Is cross-modal integration of emotional expressions independent of attentional resources?
In this study, we examined whether integration of visual and auditory information about emotions requires limited attentional resources. Subjects judged whether a voice expressed happiness or fear, while trying to ignore a concurrently presented static facial expression. As an additional task, the subjects had to add two numbers together rapidly (Experiment 1), count the occurrences of a target digit in a rapid serial visual presentation (Experiment 2), or judge the pitch of a tone as high or low (Experiment 3). The visible face had an impact on judgments of the emotion of the heard voice in all the experiments. This cross-modal effect was independent of whether or not the subjects performed a demanding additional task. This suggests that integration of visual and auditory information about emotions may be a mandatory process, unconstrained by attentional resources.
Vroomen
J
J
Tilburg University, Department of Psychology, P.O. Box 90153, 5000 LE, Tilburg, The Netherlands. j.vroomen@kub.nl
Driver
J
J
de Gelder
B
B
D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D004644:Emotions; D005149:Facial Expression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D011601:Psychophysics; D012660:Semantics; D013061:Speech Acoustics; D013067:Speech Perception