Data_Sheet_1_Virtual Reality Experiments on Emotional Face Recognition Find No Evidence of Mood-Congruent Effects.xls

Mood-congruent effects have been demonstrated many times, but few studies have managed to replicate the effect with natural moods. Additionally, the ecological validity of mood induction and real-time observation deficiency remain unresolved. Using a newly developed, virtual-reality-based eye-tracking technique, the present study conducted real-time observations of mood effects on emotional face recognition with simulated “real-life” pleasant and grisly scenes. In experiment 1, participants performed an emotional face recognition task in both positive and negative virtual reality scenes. The recognition tests and gaze tracking results failed to support mood-congruent effects but did show a mood effect independent of a strong emotional face effect. In experiment 2, participants performed a neutral face recognition task in pleasant and grisly scenes that were matched for arousal levels, and the mood effect disappeared. The results also revealed a robust negativity bias in emotional face recognition, which was found to accompany a mood repair effect.

情绪一致性效应虽已多次得到证实，然鲜有研究能够以自然情绪成功复现该效应。此外，情绪诱导的生态效度与实时观察的缺陷问题仍悬而未决。本研究利用一种新近开发的、基于虚拟现实的眼动追踪技术，对情绪对情感面孔识别的影响进行了实时观察，并模拟了“现实生活”中的愉悦与阴郁场景。在实验1中，参与者于积极与消极的虚拟现实场景中执行情感面孔识别任务。识别测试与眼动追踪结果未能支持情绪一致性效应，但显示出一种独立于强烈情感面孔效应的情绪效应。在实验2中，参与者于兴奋程度相匹配的愉悦与阴郁场景中执行中性面孔识别任务，情绪效应随之消失。研究亦揭示出情感面孔识别中一种稳健的负面偏见，该偏见被发现伴随情绪修复效应。