Physiological reactions at encoding selectively predict recognition of emotional images.

The study aimed to investigate the link between physiological responses at encoding and subsequent memory of emotional stimuli, differing in two dimensions: valence and arousal. The participants (all male) freely viewed emotional images, while their pupil size and heart rate were recorded. Then, they were presented with a recognition task. Both pupil constriction and heart rate deceleration evoked by an image onset at the encoding predicted its later correct recognition. However, these effects interacted with valence and arousal. Increased pupillary constriction predicted correct recognition particularly well for low-arousing and negatively valenced images. Deeper heart rate deceleration was related to higher rate of correct recognition mainly in the case of negative images. The results show also an interaction between valence and arousal in their effect on memory. Higher arousal was linked to better recognition, but only when images were of neutral or positive valence. In contrast, negative images were remembered accurately, regardless of the level of arousal. This pattern of results supports the primacy of negative information in early memory consolidation. Overall, we demonstrate that physiological reactions at encoding - which can be linked to the depth of stimulus processing during memory formation - predict recognition accuracy. The emotional load of stimuli further modulates the prediction strength.

VR Realism Scale-Revalidation of contemporary VR headsets on a Polish sample.

This paper presents validation of the VR Simulation Realism Scale on a Polish sample. The scale enables a self-report measurement of perceived realism of a virtual environment in four main aspects of such realism-scene realism, audience behavior realism, audience appearance realism and sound realism. However, since the development of the original scale, the VR technology significantly changed. We aimed to respond to that change and revalidate the original measure in the contemporary setting. For the purpose of scale validation, data was gathered from six studies with 720 participants in total. Five experiments and one online survey were conducted to examine psychometric properties of the scale in accordance with the Standards for Educational and Psychological Testing. Evidence based on internal structure, relations to other variables and test content was obtained. The factorial structure of the original scale was tested and confirmed. The connections between realism and immersion, presence, aesthetics were verified. A suppressed relationship between realism and positive affect was discovered. Moreover, it was confirmed that scale result is dependent on the quality of VR graphics. Results of the analyses provide the evidence that the VR Simulation Realism Scale is a well-established tool that might be used both in science and in VR development. However, further research needs to be done to increase external validity and predictive power of the scale.

Blue blood, red blood. How does the color of an emotional scene affect visual attention and pupil size?

The function of color in the processing of emotional scenes is not entirely clear. While there are studies showing that color matters in terms of the capture of covert attention by emotional stimuli, the impact of color on fixation patterns, reflecting overt attention, is unresolved. Studies on the role of color in evoking emotional response have also produced mixed results. Here, we aimed to explore how image color and content influence pupillary response and the engagement of overt visual attention. In the first experiment, we examined the pupillary reaction to neutral images (intact and phase scrambled) in three color variants (natural, abnormal, and grayscale). In the second experiment, we investigated the pupillary changes and fixation pattern in response to images of different valence (neutral, positive, and negative), again in three color versions. The results showed that pupillary responses were influenced by both content and the color of the images. The pupillary response to phase-scrambled images did not differ between the color versions. Intact neutral and positive images, but not negative ones, evoked smaller pupil responses if they were presented in abnormal colors rather than natural ones. The initial capture of attention by emotional content depended on the color version, whereas holding of attention was affected solely by the emotional valence. Thus, color changes the physiological response to images, particularly low-arousing ones, and modulates the initial engagement of attention by image content.