Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-ndw9j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-09T23:35:58.473Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Emotional Attentional Blink as a Measure of Patriotism

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 August 2020

José Antonio Aznar-Casanova Open the ORCID record for José Antonio Aznar-Casanova [Opens in a new window] ,
José M. Gavilán Open the ORCID record for José M. Gavilán [Opens in a new window] ,
Manuel Moreno Sánchez  and
Juan Haro Open the ORCID record for Juan Haro [Opens in a new window]
José Antonio Aznar-Casanova*
Affiliation:
Universitat de Barcelona (Spain)
José M. Gavilán
Affiliation:
Universitat Rovira i Virgili (Spain)
Manuel Moreno Sánchez
Affiliation:
Universitat de Barcelona (Spain)
Juan Haro
Affiliation:
Universitat Rovira i Virgili (Spain)
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to José Antonio Aznar-Casanova. Universitat de Barcelona. Facultat de Psicologia. Departament de Cognició, Desenvolupament i Psicologia de l’Educació. Paseo el Valle de Hebron, 171, 08035 Barcelona (Spain). E- mail: jaznar2@ub.edu Phone: +34-933125145.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This study aims to explore whether the implicit processing of emotional symbols related to patriotic feeling may exert some effects on attention. Here, we have conducted an experiment using two interrelated tasks. First, we use flags with different meanings to participants for measuring the strength of the emotional attentional blink (EAB) within a rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) paradigm. Then, we use a “congruency judgments” subjective test, where we confront participants to judge the affinity between pairs of politician leaders and flags of different sign for community participants, while recording two physiological measures (Heart Rate Variance and Galvanic Skin Response) to evaluate the variations elicited by that confrontation. Results on the EAB task show a significant emotion induced blindness for emotional stimuli representing Catalan and Spanish patriotism (α = .05), while the effect does not appear for the stimulus representing neutral patriotism. The interaction “Flags x Patriotism” was significant, F(1, 51) = 4.62; p = .036; ηp2 = .083. Results on the second task show that measures derived from electrophysiological records are sensitive to patriotic feeling, both being complementary. In addition, by using measures of congruence, the “Leaders x Flags” interaction was significant, F(3.682, 125.204) = 53.55; p < .001; ηp2 = .612. Finally, a multiple linear regression model for each emotional inductor was verified for the Catalan case, using the EAB effect as criteria, R2Adjusted = .79; p < .001. Some theoretical and methodological aspects derived of this exploratory study are discussed.

Keywords

cognition-emotion relationshipemotional attentional blinkpatriotismphysiological measuresRSVP
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 23 , 2020 , e30
Copyright
© Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2020

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

The authors thank the two reviewers of the manuscript for their valuable comments, which have undoubtedly enriched the work.

