A2 Review article, Literature review, Systematic review
Negative and Positive Bias for Emotional Faces : Evidence from the Attention and Working Memory Paradigms (2021)

Xu, Q., Ye, C., Gu, S., Hu, Z., Lei, Y., Li, X., Huang, L., & Liu, Q. (2021). Negative and Positive Bias for Emotional Faces : Evidence from the Attention and Working Memory Paradigms. Neural Plasticity, 2021, Article 8851066. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/8851066

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Xu, Qianru; Ye, Chaoxiong; Gu, Simeng; Hu, Zhonghua; Lei, Yi; Li, Xueyan; Huang, Lihui; Liu, Qiang

Parent publication editors: Terao Yasuo

Journal or series: Neural Plasticity

ISSN: 2090-5904

eISSN: 1687-5443

Publication year: 2021

Publication date: 27/05/2021

Volume: 2021

Article number: 8851066

Publisher: Hindawi Publishing Corporation

Publication country: Egypt

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/8851066

Publication open access: Openly available

Publication channel open access: Open Access channel

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/76496

Abstract

Visual attention and visual working memory (VWM) are two major cognitive functions in humans, and they have much in common. A growing body of research has investigated the effect of emotional information on visual attention and VWM. Interestingly, contradictory findings have supported both a negative bias and a positive bias toward emotional faces (e.g., angry faces or happy faces) in the attention and VWM fields. We found that the classical paradigms—that is, the visual search paradigm in attention and the change detection paradigm in VWM—are considerably similar. The settings of these paradigms could therefore be responsible for the contradictory results. In this paper, we compare previous controversial results from behavioral and neuroscience studies using these two paradigms. We suggest three possible contributing factors that have significant impacts on the contradictory conclusions regarding different emotional bias effects; these factors are stimulus choice, experimental setting, and cognitive process. We also propose new research directions and guidelines for future studies.

Keywords: attention; working memory; visual memory; stimuli (role related to effect); face; facial expressions; emotions; cognitive neuroscience

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Ministry reporting: Yes

Reporting Year: 2021

JUFO rating: 1