The experience of being socially accepted or rejected can elicit different changes in heart rate reactivity of both children and adults. In addition, personal characteristics like aggressive...Show moreThe experience of being socially accepted or rejected can elicit different changes in heart rate reactivity of both children and adults. In addition, personal characteristics like aggressive behavior may influence this reaction. This study examined whether heart rate reactivity of four-to-seven-year-old children differed during the processing of positive, negative and neutral social judgments, and whether aggression levels were related to heart rate reactivity during the processing of social judgments. Heart rate and behavioral data of 29 children was collected during an adjusted version of the Social Judgment Task. Results showed significant differences in the behavioral responses to negative and neutral judgments, compared to the responses to positive judgments. No significant differences were found in heart rate reactivity during the three conditions. These results indicate that children do distinguish between the three conditions, but their heart rate reactivity might not be influenced by the content of the feedback yet. Additionally aggression seems to be related to heart rate reactivity during the positive and negative condition. These findings suggest that heart rate reactivity in response to social judgments might develop throughout childhood, while aggression levels already influence heart rate reactivity in young children.Show less
This was the first study to concentrate on the relationship between endogenous oxytocin levels and the effect of emotion on the N170 and whether negative parenting experiences during childhood...Show moreThis was the first study to concentrate on the relationship between endogenous oxytocin levels and the effect of emotion on the N170 and whether negative parenting experiences during childhood moderated this relationship. The sample consisted of 50 female participants, aged 18-30 years old. First, the relationship between oxytocin levels and the effect of emotion on the N170 was examined. In addition, the relationship between negative parenting experiences and the effect of emotion on the N170 was examined. Last, the possible moderating effect of negative parenting experiences on the relationship between the natural oxytocin levels and the effect of emotion on the N170 was examined. The parental love withdrawal questionnaire and an adapted version of the Conflict Tactic Scales (CTS; harsh discipline) were used to measure negative parenting (Huffmeijer, Alink, Tops, Grewen, Light, Bakermans-Kranenburg, Van IJzendoorn, 2013; Straus and Hamby, 1997). To study the effect of emotion on the N170, participants’ ERPs were studied in response to pictures showing emotional faces presented with feedback stimuli during an experimental task. Endogenous oxytocin levels were measured using saliva samples. Results suggested an interaction effect of high parental love withdrawal on the N170, meaning that participants who reported high love withdrawal showed higher amplitudes on the N170 in response to emotional faces than participants who reported low love withdrawal. This was in particular the case for the N170 over the left hemisphere. This may be due to the fact that experiences of love withdrawal may cause higher levels of fear of failure and the emotional faces were presented in combination with feedback stimuli. Differences in endogenous oxytocin levels or harsh discipline did not cause differences in the effect of emotion on the N170.Show less
Frontal EEG asymmetry is a phenomenon that appears to be associated with approach/withdrawal motivation or behaviors in response to an emotionally evocative stimulus, even in infants (Davidson,...Show moreFrontal EEG asymmetry is a phenomenon that appears to be associated with approach/withdrawal motivation or behaviors in response to an emotionally evocative stimulus, even in infants (Davidson, 1982; Fox et al., 1987; Fox et al., 1988; Spielberg et al., 2008). This thesis tested whether infants showed relatively greater left frontal asymmetry watching a supposedly positively valenced animation, and relatively greater right frontal asymmetry watching a supposedly negatively valenced animation. Also, the association between frontal EEG asymmetry of the infants and sensitivity of their mothers was tested. The infants did not show significantly stronger left frontal or right frontal asymmetry in response to a positively valenced or a negatively valenced situation. Only the left hemisphere showed a marginal (though non-significant) decrease of activity between the positively and negatively valenced animations. No association between frontal EEG asymmetry of the infants and sensitivity of their mothers was found. Even though no significant associations were found, the results suggest that, in more extensive or thorough research, effects of watching different emotionally valenced situations on frontal EEG asymmetry in infants may still be observed. Further research is needed.Show less
Emotions have motivating characteristics: either you approach or withdraw in reaction to emotional stimuli. This approach-withdrawal system has been the focus of emotion studies for several decades...Show moreEmotions have motivating characteristics: either you approach or withdraw in reaction to emotional stimuli. This approach-withdrawal system has been the focus of emotion studies for several decades now. Asymmetric frontal cortical activity has been widely used in these studies, using electroencephalogram (EEG). Two separate neural circuits are involved in different emotional reactions. The first is involved in emotional reactions that are more positive and elicit goals to approach or engage in a situation, and the second is involved in emotional reactions that are more negative and elicit goals to withdraw from a situation. Recently, another measurement has been hypothesized to be related to emotion, and particularly the approach-withdrawal system, namely tympanic membrane temperature (TMT). TMT would be a powerful instrument to use as an alternative for EEG, particularly in infant research. However it is not yet clear if a relationship between EEG and TMT exist, which is analysed in this study. A relationship between those two measurements means that TMT might be of use in emotion studies. This is of great importance, because TMT is less invasive and can be easily used in research. The study population consisted of 18 infants of 10 months old. The current study used EEG to measure asymmetric frontal cortical activity and TMT was measured using an ear thermometer. The findings suggest that no relationship can be found between TMT and EEG, indicating that TMT does not measure the same thing as EEG. Hence, the hypothesis that TMT is a cheaper and easier replacement for EEG measurements cannot be endorsed in light of present data.Show less
