title: The neural correlates of emotion alignment in social interaction.
abstract: Talking about emotion and sharing emotional experiences is a key component of human interaction. Specifically, individuals often consider the reactions of other people when evaluating the meaning and impact of an emotional stimulus. It has not yet been investigated, however, how emotional arousal ratings and physiological responses elicited by affective stimuli are influenced by the rating of an interaction partner. In the present study, pairs of participants were asked to rate and communicate the degree of their emotional arousal while viewing affective pictures. Strikingly, participants adjusted their arousal ratings to match up with their interaction partner. In anticipation of the affective picture, the interaction partner's arousal ratings correlated positively with activity in anterior insula and prefrontal cortex. During picture presentation, social influence was reflected in the ventral striatum, that is, activity in the ventral striatum correlated negatively with the interaction partner's ratings. Results of the study show that emotional alignment through the influence of another person's communicated experience has to be considered as a complex phenomenon integrating different components including emotion anticipation and conformity.
authors.affiliation: Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Department of Neurology & NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany, Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Department of Linguistics, Institut für Deutsche und Niederländische Philologie, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, and Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, 60322 Frankfurt/Main, Germany Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Department of Neurology & NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany, Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Department of Linguistics, Institut für Deutsche und Niederländische Philologie, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, and Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, 60322 Frankfurt/Main, Germany Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, 
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Prehn
authors.affiliation: Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Department of Neurology & NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany, Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Department of Linguistics, Institut für Deutsche und Niederländische Philologie, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, and Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, 60322 Frankfurt/Main, Germany Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Department of Neurology & NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany, Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Department of Linguistics, Institut für Deutsche und Niederländische Philologie, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, and Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, 60322 Frankfurt/Main, Germany Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, 
authors.forename: Christoph W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Korn
authors.affiliation: Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Department of Neurology & NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany, Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Department of Linguistics, Institut für Deutsche und Niederländische Philologie, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, and Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, 60322 Frankfurt/Main, Germany Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Department of Neurology & NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany, Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Department of Linguistics, Institut für Deutsche und Niederländische Philologie, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, and Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, 60322 Frankfurt/Main, Germany Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, 
authors.forename: Malek
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bajbouj
authors.affiliation: Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Department of Neurology & NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany, Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Department of Linguistics, Institut für Deutsche und Niederländische Philologie, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, and Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, 60322 Frankfurt/Main, Germany Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Department of Neurology & NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany, Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Department of Linguistics, Institut für Deutsche und Niederländische Philologie, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, and Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, 60322 Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Gisela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Klann-Delius
authors.affiliation: Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Department of Neurology & NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany, Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Department of Linguistics, Institut für Deutsche und Niederländische Philologie, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, and Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, 60322 Frankfurt/Main, Germany Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Department of Neurology & NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany, Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Department of Linguistics, Institut für Deutsche und Niederländische Philologie, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, and Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, 60322 Frankfurt/Main, Germany.
authors.forename: Winfried
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Menninghaus
authors.affiliation: Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Department of Neurology & NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany, Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Department of Linguistics, Institut für Deutsche und Niederländische Philologie, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, and Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, 60322 Frankfurt/Main, Germany Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Department of Neurology & NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany, Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Department of Linguistics, Institut für Deutsche und Niederländische Philologie, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, and Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, 60322 Frankfurt/Main, Germany Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, 
authors.forename: Arthur M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.affiliation: Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Department of Neurology & NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany, Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Department of Linguistics, Institut für Deutsche und Niederländische Philologie, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, and Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, 60322 Frankfurt/Main, Germany Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Department of Neurology & NeuroCure Clinical Research Center, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany, Department of Education and Psychology, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, University of Zurich, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland, Department of Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 14050 Berlin, Germany, Department of Linguistics, Institut für Deutsche und Niederländische Philologie, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, and Max Planck Institute for Empirical Aesthetics, 60322 Frankfurt/Main, Germany Cluster of Excellence 'Languages of Emotion', Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, Dahlem Institute for Neuroimaging of Emotion, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany, 
authors.forename: Hauke R
authors.initials: HR
authors.lastname: Heekeren
mesh_terms: D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology; D059031:Anticipation, Psychological / Q000502:physiology; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005712:Galvanic Skin Response / Q000502:physiology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000502:physiology; D066328:Ventral Striatum / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: IAPS; conformity; emotion regulation; fMRI; social influence