Positive Valence Research Articles

Application of an egocentric social network approach to examine changes in social connections following treatment for anxiety and depression: A novel measurement tool for clinical trials research?

The epidemic of loneliness and social isolation has been recognized as a public health crisis warranting the same prioritization as other public health issues today, such as obesity, substance use disorders, and tobacco use. Social disconnection is particularly prevalent and disabling among individuals with anxiety and depression, yet it is inadequately evaluated and addressed in most clinical psychology treatment research. Studies generally employ global measures of perceived connectedness, loneliness, or relationship satisfaction, limiting understanding about elements of one's social network that may change with treatment. This study examined changes in the degree (number of people nominated) and quality of one's social network from pre-to post-treatment using an egocentric social network approach in 59 adults (mean age = 30.8 years, range = 18 to 54) with clinically elevated anxiety or depression who were randomized to a cognitive and behavioral positive valence treatment versus waitlist. Participants (egos) named people in their lives (alters) with whom they discussed important issues or spent free time. For each alter, participants rated how close they felt, how close they thought the alter felt to them, and how frequently they communicated. Linear regressions, which included treatment group as a predictor, revealed no group differences in changes in network degree, perceived alter feelings of closeness, or communication frequency, despite prior findings from this sample indicating larger increases in perceived global connectedness in the treatment group. Unexpectedly, the control group reported a greater increase in perceived closeness to alters. Post-hoc analyses revealed this was explained by the treatment group identifying more distal social ties (e.g., extended family, colleagues, roommates) as alters following treatment – an outcome positively associated with global improvements in connectedness. This proof-of-concept study suggests egocentric social network surveys may provide unique information on treatment-related changes in social functioning. Suggestions are provided for adaptations to facilitate application of social network surveys to mental health treatment research.

Amplification of positivity for depression and anxiety: Neural prediction of treatment response

Psychosocial treatments targeting the positive valence system (PVS) in depression and anxiety demonstrate efficacy in enhancing positive affect (PA), but response to treatment varies. We examined whether individual differences in neural activation to positive and negative valence incentive cues underlies differences in benefitting from a PVS-targeted treatment. Individuals with clinically elevated depression and/or anxiety (N = 88, ages 18 to 55) participated in one of two randomized, waitlist-controlled trials of Amplification of Positivity (AMP; NCT02330627, NCT03196544), a cognitive and behavioral intervention targeting the PVS. Participants completed a monetary incentive delay (MID) task during fMRI acquisition at baseline measuring neural activation to the possibility of gaining or losing money. Change in PA from before to after treatment was assessed using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. No significant associations were observed between baseline neural activation during gain anticipation and AMP-related changes in PA in regions of interest (striatum and insula) or whole-brain analyses. However, higher baseline striatal and insula activation during loss anticipation was associated with greater increases in PA post-AMP. This study provides preliminary evidence suggesting neural reactivity to negative valence cues may inform who stands to benefit most from treatments targeting the PVS.

Positive and multifaceted perceptions of Israeli kindergarten teachers contribute to developmental gains of children with developmental delay

ABSTRACT This study examined the links between Israeli teachers’ perceptions of children with developmental delay (DD) in special education kindergartens and changes in children’s development. Participants were 47 teachers and children diagnosed with DD. At Time 1, teachers’ perceptions were assessed via the valence of their narrative about the child and the extent to which the narrative was multifaceted (i.e. addressing more developmental domains). Kindergarten therapists reported twice, at Time 1 and at Time 2 (12 months later), on children's adaptive behavior in terms of communication, socialization, motor, and daily living skills and on children’s peer acceptance. Positive valence of teachers’ narratives was associated with more gains in children’s adaptive behavior from Time 1 to Time 2. Multifaceted narratives were associated with children’s increased peer acceptance from Time 1 to Time 2. Results highlight the importance of supporting teachers’ construction of positive and multifaceted perceptions of children through training and supervision.

