Affective spatial compatibility task (AFFSCT): theory and applications

Author(s)

Erick Francisco Quintas Conde ; Elton H. Matsushima ; Nelson Torro-Alves ; Mikael Cavallet ; Fernanda Jazenko ; Roberto Sena Fraga Filho ; Luiz G. Gawryszewski

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Temas em Psicologia; v. 22, n. 3, p. 625-638, Dez. 2014.

Abstract

Emotional stimuli are processed very efficiently, influencing physiological and behavioral responses as well as attention, perceptual processes and sensory-motor integration. In a previous work, we introduced a new paradigm, the Affective Spatial Compatibility task (AffSCt), to study whether the affective valence of the stimulus influences spatial compatibility effects. By using figures of soccer players of Favorite and Rival Teams as positive and negative valence stimuli, we found a normal Spatial Compatibility effect for the Favorite team and a reversed one for the Rival team. Here, we analyzed the time course of inhibitory and facilitatory effects of emotional valence by the Vincentization method. We found that for Favorite team, the facilitatory effect for the compatible condition, as compared to the incompatible one, increases as a function of the reaction time. In contrast, for Rival team, an opposite trend was found, in which inhibitory effect beEmotional stimuli are processed verycomes stronger for slower responses. We suggest that AffSCt is a powerful technology for investigating approach/avoidance effects and that it may be useful for diagnosing and following up the treatment of affective and behavioral disorders, such as anxiety, panic and ADHD. Potential applications in social psychology and consumer studies are also considered. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 11/09946-9 - Stimulus-response compatibility and emotional valence: an investigation of the neurological bases involved in the processing of spatial and emotional information
• Grantee: Mikael Cavallet
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral