side of the sheet. In both conditions, the view from the participant’s side was exactly the same. The results showed that the SCR and HR responses, as well as a frontal P3 –component of event related potentials (ERP) were enhanced to direct gaze, but only when participant believed that he/she was being looked at by the model person. Additionally, early negative parietal and centro-parietal ERP components were enhanced to direct gaze regardless of presentation condition. Frontal EEG asymmetry in the alpha-band activity and N170 amplitude did not show any sensitivity to gaze direction or presentation condition. The results suggest that mental attributions – the belief of being or not being seen by another person – can have a strong impact on autonomic and brain responses.
Asiasanat:gaze direction, theory of mind, skin conductance, heart rate, electroencephalogram