Successive negative contrast in emotional appraisal: A human replication with IAPS imaging

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33064/iycuaa2025968130

Keywords:

Negative Successive Contrast, IAPS, Emotional appraisal, Incentive Relativity, Frustration, Incentive

Abstract

Successive Negative Contrast (SNC) involves a decrease in behavior following an abrupt reduction in the quality or quantity of a reward. This study replicated the work of Cuenya et al. (2013) in humans, using the International Affective Picture System (IAPS). Two experiments were conducted manipulating the transition from high-arousal positive images to neutral images. In Experiment 1, control groups viewed only positive or neutral images. In Experiment 2, one group was randomly exposed to both types. The results confirmed that the SNC arises from the contrast between stimuli and not from mere constant exposure to a single stimulus type. These findings support the use of IAPS to study the SNC in humans. Understanding this effect is key, as the results suggest that emotions respond similarly to behavior following changes in the valence of the presented images.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Author Biographies

Hania Melany Silva-Mendoza, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

División de Investigación y Posgrado, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala

José Gudiño-Mejía, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala

Juan Palomares-Hernández, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala

Diego Ayala-Luna, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala

Jocelin Castillo-Cruz, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala

Mariana Ibáñez-Salamanca, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México

Facultad de Estudios Superiores Iztacala

References

• Amsel, A. (1958). The role of frustrative nonreward in noncontinuous reward situation. Psychological Bulletin, 55 (2), 102-119. doi: 10.1037/h0043125.

• Boakes, R., Badolato, C. y Rehn S. (2024). Taste aversion learning during successive negative contrast. Learning & Behaviour. 52, 272-284. doi: 10.3758/s13420-024-00626-3

• Chayo-Dichy, R., Velez, A., Arias, N., Castillo-Parra, G., 2, Ostrosky-Solis, F. (2003). Valencia, activación, dominancia y contenido moral, ante estímulos visuales con contenido emocional y moral: un estudio en población mexicana. Revista Española de Neuropsicología. 5 (3-4), 213-225. Recuperado de https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=1128645

• Craft, B. B., James, W. A., Reaves, D. L., y Olson, C. J. (2020). Successive negative contrast effects in a risk-sensitive foraging procedure. Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology / Revue canadienne de psychologie expérimentale, 74(3), 244–251. https://doi.org/10.1037/cep0000211

• Crespi, L. (1942) Quantitative variation in incentive contrast studies involving discrete trial procedures. American Journal of Psychology. 55, 467-517. doi: 10.2307/1417120

• Cuenya, L., Kamenetzky, G., Fosacheca, S., Mustaca, A. (2013). Efecto de contraste negativo en la valoración emocional de imágenes. Anales de Psicología. 29 (3). 944-952. doi: 10.6018/analesps.29.3.150861

• Elliott, M. H. (1928). The effect of change of reward on the maze performance of rats. 4, 19–30. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.

• Flaherty, C. (1996). Problems in the behavioral sciences incentive relativity. Cambridge: University Press.

• Fernández, R., Puddington, M., Kliger, R., Del Core, J., Jure, I., Labombarda, F., Papini, M., y Muzio, R. (2024). Instrumental successive negative contrast in rats: Trial distribution, reward magnitude, and prefrontal cortex activation. Physiology & Behavior. 278. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2024.114511.

• Justel, N., Ruetti, E. & Mustaca, A. (2010). Aproximaciones teóricas al estudio del contraste sucesivo negativo consumatorio. Suma psicológica. 17 (2). 111-123. Recuperado de: https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=134218662001

• Lang, P. J., Bradley, M. M., & Cuthbert, B. N. (1997). International affective picture system (IAPS): Technical manual and affective ratings (Tech. Rep. No. A-6). Gainesville, FL: The Center for Research in Psychophysiology, University of Florida.

• Mármol-Contreras, Y., Vasquez, T., Shah, P., Payne, K., Di, J., Laezza, F., Green, T. (2023). Bar press durations as a reliable and robust measureoffrustration-related operant behavior: Sensitivity to incentive downshift anddose-response paradigms. Plos one. 18(12), 1-18. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296090

• Morillo-Rivero, L., Ibáñez-Molina, A., & Torres, C. (2020). Successive negative contrast in humans: Dissociation between behavioral and affective measures of frustration. Learning and Motivation, 70, 101634. doi: 10.1016/j.lmot.2020.101634

• Norman, G. (2010). Likert scales, levels of measurement and the “laws” of statistics. Advin Health Sci Educ. 15, 625–632. doi: 10.1007/s10459-010-9222-y

• Papini, M., Green, T., ,2 Mármol, Y., Torres, C., Ogawa, y Li, Z. (2024). Frustrative Nonreward: Behavior, Circuits, Neurochemistry, and Disorders. The Journal of Neuroscience. 44(4), 1-7. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1021-24.2024

• Sociedad Mexicana de Psicología. (2010). Código ético del psicólogo (2ª ed.). Ciudad de México, México: Editorial Trillas.

• Torres, C., & Papini, M. R. (2017). Incentive relativity. En J. Vonk & T. K. Shackelford (Eds.), Encyclopedia of animal cognition and behavior (pp. 1079-1081). Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-47829-6_1079-1

• Weinstein, L. (1972). Negative contrast with humans as a function of emotionality. Journal of Psychology, 80, 161-165. doi: 10.1080/00223980.1972.9916938

Published

2025-09-30

How to Cite

Silva-Mendoza, H. M., Gudiño-Mejía, J., Palomares-Hernández, J., Ayala-Luna, D., Castillo-Cruz, J., & Ibáñez-Salamanca, M. (2025). Successive negative contrast in emotional appraisal: A human replication with IAPS imaging. Investigación Y Ciencia De La Universidad Autónoma De Aguascalientes, (96), e8130. https://doi.org/10.33064/iycuaa2025968130

Issue

Section

Artículos de Investigación

Categories