References

Anderson, A. K., & Phelps, E. A. (2001). Lesions of the human amygdala impair enhanced perception of emotionally salient events. Nature, 411(6835), 305–309. https://doi.org/10.1038/35077083CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Appel, M. L., Berger, R. D., Saul, J. P., Smith, J. M., & Cohen, R. J. (1989). Beat to beat variability in cardiovascular variables: Noise or music? Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 14, 1139–1148. http://doi.org/10.1016/0735-1097(89)90408-7CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Arend, I., & Botella, J. (2002). Emotional stimuli reduce the attentional blink in sub-clinical anxious subjects. Psicothema, 14, 209–214.Google Scholar
Awh, E., Vogel, E. K., & Oh, S.-H. (2006). Interactions between attention and working memory. Neuroscience, 139, 201–208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2005.08.023CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Baker, J. (2012). As loved our fathers: The strength of patriotism among young new foundlanders. National Identities, 14(4), 367–386. https://doi.org/10.1080/14608944.2012.732053CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bar-Tal, D. (1993). Patriotism as fundamental beliefs of group members. Politics and the Individual, 3, 45–62.Google Scholar
Berntson, G. G., Bigger, J. T. Jr., Eckberg, D. L., Grossman, P., Kaufmann, P. G., Malik, M., Nagaraja, H. N., Porges, S. W., Saul, J. P., Stone, P. H., & van der Molen, M. W. (1997). Heart rate variability: Origins, methods, and interpretive caveats. Pyschophysiology, 34, 623–648. http://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8986.1997.tb02140.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Billman, G. E. (2011). Heart variability a historical perspective. Frontiers in Physiology, 2, Article e86. http://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2011.00086CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Billman, G. E. (2013). The effect of heart rate on the heart rate variability response to autonomic interventions. Frontiers in Physiology, 4, Article e222. http://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2013.00222CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Chua, F. K. (2005). The effect of target contrast on the attentional blink. Perception & Psychophysics, 67, 770−788. https://doi.org/10.3758/bf03193532CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ciesielski, B.G., Armstrong, T., Zald, D. H., & Olatunji, B. O. (2010). Emotion modulation of visual attention: Categorical and temporal characteristics. PLOS ONE, 5(11), Article e13860. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0013860CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Daucé, F., Le Huérou, A. & Rousselet, K. (2013). Les diversités du patriotisme contemporain [The diversities of patriotism in the contemporary world]. Critique Internationale, 58(1), 9–17. http://doi.org/10.3917/crii.058.0009CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dehaene, S. (2008). Conscious and nonconscious processes: Distinct forms of evidence accumulation? In Engel, C. & Singer, W. (Eds.), Better than conscious? Decision making, the human mind, and implications for institutions. Strüngmann Forum Report & MIT Press.Google Scholar
Dehaene, S. (2013). The brain mechanisms of conscious access and introspection. In Battro, A., Dehaene, S., Sánchez-Sorondo, M., & Singer, V. (Eds.), Pontifical Academy of Sciences, Scripta Varia: Volume 121. Neurosciences and the human person: New perspectives on human activities. The Pontifical Academy of Sciences.Google Scholar
Dehaene, S., Charles, L., King, J.-R., & Marti, S. (2014). Toward a computational theory of conscious processing. Current Opinion in Neurobiology, 25, 76–84. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.conb.2013.12.005CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dehaene, S., & Naccache, L. (2001). Towards a cognitive neuroscience of consciousness: Basic evidence and a workspace framework. Cognition, 79, 1–37. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0010-0277(00)00123-2CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Druckman, D. (1994). Nationalism, patriotism, and group loyalty: A social psychological perspective. Mershon International Studies Review, 38, 43–68. https://doi.org/10.2307/222610CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Duncan, J., Ward, R., & Shapiro, K. (1994). Direct measurement of attentional dwell time in human vision. Nature, 396, 313–315. https://doi.org/10.1038/369313a0CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Foroni, F., Pergola, G., Argiris, G., & Rumiati, R. I. (2013). The FoodCast research image database (FRIDa). Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7, Article e51. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2013.00051CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Keil, A., & Ihseen, N. (2004). Identification facilitation for emotionally arousing verbs during the attentional blink. Emotion, 4, 23–35. https://doi.org/10.1037/1528-3542.4.1.23CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kelman, H. C. (1997). Nationalism, patriotism, and national identity: Social-psychological dimensions. In Bar-Tal, D. & Straub, E. (Eds.), Nelson-Hall series in psychology. Patriotism in the lives of individuals and nations (pp. 165–189). Nelson-Hall.Google Scholar
