Introduction: There remains a lack of theoretical models which can adequately account for the key features of bipolar disorders (Power, 2005). Objectives: Firstly, to test the predictions made by the SPAARS model that mania is predominantly characterised by the coupling of happiness with anger, while depression (unipolar and bipolar) primarily comprises of a coupling between sadness and disgust. Secondly, to investigate and compare the coping strategies employed to regulate positive and negative emotion between bipolar, unipolar and control groups. Design: A cross sectional design was employed to examine the differences within and between the bipolar, unipolar and control groups in the emotions experienced and the strategies used to regulate emotion. Data were analysed using ANOVAs. Method: Psychiatric diagnoses in the clinical groups were confirmed using the SCID. Current mood state was measured using the BDI-II, STAI and the MAS. The Basic Emotion Scale was used to explore the emotional profiles and the Regulation of Emotion Questionnaire was used to measure coping strategies. Results: The results confirmed the predictions made by the SPAARS model about the emotions in mania and depression. Elevated levels of disgust were also found in the bipolar group generally. The clinical groups used internal dysfunctional strategies more often than the controls for negative emotion. The bipolar group used external dysfunctional strategies more frequently than the controls for positive emotion. Conclusion: The results support the predictions made by the SPAARS model and suggest that disgust plays a key role in bipolar disorder. Strengths and limitations are discussed and suggestions for future research are explored.

Music is a powerful and reliable means to stimulate the percept of both intense pleasantness and unpleasantness in the perceiver. However, everyone’s social experiences with music suggest that the same music piece may elicit a very different valence percept in different individuals. A comparison of music from different historical periods suggests that enculturation modulates the valence percept of intervals and harmonies, and thus possibly also of relatively basic feature extraction processes. Strikingly, it is still largely unknown how much the valence percept is dependent on physical properties of the stimulus and thus mediated by a universal perceptual mechanism, and how much it is dependent on cultural imprinting. The current thesis investigates the neurophysiology of the valence percept, and the modulating influence of culture on several distinguishable sub-processes of music processing, so-called functional modules of music processing, engaged in the mediation of the valence percept. / Musik eignet sich besonders gut, um sowohl intensive Angenehmheit/Lust und Unangenehmheit/Unlust (siehe auch Wundt, 1896), so genannte Valenzperzepte, im Zuhörer hervorzurufen. Jedoch kann derselbe musikalische Stimulus sehr unterschiedliche Valenzperzepte in verschiedenen Zuhörern hervorrufen, was nahe legt, dass das durch Musik vermittelte Valenzperzept zumindest teilweise durch kulturelle Prägung moduliert wird. Ein Vergleich von Musik verschiedener historischer Perioden legt ebenfalls nahe, dass kulturelle Prägung das Valenzperzept des Hörers bei der Wahrnehmung von Intervallen und Harmonien moduliert. Wichtigerweise ist es nach wie vor weitgehend unbekannt, inwiefern das Valenzperzept von physikalischen Eigenschaften des Stimulus (z.B. Rauhigkeit) abhängt - und daher auf einem universellen perzeptiven Mechanismus basiert - oder wie sehr es abhängt von kultureller Prägung. Die vorliegende Dissertation untersucht die Neurophysiologie des Valenzperzepts, sowie den modulierenden Einfluss von Kultur auf mehrere funktionelle Module der Musikwahrnehmung (voneinander unterscheidbare Subprozesse der Musikwahrnehmung), die bei der Entstehung des Valenzperzepts beteiligt sind.

Title: Facial Expressions of Emotions Author: Bc. Markéta Zajícová Department: Department of Psychology, Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Arts Supervisor: doc. PhDr. MUDr. Mgr. Radvan Bahbouh, Ph.D. Abstract: The theses is dedicated to facial expressions of emotions, it begins with a brief introduction to the topic of emotions as one of the cognitive functions, there is a definition of the term, classification of emotions and their psychopathology, it briefly summarizes the various theories of emotions. The greater part of the theoretical section is devoted to basic emotions and their manifestation in the face, as well as the ability to recognize and imitate them. The theoretical part is closed by the topic of emotional intelligence as a unifying element that highlights the importance of this issue. Empirical part is primarily focused on two abilities related to facial expressions of emotions, specifically the recognition and the production of them, then links these capabilities with additional characteristics as the gender, the education and their self-estimation. The main finding of this theses is that there is a statistical significant relationship (ρ=0.35, α=0.05) between the emotion recognition and production. Key words: Basic Emotion, Facial Expressions of Emotions, Emotion Recognition,...