The Cognitive Processing Characteristics Of Sex-ual Stimuli After The Presentation Of Affective Pictures With Different Valences In Human Female: Evidence From ERP Study

Objects: The present study based on previous research about sexual arousal infemale, using the emotional pictures as emotional stimuli, with the Event-related brainPotentials (ERP) technology, and with sexual pictures for research material, toinvestigate the cognitive processing characteristics of sexual stimuli after thepresentation of emotional pictures with different valence,and to reveal the mechanismof the brain for processing sexual stimulation in female of different emotionalstimulus.Methods: In this experiment，with the positive, negative and neutral affectivepicture of middle arousal degree, and the sexual picture of high and low arousaldegree in the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) for research materials,with high resolution time of the event related brain potential (ERPs) technology torecord individual processing pictures if brain waves in the three category emotionalstimulus, to analysis of the ERP waves from characteristics and their differences.Results:（1）There were no significant difference in ERP waves of P2,N2,PSW（Positive Slow Wave) components of females processing sexual picture in the threecategory affective pictures, and P2,N2,PSW latency was similar, but P2was maineffect in frontal, centre district and parietal, with P2latency longer in parietal;(2)Highand low arousal sexual picture of the degree of induced P2amplitude showed nosignificant difference;(3) Compared to low arousal sexual stimulus, the high arousalsexual stimulus induced larger N2amplitude(P=0.05);(4) Compared to low arousalsexual stimulus, the high arousal sexual stimulus induced larger PSW amplitude（P﹤0.01）.Conclusion: Moderate arousal emotional state will not affect the psychologicalarousal level in female when they processing sexual picture; in the early stages ofcognitive processing, where the meaning of stimuli is read, is no mind resource inputdifferences between high and low arousal sexual stimuli in human female; But in thestages of selective attention and cognitive access, more mind resource is involved inhigh arousal sexual stimuli than low ones in human female.