Abstract
Research on the metaphorical mapping of valenced concepts onto space indicates that positive, neutral, and negative concepts are mapped onto upward, midward, and downward locations, respectively. More recently, this type of research has been tested for the very first time in 3D physical space. The findings corroborate the mapping of valenced concepts onto the vertical space as described above but further show that positive and negative concepts are placed close to and away from the body; neutral concepts are placed midway. The current study aimed at investigating whether valenced perceptual stimuli are positioned onto 3D space akin to the way valenced concepts are positioned. By using a unique device known as the cognition cube, participants placed visual, auditory, tactile and olfactory stimuli on 3D space. The results mimicked the placing of valenced concepts onto 3D space; i.e., positive percepts were placed in upward and close-to-the-body locations and negative percepts were placed in downward and away-from-the-body locations; neutral percepts were placed midway. These pattern of results was more pronounced in the case of visual stimuli, followed by auditory, tactile, and olfactory stimuli.Significance StatementJust recently, a unique device called “the cognition cube” (CC) enabled to find that positive words are mapped onto upward and close-to-the-body locations and negative words are mapped onto downward and away-from-the-body locations; neutral words are placed midway. This way of placing words in relation to the body is consistent with an approach-avoidance effect such that “good” and “bad” things are kept close to and away from one’s body. We demonstrate for the very first time that this same pattern emerges when visual, auditory, tactile, and olfactory perceptual stimuli are placed on 3D physical space. We believe these results are significant in that the CC can be used as a new tool to diagnose emotion-related disorders.
Highlights
The valence-space metaphor contends that stimuli’s valence is mapped onto physical space
This study had the goal of examining the allocation of valenced percepts in four sensory modalities in 3D space
The present study showed that the effect of the percepts’ valence and their allocation in space was largest in the vertical plane (Y axis), followed by the “depth” and horizontal planes (Z and X axes, respectively)
Summary
The valence-space metaphor contends that stimuli’s valence is mapped onto physical space. In that study, Marmolejo-Ramos et al (2018) crafted a specific device (“the cognition cube”) that enabled allocating items in space such that X, Y, and Z Cartesian coordinates could be estimated These authors confirmed the mapping of valenced concepts onto the vertical plane, and disconfirmed the effects of various factors, including valence, on the horizontal plane. Their results showed that in the “depth” plane (Z-axis) positively- and negatively valenced concepts are placed closer to and away from the body, respectively. This result is line with an approach-avoidance effect (Solarz, 1960; Phaf et al, 2014; see Meier et al, 2012; Topolinski et al, 2014; Godinho and Garrido, 2016)
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