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Seeing the world through rose-colored glasses may be more than a metaphor. A study conducted by researchers at the University of Toronto (UT) has found that mood can actually affect the way a person processes visual information, with those in a happier mood taking in more than those in a bad one.
The research, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, utilized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to visualize how the brain absorbed information being sent to it from the eyes. Scientists used images meant to spark off a bad, good, or neutral mood. Once the mood was established, the participants were showed a composite image of a face surrounded by a “place” photo (such as a house). The researchers then asked the subjects to identify the gender of the face in order to draw attention to the central image.
Scientists were looking at a specific area in the brain, the parahippocamal, a region that processes the recognition of places. They were investigating “how this area relates to primary visual cortical responses, the first part of the cortex related to vision.” [UT] Learning how the brain processes information, and what effect mood may play on such processing, is yet another important step towards understanding the complicated workings of the brain. How the mind gathers and responds to the information sent by the senses is still largely uncharacterized.
A bad mood meant that the person was able to identify the face, but was unable to recall the “place” photo surrounding it. But when in a good mood the participant’s brain processed the whole scene, taking in both the face and the place.
But a good mood may not always translate into a good thing. “Good moods enhance the literal size of the window through which we see the world. The upside of this is that we can see things from a more global, or integrative perspective. The downside is that this can lead to distraction on critical tasks that require narrow focus, such as operating dangerous machinery or airport screening of passenger baggage,” said Taylor Schmitz, graduate student and lead author. [UT]
Bad moods may also have their benefits, helping to maintain a narrow focus on a task. However, there are times when such intense focus could be detrimental, such as operating a car when a driver must process a wide-range of visual information. Schmitz confirmed this by stating, “Bad moods [may prevent] us from integrating information outside of our direct attentional focus.” [UT]
More science news: Bitterness the newest mental illness? * Can personality influence inheritance? * Feel free to let your mind wander: brain highly active while daydreaming * More
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