Early Neural Markers of Implicit Attitudes: N170 Modulated by Intergroup and Evaluative Contexts in IAT

The Implicit Association Test (IAT) is the most popular measure to evaluate implicit attitudes. Nevertheless, its neural correlates are not yet fully understood. We examined event related potentials (ERPs) in response to face- and word processing while indigenous and non-indigenous participants performed an IAT displaying faces (ingroup and outgroup members) and words (positive and negative valence) as targets of category judgments. The N170 component was modulated by valence of words and by ingroup/outgroup face categorization. Contextual effects (face–words implicitly associated in the task) had an influence on the N170 amplitude modulation. On the one hand, in face categorization, right N170 showed differences according to the association between social categories of faces and affective valence of words. On the other, in word categorization, left N170 presented a similar modulation when the task implied a negative-valence associated with ingroup faces. Only indigenous participants showed a significant IAT effect and N170 differences. Our results demonstrate an early ERP blending of stimuli processing with both intergroup and evaluative contexts, suggesting an integration of contextual information related to intergroup attitudes during the early stages of word and face processing. To our knowledge, this is the first report of early ERPs during an ethnicity IAT, opening a new branch of exchange between social neuroscience and social psychology of attitudes

Facial and semantic emotional interference: A pilot study on the behavioral and cortical responses to the dual valence association task

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Integration of compatible or incompatible emotional valence and semantic information is an essential aspect of complex social interactions. A modified version of the Implicit Association Test (IAT) called Dual Valence Association Task (DVAT) was designed in order to measure conflict resolution processing from compatibility/incompatibly of semantic and facial valence. The DVAT involves two emotional valence evaluative tasks which elicits two forms of emotional compatible/incompatible associations (facial and semantic).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Behavioural measures and Event Related Potentials were recorded while participants performed the DVAT.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Behavioural data showed a robust effect that distinguished compatible/incompatible tasks. The effects of valence and contextual association (between facial and semantic stimuli) showed early discrimination in N170 of faces. The LPP component was modulated by the compatibility of the DVAT.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Results suggest that DVAT is a robust paradigm for studying the emotional interference effect in the processing of simultaneous information from semantic and facial stimuli.</p

Applauding with Closed Hands: Neural Signature of Action-Sentence Compatibility Effects

BACKGROUND: Behavioral studies have provided evidence for an action-sentence compatibility effect (ACE) that suggests a coupling of motor mechanisms and action-sentence comprehension. When both processes are concurrent, the action sentence primes the actual movement, and simultaneously, the action affects comprehension. The aim of the present study was to investigate brain markers of bidirectional impact of language comprehension and motor processes. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Participants listened to sentences describing an action that involved an open hand, a closed hand, or no manual action. Each participant was asked to press a button to indicate his/her understanding of the sentence. Each participant was assigned a hand-shape, either closed or open, which had to be used to activate the button. There were two groups (depending on the assigned hand-shape) and three categories (compatible, incompatible and neutral) defined according to the compatibility between the response and the sentence. ACEs were found in both groups. Brain markers of semantic processing exhibited an N400-like component around the Cz electrode position. This component distinguishes between compatible and incompatible, with a greater negative deflection for incompatible. Motor response elicited a motor potential (MP) and a re-afferent potential (RAP), which are both enhanced in the compatible condition. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The present findings provide the first ACE cortical measurements of semantic processing and the motor response. N400-like effects suggest that incompatibility with motor processes interferes in sentence comprehension in a semantic fashion. Modulation of motor potentials (MP and RAP) revealed a multimodal semantic facilitation of the motor response. Both results provide neural evidence of an action-sentence bidirectional relationship. Our results suggest that ACE is not an epiphenomenal post-sentence comprehension process. In contrast, motor-language integration occurring during the verb onset supports a genuine and ongoing brain motor-language interaction

Size and probability of rewards modulate the feedback error-related negativity associated with wins but not losses in a monetarily rewarded gambling task

