The effect of eye gaze direction on emotional mimicry: A multimodal study with electromyography and electroencephalography

Beibei Kuang; Xueting Li; Xintong Li; Mingxiao Lin; Shanrou Liu; Ping Hu

NeuroImage (Feb 2021)

The effect of eye gaze direction on emotional mimicry: A multimodal study with electromyography and electroencephalography

Beibei Kuang,
Xueting Li,
Xintong Li,
Mingxiao Lin,
Shanrou Liu,
Ping Hu

Affiliations

Beibei Kuang: International Studies College, National University of Defense Technology, Nanjing, China; Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Room 1005, D Block, Huixian Building, 59 Zhongguancun St., Haidian Dist., Beijing, 100872, China
Xueting Li: Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Room 1005, D Block, Huixian Building, 59 Zhongguancun St., Haidian Dist., Beijing, 100872, China
Xintong Li: Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Room 1005, D Block, Huixian Building, 59 Zhongguancun St., Haidian Dist., Beijing, 100872, China
Mingxiao Lin: Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Room 1005, D Block, Huixian Building, 59 Zhongguancun St., Haidian Dist., Beijing, 100872, China
Shanrou Liu: Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Room 1005, D Block, Huixian Building, 59 Zhongguancun St., Haidian Dist., Beijing, 100872, China
Ping Hu: Department of Psychology, Renmin University of China, Room 1005, D Block, Huixian Building, 59 Zhongguancun St., Haidian Dist., Beijing, 100872, China; Corresponding author.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 226
p. 117604

Abstract

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Emotional mimicry plays an important role in social interaction and is influenced by social context, especially eye gaze direction. However, the neural mechanism underlying the effect of eye gaze direction on emotional mimicry is unclear. Here, we explored how eye gaze direction influenced emotional mimicry with a combination of electromyography (EMG) and electroencephalography (EEG) techniques, which may provide a more comprehensive measure. To do this, we recorded facial EMG and scalp EEG signals simultaneously while participants observed emotional faces (happy vs. angry) with direct or averted gaze. Then, we split the EEG trials into two mimicry intensity categories (high mimicry intensity, HMI vs. low mimicry intensity, LMI) according to EMG activity. The ERP difference between HMI and LMI EEG trials revealed four ERP components (P50, P150, N200 and P300), and the effect of eye gaze direction on emotional mimicry was prominent on P300 at P7 and P8. Moreover, we also observed differences in the effect of eye gaze direction on mimicry of happy faces and angry faces, which were found on P300 at P7, as well as P150 at P7 and N200 at P7 and Pz. In short, the present study isolated the neural signals of emotional mimicry with a new multimodal method, and provided empirical neural evidence that eye gaze direction affected emotional mimicry.

Published in NeuroImage

ISSN: 1053-8119 (Print); 1095-9572 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Medicine: Internal medicine: Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
Website: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/neuroimage

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