Research on the autonomic specificity of emotion has spanned several decades. Even though considerable evidence exists for supporting autonomic specificity for discrete emotion states (Kreibig, 2010), there is still an active debate, and conflicting explanations, for these findings (Quigley and Barrett, 2014). There have been several studies employing multivariate pattern classification analytic techniques and calls for those types of studies are still prevalent (Kragel and LaBar, 2014). Although many studies have explored the autonomic specificity of emotions, few have explored what effects the induction methods, themselves, have had in inducing the autonomic change. Autonomic specificity of induction methods might be a meaningful, and confounding, phenomenon in this literature. Based on this unknown variable, the current experiment was designed to see if methods for emotion elicitation could be meaningfully captured by these same pattern classification techniques. This was accomplished using three separate emotion-elicitation methods to elicit five separate emotions. A sample of 64 college-aged students watched film clips, read imagery scripts, and recalled personal memories for five discrete emotions. Using discriminant analysis, the evidence from the current study lent less support for autonomic specificity of emotion than past experiments, and lends some support for providing future exploration into autonomic change that is related to methods for induction. Potential confounds and task fatigue effects are discussed. / Ph. D.

The autonomic specificity of emotion is intrinsic for many major theories of emotion. One of the goals of this study was to validate a standardized set of music clips to be used in studies of emotion and affect. This was accomplished using self-reported affective responses to 40 music pieces, noise, and silence clips in a sample of 71 college-aged individuals. Following the music selection phase of the study; the validated music clips as well as film clips previously shown to induce a wide array of emotional responses were presented to 50 college-aged subjects while a montage of autonomic variables were measured. Evidence for autonomic discrimination of emotion was found via pattern classification analysis replicating findings from previous research. It was theorized that groups of individuals could be identified based upon individual response specificity using cluster analytic techniques. Single cluster solutions for all emotion conditions indicated that stimulus response stereotypy of emotions was more powerful than individual patterns. Results from pattern classification analysis and cluster analysis support the concept of autonomic specificity of emotion. / Master of Science / [Appendix B: Beck Depression Inventory, p. 61-64, was removed Oct. 4, 2011 GMc]

The present study investigated autonomic nervous system (ANS) patterning during experimentally manipulated emotion. Film clips previously shown to induce amusement, anger, contentment, disgust, fear, and sadness, in addition to a neutral control, were presented to 34 college-aged subjects while electrodermal activity, blood pressure and electrocardiogram (ECG) were recorded as was self-reported affect. Mean and mean successive difference of inter-beat interval were derived from the ECG. Pattern classification analysis revealed emotion-specific patterning for all emotion conditions except disgust. Discriminant function analysis was used to describe the location of discrete emotions within a dimensional affective state space, for both self-report and ANS activity. Findings suggest traditional dimensional emotion models accurately describe the state space for self-reported emotion, but may require modification in order to accurately describe the state space for ANS activity during discrete emotions. Proposed modifications are consistent with the adoption of a discrete-dimensional hybrid model as well as current trends in emotion theory. / Master of Science