Startle response probability and amplitude may be independently modulated by affective foreground stimulation as acoustic probe intensity decreases

Author

Adam K. Wilke, University of Minnesota

Periodical Title

Modern Psychological Studies

Volume

13

Number

1

Page Numbers

pages 38-49

Department

Dept. of Psychology

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Date

2007

Abstract

The magnitude of the eyeblink reflex to an acoustic startle probe is reliable potentiated to highly arousing unpleasant foreground stimuli and inhibited to highly arousing pleasant foreground stimuli across all probe intensity levels. The present study examined the response magnitude findings of Cuthbert, Bradley, and Lang (1996) as response amplitude and probability. Medium arousal pleasant pictures produced larger blink amplitude responses than unpleasant pictures of the same arousal level to 80 and 95, but not 105 dB acoustic startle probes. This effect was opposite for high arousal pictures at all intensity levels. Response probability means decreased from pleasant to unpleasant across all arousal levels to 80 dB probes. The current study provides insight into the differential activation of response amplitude and probability to affective foreground stimulation at lower acoustic stimulus intensities and possible implications for mechanisms involved in the orienting and defensive responses.

Subject

Psychology

Discipline

Psychology

Document Type

article

DCMI Type

Text

Extent

12 leaves

Language

English

Call Number

BF1 .M63 v. 13 no. 1 2007

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Recommended Citation

Wilke, Adam K. (2007) "Startle response probability and amplitude may be independently modulated by affective foreground stimulation as acoustic probe intensity decreases," Modern Psychological Studies: Vol. 13: No. 1, Article 5.
Available at: https://scholar.utc.edu/mps/vol13/iss1/5