Feedback error-related negativity (fERN) has been referred to as a negative deflection in the event related potential (ERP), which distinguishes between wins and losses in terms of expected and unexpected outcomes. Some studies refer to the “expected outcome” as the probability to win vs. to lose, and others as expected size of rewards. We still do not know much about whether these alternative interpretations of “expected outcome” affect the fERN in a different manner, nor do we know the effect of their interaction in an expected value fashion. We set a gambling task with four game categories; two had the same expected value, while the other two categories were equivalent to the first ones, but alternatively in the size or probability of the offered rewards. Results show that fERN preceded by a P200, and followed by a Pe-like wave differentiates between losing in the category with a higher expected value and the rest of the experimental conditions. fERN differentiates between wins and losses, but changes in the size and probability of rewards impact the fERN amplitude only in win conditions. Results also show greater positivity following win feedback when the size and/or probability of the outcome rewards were higher, so that the higher the expected value the greater the positivity following win feedback. Our findings support the notion that both the probability and size of the offered rewards modulate the motivational value for the win feedback, this being also true for their interaction in an expected value fashion.This research was partially supported by a CONICET grant and by a Neuroscience Grant CG090325006 (Diego Portales University) to A.I

Gesture influences the processing of figurative language in non-native speakers: ERP evidence

Gestures should play a role in second language comprehension, given their importance in conveying contextual information. In this study, the N400 and the LPC were evaluated in a task involving the observation of videos showing utterances accompanied by gestures. Students studying advanced (G-High participants) and basic German (G-Low participants) as a second language were investigated. The utterance-gesture congruence and metaphoric meaning of content were manipulated during the task. As in previous ERP reports with native speakers, metaphorical expressions were sensitive to gestures. In G-Low participants, no modulation in the 300-500 ms window was observed, and only a modest effect was observed for the 500-700 ms window. More subtle differences of verbal expression were not processed in this group. Consistent with previous reports of the same paradigm with native speakers, the N400 from G-High group discriminated both congruent and incongruent gestures as well as literal and metaphorical sentences. Our results suggest that semantic processing is robust in the learning of a second language, although the amplitude modulation and latency of ERPs might depend on the speaker's proficiency level. © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.Fil: Ibáñez Barassi, Agustín Mariano. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva. Fundación Favaloro. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva; Argentina. Universidad Diego Portales; ChileFil: Manes, Facundo Francisco. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva. Fundación Favaloro. Instituto de Neurociencia Cognitiva; ArgentinaFil: Escobar, Josefina. Universidad Diego Portales; Chile. Universidad Católica de Chile; ChileFil: Trujillo, Natalia. Universidad de Antioquia; ColombiaFil: Andreucci, Paola. Universidad Diego Portales; Chile. Universidad Católica de Chile; ChileFil: Hurtado, Esteban. Universidad Diego Portales; Chile. Universidad Católica de Chile; Chil

Aproximaciones múltiples al estudio de Lama guanicoe, especie de valor biocultural para la provincia de Córdoba

