EMOTIONAL BURNOUT AS A MODERATOR OF TV NEWS IMPACT ON YOUNG ADULT AUDIENCE: EEG STUDY

The paper considers changes of the EEG parameters while viewing the emotionally accented TV messages depending the emotional burnout formation. We found that the character and degree of EEG changes during the perception of emotional stimuli significantly depend on the characteristics of a particular stimulus and the current level of emotional state of the viewers (emotional burnout, fatigue). The subjects with the phase of resistance of the emotional burnout syndrome at the stage of formation (“Burnout RP under development”) differ significantly from the groups with the unformed and formed Burnout Resistance Phase (“Burnout RP unformed”, “Burnout RP formed”) in the dynamics of changes of spectral power of the EEG subbands during the exposure to the emotional stimuli. The development of burnout is characterized by an increase in State Anxiety and fatigue, the desensitization to the emotionally accented information, an augmentation in social alienation and, eventually, manifests in changes in the brain response to emotional stimuli, which consist in the inhibition of high-frequency EEG components.The paper considers changes of the EEG parameters while viewing the emotionally accented TV messages depending the emotional burnout formation. We found that the character and degree of EEG changes during the perception of emotional stimuli significantly depend on the characteristics of a particular stimulus and the current level of emotional state of the viewers (emotional burnout, fatigue). The subjects with the phase of resistance of the emotional burnout syndrome at the stage of formation (“Burnout RP under development”) differ significantly from the groups with the unformed and formed Burnout Resistance Phase (“Burnout RP unformed”, “Burnout RP formed”) in the dynamics of changes of spectral power of the EEG subbands during the exposure to the emotional stimuli. The development of burnout is characterized by an increase in State Anxiety and fatigue, the desensitization to the emotionally accented information, an augmentation in social alienation and, eventually, manifests in changes in the brain response to emotional stimuli, which consist in the inhibition of high-frequency EEG components

Age-related differences in fixation gaze length while reading the news with negative text elements

The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has led to the development of stress disorders and increased societal anxiety. The mass media is one of the most decisive factors leading to anxiety and stress in society during a pandemic. However, the mechanisms of mass media's stressogenic effects remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate age-specific characteristics of gaze behavior related to the perception of anxiety-provoking information.  One hundred eighty-nine volunteers took part in the study – 164 participants aged between 17 and 22 years old (students, control group), 25 people aged between 59 and 71 (experimental group). We surveyed participants to determine their level of stress, depression, and anxiety and analyzed eye-tracking data during text perception by using the web eye-tracking technology EyePass. Results showed significant age-related differences in gaze behavior while reading texts with negative elements. Aged adults had shorter median fixation duration. There was no difference between groups in the number of fixations. We can assume that except age factor, other variables might have contributed to our result, namely the occupation of participants, professors at the Scientific and Educational Institute of Journalism, with developed professional skills (reading pattern, method of information perception) but from another side higher vulnerability to adverse COVID-19 outcomes compared to younger adults. Acknowledgements The authors of this article express their sincere gratitude to the National Research Foundation of Ukraine, thanks to whose financial and organizational support (grant “Stressogenic Elements of the Latent Impact of Real Media Reports on the COVID-19 Pandemic on Social Groups” No. 2020.01/0050), it became possible to conduct this study and publish the experimental results. Words of gratitude to the management and Scientific Council of the Foundation, curators of the project. Vast gratitude to the experts for their high evaluation of our project, thanks to whom our application won the competition. We want to express particular thanks to the management and our colleagues fromTaras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, whose care and assistance contributed to the effective work within the project. Words of gratitude to colleagues and students who agreed to participate and actually contributed to the timely collection and processing of the experimental data. Disclosure Statement No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors. Data Availability Statement The data that support the findings of this study are openly available in Mendeley Data https://doi.org/10.17632/rpytj9dkmx.3 * Corresponding author: Yurii Havrylets, 0000-0002-4899-5815 [email protected]

Making up Real Media Reports’ Sample on COVID-19 for Use in Experimental Studies

The article reveals the procedure of selecting real media reports (RMR) on the COVID-19 pandemic in experimental studies. We assumed that RMR during the pandemic and several lockdowns had a real impact on people from different social groups. To monitor messages about COVID-19, we used the online service "Software product LOOQME" The algorithm to form the RMR sample was as follows: (a) search for all media messages available on the platform, (b) analysis of selected RMR by online service, (c) forming of an experimental content sample and its embedding in the experiment. The method of selecting RMR considered in this article includes a theoretical rationale for RMR; broad thematic selection of RMR using media monitoring systems; forming an experimental content sample with the use of parameters and selection criteria; additional procedure for rating the selected RMR according to a particular criterion with the participation of experts

