title: Larger N2 and smaller early contingent negative variation during the processing of uncertainty about future emotional events.
abstract: Uncertainty increases individuals' anxiety and fear. Identifying its neural processing may contribute to understanding the detrimental effects of uncertainty on well-being and psychological symptoms. Using high temporal resolution event-related potentials (ERPs), employing the classical paradigm in which neutral signs were used as certain and uncertain cues and anticipating arousal-balanced positive and negative pictures, the present study aimed to further investigate the temporal dynamics of brain activation by uncertainty about future emotional events. ERPs were recorded while participants observed uncertain cues and certain cues about future positive and negative pictures. Results showed that the uncertain cues produced larger N2 than did the certain cues about both future positive and negative pictures, and uncertain cues produced smaller early contingent negative variation (CNV) than did the certain cues about future negative pictures. The results provide evidence that the specific processing of uncertainty about future emotional events occurs at different cognitive stages.
authors.affiliation: Academy of Psychology and Behavior, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China; Institute of Medical Psychology and Systems Neuroscience, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany; Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Huiyan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China; Songpengying Middle School, Zunhua, Hebei Province, China.
authors.forename: Hongwei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Jin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: You
authors.affiliation: Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.
authors.forename: Jiafeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Academy of Psychology and Behavior, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Junpeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Academy of Psychology and Behavior, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Academy of Psychology and Behavior, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China.
authors.forename: Huan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Academy of Psychology and Behavior, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China; Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China. Electronic address: jinhuascholar@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Jin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003265:Contingent Negative Variation / Q000502:physiology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D035501:Uncertainty; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: CNV; Certain cues; N2; Negative pictures; Positive pictures; Uncertain cues