El presente proyecto tiene por objetivo generar información novedosa que permita profundizar la comprensión acerca de las interacciones entre personas y guanacos (Lama guanicoe) a lo largo del tiempo en una región espacialmente acotada de la actual provincia de Córdoba (Chaco Árido). Los guanacos han cumplido un importante rol, tanto simbólico como económico, para los grupos humanos que habitaron el actual territorio cordobés desde el límite Pleistoceno/Holoceno e incluso hasta la actualidad. No obstante, la colonización española y los drásticos cambios sociales y ambientales que se produjeron desde entonces, agudizándose aún más con la expansión capitalista, implicaron un fuerte impacto para las poblaciones de guanacos que otrora habitaban gran parte del actual territorio provincial. Hoy, la única población de esta especie registrada en la provincia se encuentra aislada en los bordes perisalinos del noroeste de Córdoba (Depto. Minas). Además, dentro del área de estudio existen numerosas evidencias de arte rupestre con motivos zoomorfos de camélidos (por ej., Loma Negra) que dan cuenta de la importancia que han tenido estos ungulados para los grupos humanos que vivieron allí en el pasado. Esto, sumado al preocupante estado de conservación de esta población, reviste a su estudio de capital importancia. La estrategia de investigación propuesta busca confluir diversas miradas para enriquecer el estudio de esta población relictual de guanacos y de su relación con los humanos, tanto en la actualidad como en el pasado. En razón de estos objetivos, incorpora métodos arqueológicos relacionados a la etnozooarqueología, la zooarqueología y el estudio de manifestaciones rupestres. Entre estos se cuentan la observación participante y entrevistas semi-estructuradas, el seguimiento de carcasas y el análisis cuantitativo y cualitativo de restos óseos faunísticos; y la prospección y relevamiento de manifestaciones rupestres. Además, la estrategia de trabajo incorpora estudios que apuntan a conocer mejor el status de conservación de la especie y su valor biocultural actual, incluyendo métodos provenientes de la biología de la conservación, la genética de poblaciones y la etnobiología. Se espera que la interdisciplinariedad que caracteriza a este proyecto genere, por un lado, información sobre los cambios y continuidades que ha sufrido la relación entre humanos y guanacos a lo largo del tiempo y, por el otro, actualice el conocimiento sobre una especie bandera para la conservación provincial. En pos de mejorar las estrategias de manejo de estos ungulados, consideramos necesario incorporar los saberes tradicionales locales en los planes de conservación. Asimismo, se pretende poner en valor las prácticas culturales asociadas a estos camélidos (por ej., medicina tradicional), que dan cuenta de la larga data de las interacciones entre humanos y guanacos, especie que debería ser considerada patrimonio biocultural de la provincia de Córdoba.Por último, a sabiendas de que actualmente solo se aceptan dos subespecies de guanacos, L. guanicoe cacsilensis (peruana) y las poblaciones restantes agrupadas en el clado reconocido como L. g. guanicoe (González et al. 2006), entendemos que los guanacos del Chaco cordobés podrían representar un ecotipo particular (Costa y Barri 2018), hipótesis que deberá ser contrastada con los resultados de nuevos análisis genéticos y osteométricos.The aim of this project is to generate new information that will deepen the understanding of the interactions between people and guanacos (Lama guanicoe) over time in a spatially limited region of the current province of Córdoba (Chaco Árido). The guanacos have played an important role in the subsistence of the human groups that inhabited the current territory of Cordoba from the Pleistocene/Holocene limit and even to the present. However, the Spanish colonization and the drastic social and environmental changes that occurred since then, sharpening even more in industrial times, implied a strong impact for the populations of guanacos that once inhabited much of the current provincial territory. Today, the only population of this species recorded in the province is isolated on the perisaline edges of northwest Córdoba (Departamento Minas). (eg, Loma Negra) that show the importance that these ungulates had for the human groups that lived there in the past. This, added to the worrying state of conservation of this population, makes its study of capital importance. The proposed research strategy seeks to bring together diverse perspectives to enrich the study of this relictual population of guanacos and their relationship with humans, both now and in the past. In view of these objectives, it incorporates archaeological methods related to ethnozooarchaeology, zooarchaeology and the study of rock art. These include participant observation and semi-structured interviews, the monitoring of carcasses and the quantitative and qualitative analysis of faunal bone remains; and the prospection and survey of rock manifestations. In addition, the study strategy incorporates studies that aim to better understand the conservation status of the species and its current biocultural value, including methods from conservation biology, population genetics and ethnobiology. It is expected that the interdisciplinarity that characterizes this project will generate, on the one hand, information about the changes and continuities that the relationship between humans and guanacos has suffered over time, and, on the other, update the knowledge about a flag species for the provincial conservation. In order to improve the management strategies of these ungulates, we consider it necessary to incorporate traditional local knowledge into conservation plans. The project also aims to highlight the cultural practices associated with these camelids (eg, traditional medicine), which account for the long-standing interactions between humans and guanacos, a species that should be considered biocultural heritage of the province of Córdoba. Finally, knowing that currently only two subspecies of guanacos are accepted, L. guanicoe cacsilensis (Peruvian) and the remaining populations grouped in the clade recognized as L. g. guanicoe (González et al., 2006), we understand that the guanacos of Cordoba's Chaco could represent a particular ecotype (Costa and Barri 2018), a hypothesis that should be contrasted with the results of new genetic and osteometric analyzes.Fil: Silva Ferreira Da Costa, Thiago. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades; Argentina.Fil: Silva Ferreira Da Costa, Thiago. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Antropología de Córdoba; Argentina.Fil: Barri, Fernando Rafael. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; Argentina.Fil: Barri, Fernando Rafael. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal; Argentina.Fil: Mignino, Julián. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades; Argentina.Fil: Mignino, Julián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Antropología de Córdoba; Argentina.Fil: Nores, Rodrigo. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades; Argentina.Fil: Nores, Rodrigo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Antropología de Córdoba; Argentina.Fil: Rabboni, Nicolás Emilio. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades; Argentina.Fil: Castro, Lucila. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; Argentina.Fil: Castro, Lucila. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal; Argentina.Fil: Weihmüller, María Paula. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades; Argentina.Fil: Weihmüller, María Paula. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Antropología de Córdoba; Argentina.Fil: Manzano-García, Jessica. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades; ArgentinaFil: Manzano-García, Jessica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Antropología de Córdoba; Argentina