Language-Specific Synchronization of Neural Networks in the Human Brain

This study examines language-specific characteristics of the electric activity in bilinguals’ brains. The aim of this study was to evaluate language-specific characteristics of functional connectivity related to the perception of verbal information in different languages. Increasing synchronization of gamma band was detected in the association regions of left hemisphere during the Russian sonnets, alongside with interhemispheric coherence. The increase in synchronization exclusively in the left hemisphere was observed as in the case of English and Ukrainian sonnets. Increase of the coherence was shown in the left lateral and medial supplementary motor area when listening to Russian sonnets in comparison with Ukrainian. Decrease of coherence while listening to the Russian sonnets in comparison with Ukrainian was present in angular gyrus and superior parietal lobule. This evidence could indicate relatively lesser involvement of memory and attention when listening to Russian in comparison with the Ukrainian. Despite high proficiency of the participants, the mechanism of language perception could be different. Perhaps, an emotional response does not depend on the level of knowledge of the language but rather on its phonetic structure and prosody

Media trust among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine

The worldwide pandemic exacerbated the new role of the media. If previously the discussion was on whether new or traditional media had primacy in popularity and exposure, nowadays the question is whether communicating health issues through social and traditional media leads to understanding their content better and to more trust in both types of media. We surveyed university students to examine the attitude towards information on coronavirus presented in the media. Results showed that although students generally prefer to use Internet news, trust in traditional media increased during the pandemic. We examined a general psychological portrait of young people derived from trust in the media. In the group of students who trust media information, we found indifference (39% of respondents) and helplessness (24.4%). In the group convinced that the media are hiding the actual state of affairs, anger prevailed (32.4%). The third group, confident that the media exaggerate everything, experienced indifference and anger (38.5% and 32.7%, respectively). We may conclude that desire to learn more accurate and unbiased information first hand indicates students' attitude towards traditional media as more reliable sources of information in Ukraine

State Anxiety, Mood, and Emotional Effects of Negative TV News Depend on Burnout

In this study we discuss the impact of negative TV news based on the viewers’ burnout. We conducted 3 (burnout level: unformed, under development, and formed) x 3 (state anxiety, mood, and emotions) within-subject experiment. We measured state anxiety and mood with a questionnaire on a pre-to-post basis to find out changes due to viewing negative TV news. Besides, we employed Facial Actions Coding System to assess emotions during viewing based on facial reactions analysis. Overall, 47 healthy volunteers (19 male and 28 female university students), aged 17 to 23 years old, participated in the study. We found the most significant impact of negative TV news in the group of participants whose burnout level was under development. Exposure to negative TV news elicited state anxiety pre-to-post change only in this group (p > .05). Mood worsened in all burnout groups. Negative TV news reports elicited mainly fear and anger that covered over 75 % of all facial reactions. In addition, contempt and surprise decreased with the development of burnout. However, emotions elicited by negative TV news did not vary greatly between burnout groups. Consequently, among the participants without symptoms of burnout or those with fully formed burnout, we detected weaker impact of negative TV news

State Anxiety, Mood, and Emotional Effects of Negative TV News Depend on Burnout

In this study we discuss the impact of negative TV news based on the viewers’ burnout. We conducted 3 (burnout level: unformed, under development, and formed) x 3 (state anxiety, mood, and emotions) within-subject experiment. We measured state anxiety and mood with a questionnaire on a pre-to-post basis to find out changes due to viewing negative TV news. Besides, we employed Facial Actions Coding System to assess emotions during viewing based on facial reactions analysis. Overall, 47 healthy volunteers (19 male and 28 female university students), aged 17 to 23 years old, participated in the study. We found the most significant impact of negative TV news in the group of participants whose burnout level was under development. Exposure to negative TV news elicited state anxiety pre-to-post change only in this group (p > .05). Mood worsened in all burnout groups. Negative TV news reports elicited mainly fear and anger that covered over 75 % of all facial reactions. In addition, contempt and surprise decreased with the development of burnout. However, emotions elicited by negative TV news did not vary greatly between burnout groups. Consequently, among the participants without symptoms of burnout or those with fully formed burnout, we detected weaker impact of negative TV news

Short-term media effects include the alterations of sensitivity toward the real violence from the Past

The purpose of this study was to identify the impact of TV news on the perception and processing of the emotional footage of a historical documentary. We noted that the emotional frames taken from TV news stories are relatively weak emotional stimuli compared to the emotional frames of historical documentary. The subjects exposed to the pre-stimulus evaluated the Holocaust pictures as more unpleasant and more activating than those without it. The ERPs recorded during the presentation of the negative (historical) images had various amplitudes of oscillations due to the preliminary affective impact of TV news footage. The amplitude of P300 in frontal zones was bigger for the group without the preliminary exposure to the emotional TV news frames due to the reduced sensitivity to the content of images. In this case, the historical images demanded less attention and less emotional effort for emotional evaluation of visual information, analysis, retrieval of information from memory and semantic processes, namely search for the meaning of the pictures (occipital P300 and LPP). Short-term media effects include alterations of sensitivity toward the emotional content of visual information

