title: Trait absorption is related to enhanced emotional picture processing and reduced processing of secondary acoustic probes.
abstract: Trait absorption reflects a propensity to have one's attention drawn to engaging sensory or imaginal experiences. It is related to self-reported levels of positive and negative emotionality, but little work has examined whether absorption is related to greater levels of basic emotional processing. We used the late positive potential (LPP) to pictures and P3 response to subsequent startle probes during those pictures to examine how absorption was related to initial emotional processing and reactivity to a second stimulus. Across genders, absorption was positively related to LPP amplitude to emotional versus neutral pictures at PZ, and it was negatively related to overall P3 amplitude to startle probes at FZ. Thus, absorption appears to index greater processing of emotional material at the cost of reduced processing of subsequent incoming stimuli.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
authors.forename: Stephen D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Benning
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rozalski
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
authors.forename: Kara L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Klingspon
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000293:Adolescent; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010551:Personality / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Absorption; ERP; Emotion; LPP; Startle probe P3