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Multivariate pattern classification reveals autonomic and experiential representations of discrete emotions.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Kragel, PA; Labar, KS
Published in: Emotion (Washington, D.C.)
August 2013

Defining the structural organization of emotions is a central unresolved question in affective science. In particular, the extent to which autonomic nervous system activity signifies distinct affective states remains controversial. Most prior research on this topic has used univariate statistical approaches in attempts to classify emotions from psychophysiological data. In the present study, electrodermal, cardiac, respiratory, and gastric activity, as well as self-report measures were taken from healthy subjects during the experience of fear, anger, sadness, surprise, contentment, and amusement in response to film and music clips. Information pertaining to affective states present in these response patterns was analyzed using multivariate pattern classification techniques. Overall accuracy for classifying distinct affective states was 58.0% for autonomic measures and 88.2% for self-report measures, both of which were significantly above chance. Further, examining the error distribution of classifiers revealed that the dimensions of valence and arousal selectively contributed to decoding emotional states from self-report, whereas a categorical configuration of affective space was evident in both self-report and autonomic measures. Taken together, these findings extend recent multivariate approaches to study emotion and indicate that pattern classification tools may improve upon univariate approaches to reveal the underlying structure of emotional experience and physiological expression.

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Published In

Emotion (Washington, D.C.)

DOI

EISSN

1931-1516

ISSN

1528-3542

Publication Date

August 2013

Volume

13

Issue

4

Start / End Page

681 / 690

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Stomach
  • Self Report
  • Psychophysiology
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Galvanic Skin Response
  • Female
  • Experimental Psychology
  • Emotions
 

Citation

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Kragel, P. A., & Labar, K. S. (2013). Multivariate pattern classification reveals autonomic and experiential representations of discrete emotions. Emotion (Washington, D.C.), 13(4), 681–690. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0031820
Kragel, Philip A., and Kevin S. Labar. “Multivariate pattern classification reveals autonomic and experiential representations of discrete emotions.Emotion (Washington, D.C.) 13, no. 4 (August 2013): 681–90. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0031820.
Kragel PA, Labar KS. Multivariate pattern classification reveals autonomic and experiential representations of discrete emotions. Emotion (Washington, DC). 2013 Aug;13(4):681–90.
Kragel, Philip A., and Kevin S. Labar. “Multivariate pattern classification reveals autonomic and experiential representations of discrete emotions.Emotion (Washington, D.C.), vol. 13, no. 4, Aug. 2013, pp. 681–90. Epmc, doi:10.1037/a0031820.
Kragel PA, Labar KS. Multivariate pattern classification reveals autonomic and experiential representations of discrete emotions. Emotion (Washington, DC). 2013 Aug;13(4):681–690.

Published In

Emotion (Washington, D.C.)

DOI

EISSN

1931-1516

ISSN

1528-3542

Publication Date

August 2013

Volume

13

Issue

4

Start / End Page

681 / 690

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Stomach
  • Self Report
  • Psychophysiology
  • Male
  • Humans
  • Galvanic Skin Response
  • Female
  • Experimental Psychology
  • Emotions