The use of the differential outcomes procedure for the recognition of facial expressions of complex emotions and its electrophysiological correlates

García-Pérez, Ángel; Carmona, Isabel; Estévez, Angeles F. · 2024 · Crossref

DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1421688

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Summary

This study investigates whether the differential outcomes procedure (DOP) enhances the recognition of complex facial emotions and examines the associated electrophysiological mechanisms. The DOP pairs specific reinforcers with specific correct responses, theoretically generating unique outcome expectancies that facilitate learning via prospective memory routes. While previous research demonstrated DOP benefits for basic emotions and object recognition, this study addresses a gap by testing complex emotions (Affectionate, Attracted, Betrayed, Brokenhearted, Contemptuous, Desirous) to mitigate potential ceiling effects. The authors aimed to determine if DOP improves behavioral performance and to identify event-related potential (ERP) markers reflecting the cognitive processes underlying differential versus non-differential reinforcement. The experiment involved 27 young adult participants divided into two groups: DOP (n=14) and non-differential outcomes procedure (NOP, n=13). Participants completed a facial expression recognition task where they identified complex emotions from static images. In the DOP condition, each emotion was consistently paired with a specific reward image (e.g., a USB drive), whereas the NOP group received a randomly selected reward for any correct response. Electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded to analyze ERP components during three phases: encoding (stimulus presentation), maintenance (a 5-second delay), and retrieval (label selection). The study analyzed specific components including N100, N200, Late Positive Component (LPC), P300, and slow waves, examining interactions between group, emotional valence, and hemisphere. Behavioral results showed no significant differences in accuracy or reaction time between the DOP and NOP groups, indicating that the DOP did not provide measurable benefits for recognizing complex emotional expressions in this context. However, significant electrophysiological differences were observed. The NOP group exhibited increased LPC during encoding, fronto-central P300 during maintenance, and frontal/fronto-central/central P300 during retrieval, suggesting that the task was more attentionally demanding for participants without specific outcome expectancies. Notably, several ERP markers previously associated with DOP in other tasks were absent, implying that outcome expectancies may not have been fully generated. An interaction between valence and group was found for the N100 component during encoding; the DOP group elicited N100 responses only for positive-valence emotions, suggesting that reward expectancy effects may have directed greater early attentional resources toward positive emotional stimuli. The findings suggest that while the DOP does not enhance behavioral performance in complex emotion recognition tasks, it alters the underlying cognitive processing, particularly regarding attention allocation. The absence of expected ERP markers indicates that the generation of outcome expectancies may be task-dependent or insufficient in this paradigm. The specific N100 interaction highlights that reward expectancy might influence early processing stages selectively for positive-valence stimuli. These results contribute to the understanding of the limits of the DOP’s applicability and the nuanced electrophysiological correlates of associative learning in emotional contexts.

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