Short-term media effects include the alterations of sensitivity toward the real violence from the Past

The purpose of this study was to identify the impact of TV news on the perception and processing of the emotional footage of a historical documentary. We noted that the emotional frames taken from TV news stories are relatively weak emotional stimuli compared to the emotional frames of historical documentary. The subjects exposed to the pre-stimulus evaluated the Holocaust pictures as more unpleasant and more activating than those without it. The ERPs recorded during the presentation of the negative (historical) images had various amplitudes of oscillations due to the preliminary affective impact of TV news footage. The amplitude of P300 in frontal zones was bigger for the group without the preliminary exposure to the emotional TV news frames due to the reduced sensitivity to the content of images. In this case, the historical images demanded less attention and less emotional effort for emotional evaluation of visual information, analysis, retrieval of information from memory and semantic processes, namely search for the meaning of the pictures (occipital P300 and LPP). Short-term media effects include alterations of sensitivity toward the emotional content of visual information

The Skin Potential Level of Facial Biologically Active Zones as Indicators of the Level of Emotional Burnout in Students.

Статичні електричні потенціали (СТЕП) у біологічно активних зонах шкіри (БАЗ) відображають рівень фонової активації мозкових структур і рівень психічного стресу. Мета дослідження – виявити зв’язки СТЕП у симетричних біологічно активних зонах шкіри обличчя з рівнем емоційного вигорання в студентів. Виявлена зворотна кореляція між формуванням емоційного вигорання й рівнем електричного потенціалу шкіри в правих білявушних БАЗ (r s = - .43, р < .05) відносно долоні як референтної ділянки. Знайдено кореляції між розвитком стадії опору вигоранню та фоновими СТЕП у правих і лівих лобних БАЗ (відповідно, r s = - .44 і r s = - .47, р < .05) і СТЕП у лівій лобній БАЗ після впливу негативних кадрів телевізійних новин (r s = - .50, р < .01). Це вказує на те, що формування емоційного вигорання знижує передпускову (до початку експерименту) емоційну напругу й відповідь, тобто силу реакції, на «зовнішні» негативні емоційні стимули. Отримані дані свідчать про те, що електродермальні потенціали можуть служити об’єктивними критеріями формування емоційного вигорання. Emotional burnout syndrome sees as a reaction to stress in interpersonal communication in the form of full or partial shutdown of emotions. V. Boyko dynamic model of burnout that was used as basis of this study classified in 3 stages in accordance with the mechanism of stress. There exist 3 phases: Anxiety Tension, Resistance, and Exhaustion. Strengthening of stressful factors in everyday life triggers the formation of emotional burnout (Anxiety Tension stage). The respondents with «Resistance» stage begin to economize emotion and characterize by emotional and moral disorientation. The central nervous activity reduction and the fall in energy tone are evident in the «Exhaustion» stage. Inadequate reactions to the different stimulus are associated with the hyperreactivity of the nervous system. The skin potential level (SPL) of facial biologically active zones (BAZs) reflects the level of background activation of brain structures and the level of mental stress. That is why skin potential level reflects the formation of emotional burnout. Purpose. The aim of the study was to detect the changes of SPL in symmetric biologically active zones of face skin (frontal, superciliary, paranasal, temporal, periotic and postaural) depending on the level of emotional burnout. Methods. 31 healthy volunteers (women and men) – first-third year students (Mage = 19.07, SD = 1.91 years, from 17 to 23 years) were recruited from the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Educational and Scientific Centre «Institute of Biology and Medicine» and Faculty of Psychology, and participated for course credit during preexam period. Skin potential level was recorded via nonpolarizable silver electrodes from the symmetric biologically active zones of face skin (frontal, superciliary, paranasal, temporal, periotic and postaural) with the palm as a reference area. To determine the stages of burnout we used the Boyko «Syndrome of emotional burnout» test adapted for students by Tukaiev and Vasheka. The value of each of Burnout stages was measured on a scale from 0 to 120 points: 0 to 36 points – the stage was not formed, 37 to 60 points – the stage was under development, 61 to 120 points – the stage was formed. The Speerman rank test was carried out for the correlation analysis. Results. Inverse correlation was found between the formation of emotional burnout and the skin potential level in right periotic BAZ (parotid BAZ) (r = - .43, p < .05). We found correlation between the development of the Resistance stage of burnout and background SPL in the right and left frontal BAZ (respectively r = - .44 and r = - .47, p < .05) and SPL in the left frontal BAZ after the exposure of negative frames of documentaries (r = - .50, p < .01). Conclusion. Our data indicates that the formation of burnout reduced the prestarting initial emotional tension and response strength to «external» negative emotional stimuli. It indicates that electrodermal potentials can serve as objective criteria of formation of emotional burnout