Aproximaciones múltiples al estudio de Lama guanicoe, especie de valor biocultural para la provincia de Córdoba

El presente proyecto tiene por objetivo generar información novedosa que permita profundizar la comprensión acerca de las interacciones entre personas y guanacos (Lama guanicoe) a lo largo del tiempo en una región espacialmente acotada de la actual provincia de Córdoba (Chaco Árido). Los guanacos han cumplido un importante rol, tanto simbólico como económico, para los grupos humanos que habitaron el actual territorio cordobés desde el límite Pleistoceno/Holoceno e incluso hasta la actualidad. No obstante, la colonización española y los drásticos cambios sociales y ambientales que se produjeron desde entonces, agudizándose aún más con la expansión capitalista, implicaron un fuerte impacto para las poblaciones de guanacos que otrora habitaban gran parte del actual territorio provincial. Hoy, la única población de esta especie registrada en la provincia se encuentra aislada en los bordes perisalinos del noroeste de Córdoba (Depto. Minas). Además, dentro del área de estudio existen numerosas evidencias de arte rupestre con motivos zoomorfos de camélidos (por ej., Loma Negra) que dan cuenta de la importancia que han tenido estos ungulados para los grupos humanos que vivieron allí en el pasado. Esto, sumado al preocupante estado de conservación de esta población, reviste a su estudio de capital importancia. La estrategia de investigación propuesta busca confluir diversas miradas para enriquecer el estudio de esta población relictual de guanacos y de su relación con los humanos, tanto en la actualidad como en el pasado. En razón de estos objetivos, incorpora métodos arqueológicos relacionados a la etnozooarqueología, la zooarqueología y el estudio de manifestaciones rupestres. Entre estos se cuentan la observación participante y entrevistas semi-estructuradas, el seguimiento de carcasas y el análisis cuantitativo y cualitativo de restos óseos faunísticos; y la prospección y relevamiento de manifestaciones rupestres. Además, la estrategia de trabajo incorpora estudios que apuntan a conocer mejor el status de conservación de la especie y su valor biocultural actual, incluyendo métodos provenientes de la biología de la conservación, la genética de poblaciones y la etnobiología. Se espera que la interdisciplinariedad que caracteriza a este proyecto genere, por un lado, información sobre los cambios y continuidades que ha sufrido la relación entre humanos y guanacos a lo largo del tiempo y, por el otro, actualice el conocimiento sobre una especie bandera para la conservación provincial. En pos de mejorar las estrategias de manejo de estos ungulados, consideramos necesario incorporar los saberes tradicionales locales en los planes de conservación. Asimismo, se pretende poner en valor las prácticas culturales asociadas a estos camélidos (por ej., medicina tradicional), que dan cuenta de la larga data de las interacciones entre humanos y guanacos, especie que debería ser considerada patrimonio biocultural de la provincia de Córdoba.Por último, a sabiendas de que actualmente solo se aceptan dos subespecies de guanacos, L. guanicoe cacsilensis (peruana) y las poblaciones restantes agrupadas en el clado reconocido como L. g. guanicoe (González et al. 2006), entendemos que los guanacos del Chaco cordobés podrían representar un ecotipo particular (Costa y Barri 2018), hipótesis que deberá ser contrastada con los resultados de nuevos análisis genéticos y osteométricos.The aim of this project is to generate new information that will deepen the understanding of the interactions between people and guanacos (Lama guanicoe) over time in a spatially limited region of the current province of Córdoba (Chaco Árido). The guanacos have played an important role in the subsistence of the human groups that inhabited the current territory of Cordoba from the Pleistocene/Holocene limit and even to the present. However, the Spanish colonization and the drastic social and environmental changes that occurred since then, sharpening even more in industrial times, implied a strong impact for the populations of guanacos that once inhabited much of the current provincial territory. Today, the only population