Effect of perceived gaze direction on emotion processing

描述(由申请者提供)：本研究的主要目的是研究眼睛注视方向对面部情感加工的影响。之前对凝视和面部情感知觉的研究都是独立进行的。然而，有充分的理由相信，这些线索共享一个潜在的信号值，要么接近，要么回避。具体地说，直接的眼神凝视有助于感知和发现面孔交流的愤怒，而回避的眼神凝视则有助于感知和检测面孔交流的恐惧。提出了研究的四个阶段。使用反应时和记忆范式，第一阶段研究了直接和转移的眼睛注视促进或抑制愤怒和恐惧表情的处理的概念。阶段2利用视觉搜索范式来探索这些线索的组合加工是天生准备的可能性。阶段3，研究杏仁核在处理面对面交流的愤怒和恐惧，以及直接和回避的目光注视中的作用。最后，阶段4通过讨论面部情感的作用，扩展了先前存在的关于共同注意的文献。总的来说，这项研究将1)帮助解决面部情感知觉领域长期存在的争议，2)将两个看似不同的研究路线(视觉调节注意力和面部情感)联系在一起，3)帮助理论家更好地理解自闭症和精神分裂症等精神病理疾病，以及以非语言线索处理问题为特征的局限性大脑损伤，如杏仁核切断术。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The primary goal of the proposed research is to examine the effect that perceived eye gaze direction has on the processing of facial affect. Previous research efforts examining gaze and facial affect perception have been conducted independently. However, there is good reason believe that these cues share an underlying signal value of either approach or avoidance. Specifically, it is hypothesized that direct eye gaze will facilitate the perception and detection of facially communicated anger, whereas averted eye gaze will facilitate the perception and detection of facially communicated fear. Four phases of research are proposed. Using reaction time and memory paradigms, Phase 1 investigates the notion that direct and averted eye gaze facilitate or inhibit the processing of anger and fear expressions. Phase 2 utilizes a visual search paradigm to explore the possibility that the combined processing of these cues is innately prepared. Phase 3, investigates the role of the amygdala in processing facially communicated anger and fear combined with direct versus averted eye gaze. Finally, Phase 4 extends a pre-existing literature on joint attention by addressing the role of facial affect. Broadly, this research will 1) help resolve longstanding controversies in the field of facial affect perception, 2) tie together two seemingly disparate lines of research (visually mediated attention and facial affect), and 3) help theorists better understand psychopathological disorders such as autism and schizophrenia, and localized brain lesions such as amygdalotomy that are marked by problems in the processing of nonverbal facial cues.