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Startle effects on saccadic responses to emotional target stimuli
Author(s) -
Deuter Christian E.,
Schilling Thomas M.,
Kuehl Linn K.,
Blumenthal Terry D.,
Schachinger Hartmut
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
psychophysiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.661
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1469-8986
pISSN - 0048-5772
DOI - 10.1111/psyp.12083
Subject(s) - psychology , stimulus (psychology) , antisaccade task , saccadic masking , saccade , moro reflex , audiology , cognition , valence (chemistry) , gaze , emotional valence , prepulse inhibition , startle response , cognitive psychology , neuroscience , fear potentiated startle , eye movement , developmental psychology , amygdala , reflex , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , fear conditioning , medicine , physics , quantum mechanics , psychiatry , psychoanalysis
Startle stimuli elicit various physiological and cognitive responses. This study investigated whether acoustic startle stimuli affect saccadic reactions in an emotional pro‐ or antisaccade task. Startle probes were presented either 500 ms before or simultaneous with an imperative stimulus that indicated whether a saccade towards or away from positive, neutral, or negative peripheral target pictures had to be performed. Valence interacted with saccade direction according to an approach‐avoidance pattern of gaze behavior, with delayed prosaccades to negative targets and antisaccades away from positive targets. Acoustic startle stimuli preceding the presentation of peripheral target pictures speeded up the initiation saccades, irrespective of stimulus valence. Results indicate a speeding of cognitive‐motor processing by preceding startle stimuli.