Relationships between subliminal affective processing, dispositional traits and contextual states: An ERP study with behavioral indicators

Introduction: Previous research showed that bottom-up automatic affective processing is correlated with different aspects of personality, supporting relationships between emotions and personality traits. The present study aims to explore the associations between nonconscious affective processing (induced by subliminal emotion stimulation) and dispositional states and contextual states. Methods: A subsample with clinical criteria individuals (N=17) was analyzed in a cross-sectional design. Individuals responded to selfreport instruments and conducted a behavioral task with Electroencephalography (EEG and ERPs). Results: Results showed strong correlations between maladaptive schemas and states of mind with behavioral responses. Dispositional traits and contextual states seem to be associated with affective processing, especially when it comes to the neutral valence of the subliminal stimuli. ERPs waveforms showed an amplitude modulation with a temporal progression: in the first 100 msec the waveform amplitude was highest to the negative condition; later on, in the time windows after 350 msec, the neutral condition was the one that elicited the ERPs' heist amplitude. Conclusion: The neutral priming elicits a negative reaction (dislike) as if the neutral stimuli were distorted to fit schema-driven interpretations. These indexes a cascade of reactions, first a priority to nonconscious negative stimulation in which neutral stimuli acquire a meaning according to schemas.