Identity and expression processing during classical conditioning with faces |
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| Authors: | Maimu A. Rehbein Javier Moltó Rosario Poy Raül López‐Penadés Markus Junghöfer |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Institute for Biomagnetism and Biosignalanalysis, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany;2. Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, GermanyMaimu Rehbein and Maria Carmen Pastor contributed equally to this study.;3. Department of Basic and Clinical Psychology, and Psychobiology, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón de la Plana, Spain;4. Department of Applied Pedagogy and Educational Psychology, Universitat de les Illes Balears, Palma de Mallorca, Spain;5. Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany |
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| Abstract: | ![]()
In classical conditioning, conditioned responses (CRs) to aversively paired (CS+) relative to unpaired (CS‐) face images are often interpreted in terms of the specific individual displayed in the CS + face image having adopted an aversive emotional connotation. This interpretation requires conditioning to rely on an association between CS + face identity and the occurrence of the aversive event (UCS). Here, we tested this requirement assuming that if an association between CS + face identity and UCS occurrence is established, CRs to originally conditioned face images should transfer to novel images of same‐identity faces. Forty‐eight participants underwent MultiCS conditioning with eight neutral faces as CSs and electric shock as UCS. Central, peripheral, evaluative, and behavioral CRs signaled successful emotional learning (as reported in Pastor et al., 2015). Behavioral and EEG responses of consecutive passive viewing showed enhanced reactions to novel angry and happy expressions of previously shocked CS + versus nonshocked CS‐ identities, indicating successful CR transfer within the dimension of face identity. Investigating the nature of CR transfer, EEG revealed an interaction of identity and expression information during face processing that followed emotional congruency (i.e., stronger reactions to congruent angry CS + and happy CS‐ vs. incongruent angry CS‐ and happy CS + compounds). While correlates of transfer appeared in late and midlatency time intervals, the congruency interaction became significant within the first 100 ms of face processing. Our results suggest conditioning to rely on an association of UCS occurrence with CS + identity and point to fast dynamic interrelations between identity and expression processing. |
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| Keywords: | classical conditioning EEG ERPs expression faces identity |
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