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See red? Turn pale? Unveiling Emotions through Cardiovascular and Hemodynamic Changes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 April 2014

Pedro Montoya ,
J. Javier Campos  and
Rainer Schandry
Pedro Montoya*
Affiliation:
University of the Balearic Islands
J. Javier Campos
Affiliation:
Complutense Universidad of Madrid
Rainer Schandry
Affiliation:
University of Munich
*
Address correspondence to: Dr. Pedro Montoya, Department of Psychology, University of the Balearic Islands, 07071 Palma de Mallorca, Spain. E-mail: pedro.montoya@uib.es. Phone +34 971 172646. Mobile phone +34 656 913926. Fax: +34 971 172309
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Abstract

Cardiodynamic and hemodynamic reactions to emotion-eliciting film sequences were investigated. Thirty-two healthy subjects (12 women, 20 men) were randomly assigned to one of two groups. In the first group, anger was induced using selected scenes of the film “Ragtime.” In the second group, scenes of the film “The Shining” were chosen to elicit fear. A documentary film was used as a baseline stimulus in both groups. EKG, impedance cardiography, and blood pressure were continuously monitored. The two emotional conditions elicited significant differential changes in subjective ratings and cardiovascular indices. Fear was associated with decreased cardiac output, increased total peripheral resistance, and a reduction in stroke volume and myocardial contractility. Anger was associated with an increase of cardiac output and small changes in total peripheral resistance. These results support the hypothesis that discrete emotions such as fear and anger elicit differential patterns of physiological responses.

Se investigaron las reacciones cardiodinámicas y hemodinámicas asociadas a la visión de secuencias de películas con distinto contenido emocional. Treinta y dos sujetos (12 mujeres y 20 hombres) se asignaron al azar a uno de los dos grupos. En un grupo se indujo la ira utilizando una selección de escenas de la película “Ragtime”. En el segundo grupo se escogieron escenas de la película “El Resplandor” para elicitar el estado afectivo relacionado con el miedo. Se utilizó un documental para establecer la línea de base en ambos grupos. Se registró de modo continuo la presión sanguínea, el EKG y la cardiografía de impedancia. Las dos condiciones emocionales relacionadas con el miedo o la ira mostraron cambios diferencialmente significativos en la valoración introspectiva realizada por los sujetos y en los índices cardiovasculares. El miedo se asociaba con un descenso de la salida cardiaca, un incremento de la resistencia periférica total y una reducción del volumen sanguíneo y de la contractilidad miocárdica. La ira estaba asociada con un incremento de la salida cardiaca y cambios reducidos en la resistencia periférica. Estos resultados apoyan la hipótesis de que las emociones discretas de miedo e ira elicitan patrones diferenciados de respuestas psicofisiológicas.

Keywords

humansimpedance cardiographyblood pressureangerfearanxietyhumanoscardiografía de impedanciapresión sanguíneairamiedoansiedad
Type
Articles
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 8 , Issue 1 , May 2005 , pp. 79 - 85
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2005

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