Motivational Objects in Natural Scenes (MONS): A Database of >800 Objects.

Judith Schomaker,Wolfgang Einhäuser,Elias M Rau,Bianca C Wittmann

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01669

Abstract

In daily life, we are surrounded by objects with pre-existing motivational associations. However, these are rarely controlled for in experiments with natural stimuli. Research on natural stimuli would therefore benefit from stimuli with well-defined motivational properties; in turn, such stimuli also open new paths in research on motivation. Here we introduce a database of Motivational Objects in Natural Scenes (MONS). The database consists of 107 scenes. Each scene contains 2 to 7 objects placed at approximately equal distance from the scene center. Each scene was photographed creating 3 versions, with one object (“critical object”) being replaced to vary the overall motivational value of the scene (appetitive, aversive, and neutral), while maintaining high visual similarity between the three versions. Ratings on motivation, valence, arousal and recognizability were obtained using internet-based questionnaires. Since the main objective was to provide stimuli of well-defined motivational value, three motivation scales were used: (1) Desire to own the object; (2) Approach/Avoid; (3) Desire to interact with the object. Three sets of ratings were obtained in independent sets of observers: for all 805 objects presented on a neutral background, for 321 critical objects presented in their scene context, and for the entire scenes. On the basis of the motivational ratings, objects were subdivided into aversive, neutral, and appetitive categories. The MONS database will provide a standardized basis for future studies on motivational value under realistic conditions.

Highlights

When interacting with the world around us, a range of factors guide our behavior
We introduce a new picture database, Motivational Objects in Natural Scenes (MONS). 805 objects were taken from newly photographed natural scenes intended for experimental use
Vision scientists may be especially interested in our natural scene set, as the scenes were controlled in terms of visual characteristics, and we provide exact object locations within the scenes

Summary

Introduction

When interacting with the world around us, a range of factors guide our behavior. Many objects come to be associated with appetitive or aversive motivational properties that guide our interaction with these objects in daily life. Research on the effects of motivation on attention or memory commonly employs artificial stimuli for which motivational relevance is learned during the experiment. Some studies use real objects or scenes (Hickey et al, 2015), but pre-existing motivational value is rarely considered. Previous databases of emotional and motivational value generally present decontextualized objects on a blank background, such as food (Blechert et al, 2014; Miccoli et al, 2014). Research on the neural and behavioral effects of appetitive and aversive motivation, such as investigations of its effects

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