Cited by 426Neural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesFace Recognition and PerceptionAnxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes

Beyond good and evil: The time-course of neural activity elicited by specific picture content.

Weinberg, Anna, Hajcak, Greg·2010·Emotion

Abstract

The present study examined electrocortical evidence for a negativity bias, focusing on the impact of specific picture content on a range of event-related potentials (ERPs). To this end, ERPs were recorded while 67 participants viewed a variety of pictures from the International Affective Picture System. Examination of broad categories (i.e., pleasant, neutral, unpleasant) found no evidence for a negativity bias in two early components, the N1 and the Early Posterior Negativity (EPN), but revealed that unpleasant images did elicit a larger late positive potential (LPP) than pleasant pictures. However, images of erotica and mutilation elicited comparable LPP responses, as did affiliative and threatening images. Exciting (i.e., sports) images and disgusting images elicited smaller LPPs than other emotional images, similar to neutral images containing people-which were associated with the largest LPPs among neutral pictures. When these three anomalous categories (exciting, disgusting, and scenes with people) were excluded, unpleasant images no longer elicited a larger LPP than pleasant images. Thus, including exciting images in pleasant ERP averages disproportionately reduces the LPP. The present findings are discussed in light of the motivational significance of specific picture subtypes.

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Crossref · 10.1037/a0020242

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  • The LPP has been shown sensitive to biologically relevant information, such as the presentation of threatening information.

    “which has been shown sensitive to biologically relevant information, such as the presentation of threatening information33–36”
  • Early (<1000 ms) and late (>1000 ms) portions of the LPP may reflect partially distinct attentional processes, obligatory attentional allocation and deliberate elaboration, respectively.

    “Its early (<1,000 ms) and late (>1,000 ms) portions may reflect partially distinct attentional processes, that is, obligatory attentional allocation (Weinberg, & Hajcak, 2010) and deliberate elaboration (Foti, & Hajcak, 2008), respectively.”

    From Uncertainty increases neural indices of attention in obsessive-compulsive disorder (2017) · cites this paper as Weinberg, & Hajcak, 2010

  • Hypervigilance for unpredictable pictures was observed during earlier, predominantly obligatory processing.

    “Hypervigilance for unpredictable pictures was associated with anxiety and observed during earlier, predominantly obligatory processing (Carretie et al., 2004;Weinberg, & Hajcak, 2010), suggesting limited control.”

    From Uncertainty increases neural indices of attention in obsessive-compulsive disorder (2017) · cites this paper as Weinberg, & Hajcak, 2010

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Authors
Weinberg, A., & Hajcak, G.
Affiliations
Stony Brook University (US)
Venue
Emotion
Published
2010-12
Volume
10
Issue
6
Pages
767-782
ISSN
  • 1528-3542 (ISSN-L)
  • 1931-1516
OpenAlex
W2103047209
Cited by
425
References
92
Citations by year
2026: 21 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 31 · 2021: 31 · 2020: 30 · 2019: 33 · 2018: 20 · 2017: 45 · 2016: 33 · 2015: 30 · 2014: 25 · 2013: 26 · 2012: 27
FWCI
13.93
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Emotion (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Face Recognition and Perception
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
Keywords
negativity bias, event-related potentials, late positive potential, emotional valence, unpleasantness, erotic images, mutilation, disgust, International Affective Picture System, N1, early posterior negativity
MeSH terms
Brain, Electroencephalography, Emotions, Evoked Potentials, Female, Humans, Male, Visual Perception

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