AU - Kaviani, hosayn TI - The efficacy of films on inducing pleasant and unpleasant emotions, and modification of startle reflex PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE TA - ijpcp JN - ijpcp VO - 6 VI - 1 IP - 1 4099 - http://ijpcp.iums.ac.ir/article-1-1826-en.html 4100 - http://ijpcp.iums.ac.ir/article-1-1826-en.pdf SO - ijpcp 1 AB  -   Objective : the studies indicate that the "eye-blink" components of "acoustic startle reflex" can be modulated through emotionally slide stimuli. Pleasant stimulants reduce eye-blink amplitude, whereas unpleasant stimulants enhance them. Method: the present study examines the modulation of the acoustic startle reflexes through a short film clips (2-min), classified as pleasant, unpleasant and neutral, on the basis of subjective ratings on 22 males and females aged between 18 – 45 years old. Findings: results indicate a significant reduction of startle during the pleasant clips and an increase during unpleasant clips. However, one of the two unpleasant clips (a medical demonstration film depicting details of toe surgery) inhibited the startle reflex rather than augmented it. This is discussed in terms of the proposition that only stimuli which arouse fear, can be guaranteed to augment startle, and repulsive stimuli may produce perceptual and emotional "blunting" that reduces startle amplitude. CP - IRAN IN - Dept. of Psychiatry and psychology Roozbeh Hospital, Kargar Ave. Tehran, Iran, I.R. LG - eng PB - ijpcp PG - 35 PT - Original Research YR - 2000