Table 8.
Scheme for the mirror neuron experiment
| Experimental condition | Positive emotion | inter-stimulus interval (ISI) | Positive emotion | ISI | Positive emotion | ISI | Moving geometric shape | ISI | Moving geometric shape | ISI | Moving geometric shape | ISI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Time (s) | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Experimental condition | Negative emotion | inter-stimulus interval (ISI) | Negative emotion | ISI | Negative emotion | ISI | Neutral face | ISI | Neutral face | ISI | Neutral face | ISI |
| Time (s) | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
12 times
The MN experimental stimuli consisted of full-face, full-color, 3-s video clips of five males and five females displaying various emotional states (anger, disgust, happiness, surprise, and neutrality). The control stimuli were clips of moving geometric shapes. Thus the four experimental conditions included specific clips of a single category: (1) positive emotional faces: happy and surprised, (2) negative emotional faces: angry and disgust, (3) neutral faces, and (4) moving geometric shapes. Each condition was presented 12 times in pseudo-randomized (counterbalanced between subjects) blocks lasting 12 s and comprising three clips. Clips were separated by a 1-s inter-stimulus interval (ISI), and conditions were separated by a 2-s ISI.