DOI: 10.6129/CJP.20160625
中華心理學刊 民105，58卷，3期，207-216
Chinese Journal of Psychology 2016, Vol.58, No.3, 207-216

Bethany Chia-Yun Wu（Research Center for Mind, Brain, & Learning, National Chengchi University；Taiwan Mind & Brain Imaging Center, TMBIC）；Yan Jing Wu（Department of Psychology, The University of Sheffield）；Chieh-Ning Lee（Department of Clinical Psychology and Graduate Institute, Fu Jen Catholic University）；Nai-Shing Yen（Research Center for Mind, Brain, & Learning, National Chengchi University；Taiwan Mind & Brain Imaging Center, TMBIC；Department of Psychology, National Chengchi University）

Abstract

We aimed to investigate how men and women respond to emotional stimuli. Therefore, we engaged 28 participants (14 of whom were female) to view pictures belonging to the following five emotion categories of the Taiwan Affective Picture System (TAPS): positive, erotic, general neutral, bloody, and negative.  Electroencephalogram (EEG) data was recorded while participants passively viewed emotional pictures. Participants were asked to judge the valence and arousal levels they experienced for each viewed stimulus. Behaviorally, we did not observe any differences in the ratings of both valence and arousal levels across emotional categories between male and female participants. Event-related potentials (ERP) elicited by erotic, general neutral, and negative pictures were also comparable between the two groups. Gender differences were observed for positive and bloody pictures. In comparison to male, female participants showed a larger positive going ERP component for positive and bloody pictures between 400 and 1,000 ms after stimuli onset. This late positive potential (LPP) has been established with emotion-processing associations. We interpreted these 
characteristic responses to emotion in women as an adaptation in their role as caregivers due to evolution.

Keywords: emotion, event-related potentials (ERP), gender differences, late positive potential (LPP), Taiwan Affective Picture System (TAPS)