Abstract
In contrast to standard models of emotional valence, which assume a bipolar valence dimension ranging from negative to positive valence with a neutral midpoint, the evaluative space model (ESM) proposes two independent positivity and negativity dimensions. Previous imaging studies suggest higher predictive power of the ESM when investigating the neural correlates of verbal stimuli. The present study investigates further assumptions on the behavioral level. A rating experiment on more than 600 German words revealed 48 emotionally ambivalent stimuli (i.e., stimuli with high scores on both ESM dimensions), which were contrasted with neutral stimuli in two subsequent lexical decision experiments. Facilitative processing for emotionally ambivalent words was found in Experiment 2. In addition, controlling for emotional arousal and semantic ambiguity in the stimulus set, Experiment 3 still revealed a speed-accuracy trade-off for emotionally ambivalent words. Implications for future investigations of lexical processing and for the ESM are discussed.
Highlights
In the past few decades, emotional processing attracted attention as a main research topic in psychology
Most theories concerning affective processing assume that emotions are either positive or negative, but not positive and negative at the same time (e.g., Bradley & Lang, 2000; Panksepp, 1998; Russell, 2003). They crucially differ from the evaluative space model (ESM), which explicitly suggests ambivalent emotional experiences
The results seem clear-cut: Stimuli rated as neutral on one- and two-dimensional valence scales were processed significantly slower than stimuli rated as neutral on unidimensional valence but as ambivalent on two independent scales, which is perfectly in line with the assumptions of the ESM
Summary
In the past few decades, emotional processing attracted attention as a main research topic in psychology. Two major theoretical approaches dominate the discussion so far, namely, dimensional theories and theories that assume discrete emotions. A limited number of independent affective dimensions accounts for the entire human emotional experience. The two most important and best understood dimensions are emotional valence, indicating the hedonic value of a specific emotion as either positive or negative, and emotional arousal, indicating its intensity (Bradley & Lang, 2000; Russell, 2003). Discrete emotion theories are a second major theoretical approach, postulating that a limited number of discrete emotions with specific characteristics, physiological correlates, and behavioral action tendencies trigger emotional experiences (e.g., Panksepp, 1998). The exact number of discrete emotions is debated, at least five discrete emotions—happiness, anger, disgust, fear, and sadness—are widely accepted
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