An Examination of Black Undergraduate Women's Intersectional Experiences and Academic Motivation in Computing Education

Objectives. We aim to understand, from a motivational perspective, how Black undergraduate women in computing make sense of their intersectional computing experiences. We examine their motivation to major in computing, their experiences as Black women in computing, and how these vary across institutional contexts. Participants. A sample of 77 Black undergraduate women in computing programs (computer science, computer engineering, information systems, information technology, and software engineering) from diverse college settings was recruited to participate in the study. Study Method. Participants responded to an online survey that included several Likert-scale measures for identity, motivation and retention variables, demographic questions, and two open-ended questions: Why did you choose to study computing? and What is it like for you to be a Black female student in computing? Findings. Key themes that emerged from our quantitative and qualitative analyses revealed the range of motivational factors driving Black undergraduate women to study computing and the nuances across their intersectional experiences in the computing education context. Additionally, Black undergraduate women located in HBCU computing education contexts demonstrated both similar and unique perspectives and experiences compared to their counterparts in non-HBCU settings. Conclusions. In addition to the isolation, pressure, power dynamics and epistemic violence experienced by Black women in the intersectional computing education context, the findings of this study display the unique cultural-social-psychological strengths of Black women in their positive valence and resilience, as well as their joy, empowerment, and achievement in computing. Increasing and complicating our knowledge of the motivations and intersectional experiences of Black women in undergraduate computing education, as well as understanding when and how their beliefs and perspectives vary across institutional context, will better inform efforts to retain them and promote their success both in college and into their careers.

Effect of emotional valence on true and false recognition controlling arousal

ABSTRACT The aim of our experiment was to analyse the effect of the emotional valence (positive, negative, or neutral) on true and false recognition, matching the arousal, frequency, concreteness, and associative strength of the study and recognition words. Fifty younger adults and 46 healthy older adults performed three study tasks (with words of different valence: positive, negative, neutral) and their corresponding recognition tests. Two weeks later, they performed the three recognition tests again. The results show that words with a negative valence produced less true recognition and less false recognition than words with a positive or neutral valence, in both younger and older adults, on the immediate recognition test. This pattern of results was also found in the younger adults on the delayed recognition test, whereas in the older participants, these differences disappeared. Thus, when arousal is controlled, both younger and older adults tend to recognise negative information worse than positive or neutral information, but they also commit fewer errors. Results would suggest that the greater arousal commonly associated with negative stimuli, rather than their own valence, could explain some of the contradictory results found in the literature.

Pentatonic sequences and monaural beats to facilitate relaxation: an EEG study.

In two studies we investigated if specific acoustic stimulations could be more effective to induce a relaxation response in comparison to silence. Acoustic stimulations included monaural beats and musical sequences based on a pentatonic scale. In the first study, 47 participants evaluated monaural beats and pentatonic sequences presented through loudspeakers and varying along three frequencies (0.2, 2, 4 Hz). In the second study, 31 participants relaxed with their eyes closed for 10 min during a passive listening of monaural beats and a pentatonic sequence presented through loudspeakers. A silence condition was introduced as control. All auditory stimuli were designed with a temporal modulation of 0.2 Hz. Concomitant EEG was recorded with a 64-channel system and spectral analysis was performed on delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma oscillations to test if each of the three auditory stimulations had a significant effect on EEG spectral power in comparison to silence. In the first study, pentatonic sequences were evaluated as more pleasant and more relaxing than monaural beats. Pleasantness and relaxation were inversely related to frequency. Visual imagery and emotion induction had higher frequency and were rated with a more positive valence in pentatonic sequences than in monaural beats. In the second study monaural beats in comparison to silence strongly decreased beta and gamma oscillations in the first three minutes and strongly increased theta oscillations in the last three minutes. Pentatonic sequences increased delta, theta, and alpha oscillations in the last three minutes while decreasing beta, and gamma oscillations for the whole auditory stimulation. The results show that auditory signals with a very low temporal modulation (0.2 Hz) could be more effective than silence in inducing a relaxation response. Although 0.2 Hz monaural beats were effective in inducing a relaxation response, they tended to be perceived as unpleasant. Pentatonic sequences could be considered as a better alternative to promote relaxation by auditory stimulation.

Coding Beauty and Decoding Ugliness: The Role of Aesthetic Concerns in Programming Practices

In this article, we analyze the productive role of aesthetics in organizing technoscientific work. Specifically, we investigate how aesthetic judgments form and inform code-writing practices at a large web services company in Russia. We focus on how programmers express aesthetic judgments about code and software design in everyday practice and explore how language with positive and negative valences is deployed. We find that programmers label code as “beautiful” without defining or establishing agreement about the term and are thereby able to maintain different ideals of beauty within the same organization. However, by learning how to avoid what senior developers deem to be “ugly” code, developers become socialized into producing code with a similar style and logic that we describe as “not ugly.” The fieldwork suggests that aesthetic language can function simultaneously as a mechanism that supports professional diversity within an organization and as a tool for producing consistencies in software design. Studying manifestations of both positive and negative aesthetic language in technoscientific work provides insight into professional practices and the various roles aesthetic language can play in organizational life.