of this species recorded in the province is isolated on the perisaline edges of northwest Córdoba (Departamento Minas). (eg, Loma Negra) that show the importance that these ungulates had for the human groups that lived there in the past. This, added to the worrying state of conservation of this population, makes its study of capital importance. The proposed research strategy seeks to bring together diverse perspectives to enrich the study of this relictual population of guanacos and their relationship with humans, both now and in the past. In view of these objectives, it incorporates archaeological methods related to ethnozooarchaeology, zooarchaeology and the study of rock art. These include participant observation and semi-structured interviews, the monitoring of carcasses and the quantitative and qualitative analysis of faunal bone remains; and the prospection and survey of rock manifestations. In addition, the study strategy incorporates studies that aim to better understand the conservation status of the species and its current biocultural value, including methods from conservation biology, population genetics and ethnobiology. It is expected that the interdisciplinarity that characterizes this project will generate, on the one hand, information about the changes and continuities that the relationship between humans and guanacos has suffered over time, and, on the other, update the knowledge about a flag species for the provincial conservation. In order to improve the management strategies of these ungulates, we consider it necessary to incorporate traditional local knowledge into conservation plans. The project also aims to highlight the cultural practices associated with these camelids (eg, traditional medicine), which account for the long-standing interactions between humans and guanacos, a species that should be considered biocultural heritage of the province of Córdoba. Finally, knowing that currently only two subspecies of guanacos are accepted, L. guanicoe cacsilensis (Peruvian) and the remaining populations grouped in the clade recognized as L. g. guanicoe (González et al., 2006), we understand that the guanacos of Cordoba's Chaco could represent a particular ecotype (Costa and Barri 2018), a hypothesis that should be contrasted with the results of new genetic and osteometric analyzes.Fil: Silva Ferreira Da Costa, Thiago. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades; Argentina.Fil: Silva Ferreira Da Costa, Thiago. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Antropología de Córdoba; Argentina.Fil: Barri, Fernando Rafael. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; Argentina.Fil: Barri, Fernando Rafael. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal; Argentina.Fil: Mignino, Julián. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades; Argentina.Fil: Mignino, Julián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Antropología de Córdoba; Argentina.Fil: Nores, Rodrigo. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades; Argentina.Fil: Nores, Rodrigo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Antropología de Córdoba; Argentina.Fil: Rabboni, Nicolás Emilio. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades; Argentina.Fil: Castro, Lucila. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales; Argentina.Fil: Castro, Lucila. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal; Argentina.Fil: Weihmüller, María Paula. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades; Argentina.Fil: Weihmüller, María Paula. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Antropología de Córdoba; Argentina.Fil: Manzano-García, Jessica. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Filosofía y Humanidades; ArgentinaFil: Manzano-García, Jessica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Antropología de Córdoba; Argentina

Neural processing of emotional facial and semantic expressions in euthymic bipolar disorder (BD) and its association with theory of mind (ToM)

Adults with bipolar disorder (BD) have cognitive impairments that affect face processing and social cognition. However, it remains unknown whether these deficits in euthymic BD have impaired brain markers of emotional processing