title: Preferential decoding of emotion from human non-linguistic vocalizations versus speech prosody.
abstract: This study used event-related brain potentials (ERPs) to compare the time course of emotion processing from non-linguistic vocalizations versus speech prosody, to test whether vocalizations are treated preferentially by the neurocognitive system. Participants passively listened to vocalizations or pseudo-utterances conveying anger, sadness, or happiness as the EEG was recorded. Simultaneous effects of vocal expression type and emotion were analyzed for three ERP components (N100, P200, late positive component). Emotional vocalizations and speech were differentiated very early (N100) and vocalizations elicited stronger, earlier, and more differentiated P200 responses than speech. At later stages (450-700ms), anger vocalizations evoked a stronger late positivity (LPC) than other vocal expressions, which was similar but delayed for angry speech. Individuals with high trait anxiety exhibited early, heightened sensitivity to vocal emotions (particularly vocalizations). These data provide new neurophysiological evidence that vocalizations, as evolutionarily primitive signals, are accorded precedence over speech-embedded emotions in the human voice.
authors: School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; International Laboratory for Brain, Music, and Sound Research, Montreal, Canada. Electronic address: marc.pell@mcgill.ca.
authors: M D
authors: MD
authors: Pell
authors: School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Rothermich
authors: School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Liu
authors: Department of Psychology and Centre for Brain Science, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Paulmann
authors: School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Sethi
authors: International Laboratory for Brain, Music, and Sound Research, Montreal, Canada.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Rigoulot
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008037:Linguistics; D008297:Male; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D014831:Voice; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Anxiety; ERPs; Emotional communication; Speech prosody; Vocal expression