Presentation Title
Left or Right Valence Bias: Do Representations in the Visual Hemifield Influence Decisions?
Faculty Mentor
Jesse J. Bengson
Start Date
18-11-2017 12:30 PM
End Date
18-11-2017 1:30 PM
Location
BSC-Ursa Minor 26
Session
Poster 2
Type of Presentation
Poster
Subject Area
behavioral_social_sciences
Abstract
Previous literature has established an association of hemispheric asymmetry with negative and positive emotions (Adolphs et al, 1996). Observations have been based on lateralized activation of frontal cerebral regions (Davidson & Fox, 1982), however no known study provides evidence regarding the contribution of the visual cortex in the phenomenon. Observations from our previous study reveal early lateralized differences in activation of the visual cortex during an emotion-related decision-making task. Using a divided visual field task, combined with a variation of an attention paradigm (Bengson et al, 2015; Posner et al, 1980), an arbitrary cue was randomly presented at either the right or left hemifield in each trial. Prompted by the cue, participants decided to expect something happy or sad. We hypothesized that participants would decide to expect something happy when the cue was presented in the right hemifield and something sad when the cue was presented in the left hemifield. Results of the data are pending analysis, please see poster for conclusions.
Keywords: decision-making, vision, visual perception, emotion, visual hemifield
Summary of research results to be presented
Our results are pending analysis, we currently have data from 46 participants and will have results ready by the time of the poster presentation.
Left or Right Valence Bias: Do Representations in the Visual Hemifield Influence Decisions?
BSC-Ursa Minor 26
Previous literature has established an association of hemispheric asymmetry with negative and positive emotions (Adolphs et al, 1996). Observations have been based on lateralized activation of frontal cerebral regions (Davidson & Fox, 1982), however no known study provides evidence regarding the contribution of the visual cortex in the phenomenon. Observations from our previous study reveal early lateralized differences in activation of the visual cortex during an emotion-related decision-making task. Using a divided visual field task, combined with a variation of an attention paradigm (Bengson et al, 2015; Posner et al, 1980), an arbitrary cue was randomly presented at either the right or left hemifield in each trial. Prompted by the cue, participants decided to expect something happy or sad. We hypothesized that participants would decide to expect something happy when the cue was presented in the right hemifield and something sad when the cue was presented in the left hemifield. Results of the data are pending analysis, please see poster for conclusions.
Keywords: decision-making, vision, visual perception, emotion, visual hemifield