Single-trial ERP evidence for the three-stage scheme of facial expression processing  

作　　者：ZHANG DanDan LUO WenBo LUO YueJia 

机构地区：[1]Institute of Affective and Social Neuroscience, Shenzhen University [2]State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University [3]School of Psychology, Liaoning Normal University [4]Laboratory of Cognition and Mental Health, Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences [5]Sichuan Research Center of Applied Psychology, Chengdu Medical College

出　　处：《Science China(Life Sciences)》2013年第9期835-847,共13页中国科学（生命科学英文版）

基　　金：supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31170984, 31000503, 91132704);National Basic Research Program of China (2011CB711000)

摘　　要：Using a rapid serial visual presentation paradigm, we previously showed that the average amplitudes of six event-related potential (ERP) components were affected by different categories of emotional faces. In the current study, we investigated the six discriminating components on a single-trial level to clarify whether the amplitude difference between experimental conditions results from a difference in the real variability of single-trial amplitudes or from latency jitter across trials. It is found that there were consistent amplitude differences in the single-trial P1, N170, VPP, N3, and P3 components, demonstrating that a substantial proportion of the average amplitude differences can be explained by the pure variability in amplitudes on a single-trial basis between experimental conditions. These single-trial results verified the three-stage scheme of facial expression processing beyond multitrial ERP averaging, and showed the three processing stages of "fear popup", "emotional/unemotional discrimination", and "complete separation" based on the single-trial ERP dynamics.Using a rapid serial visual presentation paradigm, we previously showed that the average amplitudes of six event-related potential （ERP） components were affected by different categories of emotional faces. In the current study, we investigated the six discriminating components on a single-trial level to clarify whether the amplitude difference between experimental conditions results from a difference in the real variability of single-trial amplitudes or from latency jitter across trials. It is found that there were consistent amplitude differences in the single-trial P1, N170, VPP, N3, and P3 components, demonstrating that a substantial proportion of the average amplitude differences can be explained by the pure variability in amplitudes on a single-trial basis between experimental conditions. These single-trial results verified the three-stage scheme of facial expression processing beyond multitrial ERP averaging, and showed the three processing stages of ＂fear popup＂, ＂emotional/unemotional discrimination＂, and ＂complete separation＂ based on the single-trial ERP dynamics.

关 键 词：facial expression single trial event-related potential （ERP） three stages 

分 类 号：B845.1[哲学宗教—心理学]