Recognition of Affective Faces of Different Age Groups

It has been found that valence and arousal are the core affect dimensions in emotional structure. In this study, we hypothesized that there might be differences between different age groups in emotional structure using six facial expression stimuli (angry, disgusted, fearful, neutral, happy, and sad) of three age groups (young, middle-aged, and old). Unlike previous studies asking participants to rate subjective ratings or similarities between stimuli, participants in this study were required to determine whether stimulus pairs were the same or different emotions and reaction time and accuracy were measured for further analyses. We assumed that it would be harder when the stimulus pair is similar whereas it would be easier when the pair is different. The results showed that for the same emotion pair condition, the sad-sad pair had the lowest accuracy and the longest reaction time, while the happiness-happiness pair had the highest accuracy and the shortest reaction time. For the different emotion pairs, angry-disgusted and disgusted-sad was the lowest accuracy and the longest reaction time. For age of the stimuli effect, responses to the old faces had the lowest accuracy and the longest reaction time. The results suggest that identification of emotional stimuli might be affected by emotion category and age. Further study may need to recruit various age groups, because participants in the current study were mostly young adults.

Determining Partnering Effects in the “Rise and Fall” Motion of Competitive Waltz by the Use of Statistical Parametric Mapping

Background. Competitive dance, also known as “DanceSport,” is a competitive style of ballroom dance. The waltz features a particular movement in which the dancer lifts and lowers his/her body while dancing. In ballroom dance terms, this movement is known as the “rise and fall.” The purpose of this research was to examine partnering effects in relation to the vertical component of dancers’ center of mass when performing the competitive waltz. Methods. This investigation was conducted through statistical parametric mapping of the movements of 13 national level competitive dance couples and a world champion couple as they danced both solo and in pairs. The Xsens MVN system was used to record their movements, using a capture rate of 240 Hz. Results. We consequently found that, in the pair condition, the vertical component of the center of mass was smaller for the male dancers and larger for the champion male dancer when compared to their respective solo conditions. However, for the female dancers and the champion female dancer, unlike the males, no significant partner effects were found. Conclusion. Therefore, in terms of partner effects, the “rise and fall.” motion was smaller for the male dancers and larger for the champion male dancer. Keywords: DanceSport, ballroom, kinematics, partnering, statistical parametric mapping.

Neural correlates underpinning synchronized movement of double scull rowers

We investigated the neural correlates underpinning synchronized movement in rowers using a neural index for social interaction termed the phi complex. Phi 1 and phi 2 indicate the enhancement and reduction of mirror neuron activation, respectively. We hypothesized that in a leader–follower relation, followers would exhibit a larger phi 2 power than leaders due to enhanced mirror neuron activation by the followers to accurately mimic their partner’s movements. We also expected that brain activation underlying social interaction would be enhanced during synchronization. Although phi 2 was not modulated by role (leader vs. follower) or condition (usual-pair vs. unusual-pair), the statistical analysis suggested the relationship between the magnitude of phi 2 and empathetic ability in followers in the usual-pair condition. Given that the activation of the mirror neuron system underlies empathic ability, it is plausible that the participants used the mirror neuron system to follow the movement of a usual partner. In other words, the leader in the synchronization did not need to use the mirror neuron system, which was consistent with the result of a larger phi 1 for leading than following the movement. These results suggest that the neural correlates of empathy may be used to synchronize with partners as the follower.

Partnering Effects on Joint Motion Range and Step Length in the Competitive Waltz Dancers

Competitive dance, also known as DanceSport, is one of the official sports of the World Games. The most salient characteristic of ballroom dance is the closed-hold position, during which the upper body segments of partner-dancers are linked. This study aimed to investigate partnering effects on joint motion ranges of the lower extremity and step lengths during the waltz in 13 national level competitive dance couples and a world champion couple. A Xsens MVN system was used to record movement at 240 Hz. Solo and pair conditions were examined. Compared with the highly skilled couples, the world champion couple demonstrated superior dance skills for generating the first step length in the pair condition of the waltz. This was particularly evident in the step length and joint motion range of the champion female dancer.