Selective corrugator activity indexes embodied processes during decisions about when to act
Abstract
Abstract: The temporal lead of electromyographic activity relative to overt movement suggests that these signals can capture decisional processes of when to act. Drawing on the feelings-as-information theory, we examined whether individuals’ momentary affective experiences shape their behavioral decisions through the activation of facial muscles typically associated with affective states (zygomatic and corrugator). Twenty-four participants completed a hand-adjustment task in a dynamic environment that required precise coordination between hand movements and a continuously changing space. Active perceptual-motor adaptation in this task was compared with a purely observational condition. Results showed selective increases in corrugator activity during behavioral decision-making only when participants were actively performing the task. Moreover, corrugator activation built up progressively and was time-locked to action initiation. No significant modulation of zygomatic activity was observed. Taken together, these findings are not fully consistent with simple valence-based explanations and suggest that the corrugator may index a broader embodied state associated with readiness to act. We conclude that facial electromyography is a useful tool for detecting subtle preparatory processes and that affective experiences may be one of several information factors guiding motor behavior.
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.14417/ap.2269
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