最近,，加拿大多倫多大學(xué)的研究者提供了直接證據(jù),，證實(shí)我們的視覺(jué)系統(tǒng)會(huì)被情緒所影響,，并影響到我們的認(rèn)知。他們指出,，戴著玫瑰色的眼鏡看東西,，比它的心理影響有更多的生物現(xiàn)實(shí)存在。
多倫多大學(xué)的心理學(xué)教授Adam Anderson說(shuō)到：“好情緒和壞情緒完全會(huì)使我們大腦中的視覺(jué)皮層發(fā)生改變,，從而改變我們所看到的東西,。我們的研究明顯地顯示出，當(dāng)處于好情緒時(shí),，我們的視覺(jué)皮層能處理更多的信息,，但處于壞情緒就會(huì)造成短視。這項(xiàng)研究發(fā)表在神經(jīng)科學(xué)學(xué)報(bào)（Journal of Neuroscience）上,。
多倫多大學(xué)研究小組使用磁共振成像（magnetic resonance imaging）技術(shù),，驗(yàn)證我們?cè)诜e極的、消極的,、普通的情緒中,，我們的視覺(jué)皮層是怎樣處理知覺(jué)信息的,。他們發(fā)現(xiàn)，當(dāng)在積極的情緒下帶上玫瑰色的眼鏡時(shí),，人們較少關(guān)心看起來(lái)是否是紅色的,，而能夠看到的更多、更全面的信息,。
研究者首先向接受測(cè)試者展示了幾種類型的圖片,，這些圖片能分別導(dǎo)致積極的、消極的和普通的情緒,。被測(cè)試者們接著會(huì)被要求去觀察一張合成的圖片,，這張合成圖片的正中嵌有人臉模樣的圖象，四周是房子的圖像,。讓被測(cè)試者們被要求將注意力集中在圖片正中,，辨認(rèn)出圖片正中人臉的性別。當(dāng)測(cè)試者在消極情緒下時(shí),，他們不能看見(jiàn)人臉以外的其他圖象,。
但是，被測(cè)試者在積極情緒下時(shí),，能看到更多信息——既能看到圖片正中的人臉,，也能看到四周的房子。這些發(fā)現(xiàn)來(lái)自于觀察腦部的特定區(qū)域——海馬旁的“地點(diǎn)區(qū)域”——這能了解到處理地點(diǎn)的區(qū)域怎樣與第一視覺(jué)皮層應(yīng)答,，也就是有關(guān)視覺(jué)最主要的皮層,。
“在積極的情緒下，人們能夠在環(huán)境中認(rèn)知更多的東西,，這聽(tīng)起來(lái)好像很不錯(cuò),，不過(guò)這同樣能造成分心。”Taylor Schmitz說(shuō)到,，他是Anderson的研究生,，以及這篇論文的主要作者。“積極情緒能擴(kuò)展我們看世界的眼界,，這是有利的一面，會(huì)使我們看事物更全面,，或更加透徹和綜合,；不利的一面是會(huì)造成分心，從而造成在處理一些需要集中注意力的關(guān)鍵任務(wù)時(shí)分心,，比如操作危險(xiǎn)的機(jī)器或者從事機(jī)場(chǎng)安檢時(shí),。在另一方面，壞情緒能使我們的注意力更集中,，防止我們集中直接注意力去注意外部的詳細(xì)信息,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦原始出處：
The Journal of Neuroscience, June 3, 2009, 29(22):7199-7207; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5387-08.2009
Opposing Influences of Affective State Valence on Visual Cortical Encoding
Taylor W. Schmitz,1,2 Eve De Rosa,1,2,3 and Adam K. Anderson1,2,3
1Department of Psychology, 2University of Toronto Neuroscience Program, and 3Rotman Research Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3G3, Canada
Positive and negative emotional states are thought to have originated from fundamentally opposing approach and avoidance behaviors. Furthermore, affective valence has been hypothesized to exert opposing biases in cognitive control. Here we examined with functional magnetic resonance imaging whether the opposing influences of positive and negative states extend to perceptual encoding in the visual cortices. Based on prior behavioral research, we hypothesized that positive states would broaden and negative states would narrow visual field of view (FOV). Positive, neutral, and negative states were induced on alternating blocks. To index FOV, observers then viewed brief presentations (300 ms) of face/place concentric center/surround stimuli on interleaved blocks. Central faces were attended, rendering the place surrounds unattended. As face and place information was presented at different visual eccentricities, our physiological metric of FOV was a valence-dependent modulation of place processing in the parahippocampal place area (PPA). Consistent with our hypotheses, positive affective states increased and negative states decreased PPA response to novel places as well as adaptation to repeated places. Individual differences in self-reported positive and negative affect correlated inversely with PPA encoding of peripheral places, as well as with activation in the mesocortical prefrontal cortex and amygdala. Psychophysiological interaction analyses further demonstrated that valence-dependent responses in the PPA arose from opponent coupling with extrafoveal regions of the primary visual cortex during positive and negative states. These findings collectively suggest that affective valence differentially biases gating of early visual inputs, fundamentally altering the scope of perceptual encoding.
