Startle Reflex Measured at the Presence of Snake Pictures versus Smiling Baby Pictures
Disciplines
Experimental Analysis of Behavior
Abstract (300 words maximum)
In this research project, I measured the startle reflex of my participants when they were exposed to snake pictures which represents a potential threat versus smiling baby pictures which symbolizes a universally positive and emotionally engaging stimulus. Before the participants were presented with the stimuli, they were habituated. This was done so that I could have a baseline startle reflex that I could compare to the startle reflex after presenting the stimuli. Electrodes were placed at the palms of the participants and under their eyes to measure startle reflex. This is especially important in measuring startle reflex because it measures blink responses in the presence of the visual stimuli. Research shows us that there is a positive association between aversive startle and the measures of dispositional fear. This experiment was conducted using SuperLab. The SuperLab software provided precise control over stimulus presentation and synchronized data collection, enhancing the reliability and validity of the study. The findings suggest that snake pictures trigger a significantly more robust startle reflex compared to smiling baby pictures, aligning with the hypothesis that the startle reflex will be heightened at the presence of a negative stimuli versus a positive stimuli. The goal of this research is to increase the amount of knowledge regarding startle reflex and how it can be used as a measure of PTSD and to deepen the understanding of the individuals with this disorder.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
RCHSS - Psychological Science
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Ebony Glover
Startle Reflex Measured at the Presence of Snake Pictures versus Smiling Baby Pictures
In this research project, I measured the startle reflex of my participants when they were exposed to snake pictures which represents a potential threat versus smiling baby pictures which symbolizes a universally positive and emotionally engaging stimulus. Before the participants were presented with the stimuli, they were habituated. This was done so that I could have a baseline startle reflex that I could compare to the startle reflex after presenting the stimuli. Electrodes were placed at the palms of the participants and under their eyes to measure startle reflex. This is especially important in measuring startle reflex because it measures blink responses in the presence of the visual stimuli. Research shows us that there is a positive association between aversive startle and the measures of dispositional fear. This experiment was conducted using SuperLab. The SuperLab software provided precise control over stimulus presentation and synchronized data collection, enhancing the reliability and validity of the study. The findings suggest that snake pictures trigger a significantly more robust startle reflex compared to smiling baby pictures, aligning with the hypothesis that the startle reflex will be heightened at the presence of a negative stimuli versus a positive stimuli. The goal of this research is to increase the amount of knowledge regarding startle reflex and how it can be used as a measure of PTSD and to deepen the understanding of the individuals with this disorder.