Effect of empathy trait on attention to various facial expressions: evidence from N170 and late positive potential (LPP)

Journal of Physiological Anthropology

Shigeki Watanuki¹  Riko Matsumoto²  Yuka Egashira²  Midori Motoi²  Takayuki Nishimura³  Damee Choi² 

[1] Faculty of Design, Kyushu University, 4-9-1, Shiobaru, Minami-ku, Fukuoka 815-8540, Japan;Department of Kansei Science, Kyushu University, 4-9-1, Shiobaru, Minami-ku, Fukuoka 815-8540, Japan;Department of Public Health, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, 1-12-4 Sakamoto, Nagasaki, Japan

关键词: Face;    Attention;    Event-related potential;    N170;    Late positive potential;    Empathy;   

Others  :  861299
DOI  :  10.1186/1880-6805-33-18

 received in 2014-04-04, accepted in 2014-06-12,  发布年份 2014

【 摘 要 】

Background

The present study sought to clarify the relationship between empathy trait and attention responses to happy, angry, surprised, afraid, and sad facial expressions. As indices of attention, we recorded event-related potentials (ERP) and focused on N170 and late positive potential (LPP) components.

Methods

Twenty-two participants (12 males, 10 females) discriminated facial expressions (happy, angry, surprised, afraid, and sad) from emotionally neutral faces under an oddball paradigm. The empathy trait of participants was measured using the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI, J Pers Soc Psychol 44:113–126, 1983).

Results

Participants with higher IRI scores showed: 1) more negative amplitude of N170 (140 to 200 ms) in the right posterior temporal area elicited by happy, angry, surprised, and afraid faces; 2) more positive amplitude of early LPP (300 to 600 ms) in the parietal area elicited in response to angry and afraid faces; and 3) more positive amplitude of late LPP (600 to 800 ms) in the frontal area elicited in response to happy, angry, surprised, afraid, and sad faces, compared to participants with lower IRI scores.

Conclusions

These results suggest that individuals with high empathy pay attention to various facial expressions more than those with low empathy, from very-early stage (reflected in N170) to late-stage (reflected in LPP) processing of faces.

【 授权许可】

   
2014 Choi et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

【 图 表 】

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