Affective picture processing is modulated by emotion word type in masked priming paradigm: an event-related potential study. Issue 3 (2nd April 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wu, Chenggang; Zhang, Juan; Yuan, Zhen
• Is Part Of: Journal of cognitive psychology. Volume 32:Issue 3(2020)
• Page Start: 287
• Page End: 297
• Publication Date: 2020-04-02
• Subjects: Emotion word -- emotion word type -- emotion-label words -- emotion-laden words -- affective picture; Cognitive psychology -- Periodicals; 153.05
• DOI: 10.1080/20445911.2020.1745816
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2044-5911

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Although a large body of research demonstrates the role of language in emotion processing (e.g. emotional facial expressions), how emotion-laden words (e.g. poison, reward) and emotion-label words (e.g. fear, satisfaction) differently impact affective picture processing is not clear. Emotion-label words label affective states straightforwardly, whereas emotion-laden words engender emotion via reflection. The current study adopted the masked priming paradigm to examine how Chinese emotion-laden words and emotion-label words distinctively influence affective picture processing. Twenty Chinese speakers decided the valence of the pictures with their cortical responses recorded. Emotion-label words facilitated affective picture evaluation behaviourally. Moreover, pictures that were preceded by emotion-laden words generated larger electrophysiological activation than those preceded by emotion-label words. Combined behavioural and ERP evidence revealed that emotion word type modulated affective picture processing, suggesting different roles of emotion-laden and emotion-label words in how emotion is shaped by language.