Kosterman, R., & Feshbach, S. (1989). Toward a measure of patriotic and nationalistic attitudes. Political Psychology, 10, 257–274. http://doi.org/10.2307/3791647CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Malik, M., Bigger, J. T., Camm, A. J., Kleiger, R. E., Malliani, A, Moss, A. J., & Schwartz, P. J. (1996). Heart rate variability: Standards of measurement, physiological interpretation, and clinical use. European Heart Journal, 17(3), 354–381. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordjournals.eurheartj.a014868CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mack, J. (1983). Nationalism and the self. Psychohistory Review, 11, 47–69.Google Scholar
McHugo, M., Olatunji, B. O., & Zald, D. H. (2013). The emotional attentional blink: What we know so far. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7, Article e151. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2013.00151CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Most, S. B., Chun, M. M., Widders, D. M., & Zald, D. H. (2005). Attentional rubbernecking: Cognitive control and personality in emotion-induced blindness. Psychonomic Bulletin Review, 12, 654–661. https://doi.org/10.3758/bf03196754CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Most, S. B., Smith, S. D., Cooter, A. B., Levy, B. N., & Zald, D. H. (2007). The naked truth: Positive, arousing distractors impair rapid target perception. Cognition & Emotion, 21, 964–981. https://doi.org/10.1080/02699930600959340CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nathanson, S. (1993). Patriotism, morality, and peace. Rowman & Littlefield.Google Scholar
Nieuwenhuis, S., & de Kleijn, R. (2011). Consciousness of targets during the attentional blink: A gradual or all-or-none dimension? Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, 73, 364–373. http://doi.org/10.3758/s13414-010-0026-1CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ogorevc, J., Geršak, G., Novak, D., Drnovšek, J. (2013). Metrological evaluation of skin conductance measurements. Measurement, 46, 2993–3001. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.measurement.2013.06.024CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Oller, J. M., Satorra, A., & Tobeña, A. (2019). Secessionists vs. unionists in Catalonia: Mood, emotional profiles and beliefs about secession perspectives in two confronted communities. Psychology, 10, 336–357. https://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2019.103024CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Piech, R. M., Pastorino, M. T., & Zald, D. H. (2010). All I saw was the cake: Hunger effects on attentional capture by visual food cues. Appetite, 54, 579–582. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2009.11.003CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Raymond, J. E., Shapiro, K. L., & Arnell, K. M. (1992). Temporary suppression of visual processing in a RVSP task: An attentional blink? Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 18, 849–860. https://doi.org/10.1037//0096-1523.18.3.849Google Scholar
Richardson, J. T. E. (2011). Eta squared and partial eta squared as measures of effect size in educational research. Educational Research Review, 6(2), 135–47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2010.12.001CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sergent, C., & Dehaene, S. (2004). Is consciousness a gradual phenomenon? Evidence for an all-or-none bifurcation during the attentional blink. Psychological Science, 15, 720–728. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0956-7976.2004.00748.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shadlen, M. N., & Kiani, R. (2011) Consciousness as a Decision to Engage. In Dehaene, S. & Christen, Y. (Eds.), Characterizing consciousness: From cognition to the clinic? Research and Perspectives in Neurosciences. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-18015-6_2Google Scholar
Schatz, R. T., & Staub, E. (1997). Manifestation of blind and constructive patriotism: Personality correlates and individual group relations. In Bar-Tal, D. & Straub, E. (Eds.), Nelson-Hall series in Psychology: Patriotism in the lives of individuals and nation (pp. 229–246). Nelson-Hall.Google Scholar
Shih, S.-I., & Reeves, A. (2007). Attentional capture in rapid serial visual presentation. Spatial Vision, 20, 301–315. https://doi.org/10.1163/156856807780919019CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Smith, S. D., Most, S. B., Newsome, L. A., & Zald, D. H. (2006). An emotion-induced attentional blink elicited by aversively conditioned stimuli. Emotion, 6, 523–527. https://doi.org/10.1037/1528-3542.6.3.523CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tobeña, A. (2018). Entrenched Catalonia: A secessionist venture trapped on an ethno-political draw. Psychology, 9, 460–471. https://doi.org/10.4236/psych.2018.93028CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vaquero, J. M., Frese, B., Lupiáñez, J., Megías, J. L., & Acosta, A. (2006). El efecto del parpadeo atencional: Influencia de las palabras negativas en una tarea de categorización de la valencia afectiva [The attentional blink effect: Influence of negative words in an affective valence categorization task]. Psicothema, 18, 525–530.Google Scholar
Yamasaki, H., LaBar, K. S., McCarthy, G. (2002). Dissociable prefrontal brain systems for attention and emotion. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 99, 11447–11451. http://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.182176499CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed