362 research outputs found
How are affective word ratings related to lexicosemantic properties?:evidence from the Sussex Affective Word List
Emotional content of verbal material affects the speed of visual word recognition in various cognitive tasks, independently of lexicosemantic variables. However, little is known about how the dimensions of emotional arousal and valence interact with the lexicosemantic properties of words such as age of acquisition, familiarity, and imageability, that determine word recognition performance. This study aimed to examine these relationships using English ratings for affective and lexicosemantic features. Eighty-two native English speakers rated 300 words for emotional valence, arousal, familiarity, age of acquisition, and imageability. Although both dimensions of emotion were correlated with lexicosemantic variables, a unique emotion cluster produced the strongest quadratic relationship. This finding suggests that emotion should be included in models of word recognition as it is likely to make an independent contribution
Effects of valence and arousal on written word recognition:Time course and ERP correlates
Models of affect assume a two-dimensional framework, composed of emotional valence and arousal. Although neuroimaging evidence supports a neuro-functional distinction of their effects during single word processing, electrophysiological studies have not yet compared the effects of arousal within the same category of valence (positive and negative). Here we investigate effects of arousal and valence on written lexical decision. Amplitude differences between emotion and neutral words were seen in the early posterior negativity (EPN), the late positive complex and in a sustained slow positivity. In addition, trends towards interactive effects of valence and arousal were observed in the EPN, showing larger amplitude for positive, high-arousal and negative, low-arousal words. The results provide initial evidence for interactions between arousal and valence during processing of positive words and highlight the importance of both variables in studies of emotional stimulus processing. Crown Copyright (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved
Arousal and emotional valence interact in written word recognition
Behavioural, psychophysiological and neuroimaging studies reveal a prioritisation for emotional material in a variety of cognitive tasks. Although emotion is comprised of two dimensions (valence and arousal), previous research using verbal materials has mostly focused on valence, while controlling level of arousal. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of valence and arousal on lexical decision (LD) by manipulating both dimensions while controlling correlated psycholinguistic variables (e.g., word length, frequency, imageability). Results showed that valence and arousal affect word recognition in an interactive way: LD latencies are slower for positive high-arousal and negative low-arousal words compared to positive low-arousal and negative high-arousal words, in line with an approach-withdrawal tendency model. Furthermore, principal component analysis (PCA) on the latencies revealed a unique contribution of a distinct cluster of emotion variables, independent of lexico-semantic variables, to explaining written word recognition. We conclude that the dimensions of valence and arousal both need to be taken into account in studies of emotion word processing as they have an interactive relationship
Observation of an optical non-Fermi-liquid behavior in the heavy fermion state of YbRhSi
We report far-infrared optical properties of YbRhSi for photon
energies down to 2 meV and temperatures 0.4 -- 300 K. In the coherent heavy
quasiparticle state, a linear dependence of the low-energy scattering rate on
both temperature and photon energy was found. We relate this distinct dynamical
behavior different from that of Fermi liquid materials to the non-Fermi liquid
nature of YbRhSi which is due to its close vicinity to an
antiferromagnetic quantum critical point.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figures. submitte
Intensified Neuronal Investment in the Processing of Chemosensory Anxiety Signals in Non-Socially Anxious and Socially Anxious Individuals
BACKGROUND: The ability to communicate anxiety through chemosensory signals has been documented in humans by behavioral, perceptual and brain imaging studies. Here, we investigate in a time-sensitive manner how chemosensory anxiety signals, donated by humans awaiting an academic examination, are processed by the human brain, by analyzing chemosensory event-related potentials (CSERPs, 64-channel recording with current source density analysis). METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In the first study cerebral stimulus processing was recorded from 28 non-socially anxious participants and in the second study from 16 socially anxious individuals. Each individual participated in two sessions, smelling sweat samples donated from either female or male donors (88 sessions; balanced session order). Most of the participants of both studies were unable to detect the stimuli olfactorily. In non-socially anxious females, CSERPs demonstrate an increased magnitude of the P3 component in response to chemosensory anxiety signals. The source of this P3 activity was allocated to medial frontal brain areas. In socially anxious females chemosensory anxiety signals require more neuronal resources during early pre-attentive stimulus processing (N1). The neocortical sources of this activity were located within medial and lateral frontal brain areas. In general, the event-related neuronal brain activity in males was much weaker than in females. However, socially anxious males processed chemosensory anxiety signals earlier (N1 latency) than the control stimuli collected during an ergometer training. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: It is concluded that the processing of chemosensory anxiety signals requires enhanced neuronal energy. Socially anxious individuals show an early processing bias towards social fear signals, resulting in a repression of late attentional stimulus processing
Gravitating Instantons In 3 Dimensions
We study the Einstein-Chern-Simons gravity coupled to Yang-Mills-Higgs theory
in three dimensional Euclidean space with cosmological constant. The classical
equations reduce to Bogomol'nyi type first order equations in curved space.
There are BPS type gauge theory instanton (monopole) solutions of finite action
in a gravitational instanton which itself has a finite action. We also discuss
gauge theory instantons in the vacuum (zero action) AdS space. In addition we
point out to some exact solutions which are singular.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures, title has changed, gravitational instanton
actions are adde
Single crystal growth of YbRh2Si2 and YbIr2Si2
We report on the single crystal growth of the heavy-fermion compounds
YbRh2Si2 and YbIr2Si2 using a high-temperature indium-flux technique. The
optimization of the initial composition and the temperature-time profile lead
to large (up to 100 mg) and clean (\rho_0=0.5 \mu\Omega cm) single crystals of
YbRh2Si2. Low-temperature resistivity measurements revealed a sample dependent
temperature exponent below 10 K, which for the samples with highest quality
deviates from a linear-in-T behaviour. Furthermore, we grew single crystals of
the alloy series Yb(Rh_(1-x)Ir_x)2Si2 with 0<x<0.23 and report the structural
details. For pure YbIr2Si2, we establish the formation of two crystallographic
modifications, where the magnetic 4f-electrons have different physical ground
states.Comment: Invited paper for the Symposium on `Design, Discovery and Growth of
Novel Materials' in the Philosophical Magazin
The HERMES Back Drift Chambers
The tracking system of the HERMES spectrometer behind the bending magnet
consists of two pairs of large planar 6-plane drift chambers. The design and
performance of these chambers is described. This description comprises details
on the mechanical and electronical design, information about the gas mixture
used and its properties, results on alignment, calibration, resolution, and
efficiencies, and a discussion of the experience gained through the first three
years of operation.Comment: 21 pages, LaTex, 16 figures include
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