How music can change evaluations of social situations: Exploring the influence of emotional states and perceived group characteristics

In everyday life, music is increasingly being listened to through headphones and mobile devices in public situations. While a large body of research has demonstrated that music may influence the emotional states of listeners and affect multimodal perceptions i.e. in films, less is known about the music’s impact on environments and the interpretation of social situations. We conducted an online experiment to investigate the influence of music on evaluations, considering individuals’ emotional states (emotion congruence) and group perception. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions (music with positive valence and high arousal, music with negative valence and low arousal, and no music) while viewing images of two different social group types that varied in perceived group characteristics (group members being familiar or unfamiliar with each other). Images were rated on four bipolar scales measuring affective quality and cognitive evaluation of social situations. Results show that individuals who listened to negative music provided lower valence ratings and also judgded social environments lower in terms of pleasantness and cheerfulness (affective) than individuals in the other experimental conditions. In contrast, ratings of crowdedness and familiarity (cognitive) did not differ between experimental conditions. The effect of music on affective evaluations was shaped by social group types, such that participants were more influenced by music when viewing intimacy groups (e.g., friends) than when viewing transitory groups (e.g., strangers). Overall, our results support the assumption of mood congruency for affective evaluations and emphasize the need to consider social information when studying the influence of music on the perception of environments.

The effects of prefrontal tDCS and hf-tRNS on the processing of positive and negative emotions evoked by video clips in first- and third-person

The causal role of the cerebral hemispheres in positive and negative emotion processing remains uncertain. The Right Hemisphere Hypothesis proposes right hemispheric superiority for all emotions, while the Valence Hypothesis suggests the left/right hemisphere's primary involvement in positive/negative emotions, respectively. To address this, emotional video clips were presented during dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) electrical stimulation, incorporating a comparison of tDCS and high frequency tRNS stimulation techniques and manipulating perspective-taking (first-person vs third-person Point of View, POV). Four stimulation conditions were applied while participants were asked to rate emotional video valence: anodal/cathodal tDCS to the left/right DLPFC, reverse configuration (anodal/cathodal on the right/left DLPFC), bilateral hf-tRNS, and sham (control condition). Results revealed significant interactions between stimulation setup, emotional valence, and POV, implicating the DLPFC in emotions and perspective-taking. The right hemisphere played a crucial role in both positive and negative valence, supporting the Right Hemisphere Hypothesis. However, the complex interactions between the brain hemispheres and valence also supported the Valence Hypothesis. Both stimulation techniques (tDCS and tRNS) significantly modulated results. These findings support both hypotheses regarding hemispheric involvement in emotions, underscore the utility of video stimuli, and emphasize the importance of perspective-taking in this field, which is often overlooked.

Stereotyped goal-directed manifold dynamics in the insular cortex

The insular cortex is involved in diverse processes, including bodily homeostasis, emotions, and cognition. However, we lack a comprehensive understanding of how it processes information at the level of neuronal populations. We leveraged recent advances in unsupervised machine learning to study insular cortex population activity patterns (i.e., neuronal manifold) in mice performing goal-directed behaviors. We find that the insular cortex activity manifold is remarkably consistent across different animals and under different motivational states. Activity dynamics within the neuronal manifold are highly stereotyped during rewarded trials, enabling robust prediction of single-trial outcomes across different mice and across various natural and artificial motivational states. Comparing goal-directed behavior with self-paced free consumption, we find that the stereotyped activity patterns reflect task-dependent goal-directed reward anticipation, and not licking, taste, or positive valence. These findings reveal a core computation in insular cortex that could explain its involvement in pathologies involving aberrant motivations.

Neural patterns associated with mixed valence feelings differ in consistency and predictability throughout the brain.

Mixed feelings, the simultaneous presence of feelings with positive and negative valence, remain an understudied topic. They pose a specific set of challenges due to individual variation, and their investigation requires analtyic approaches focusing on individually self-reported states. We used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to scan 27 subjects watching an animated short film chosen to induce bittersweet mixed feelings. The same subjects labeled when they had experienced positive, negative, and mixed feelings. Using hidden-Markov models, we found that various brain regions could predict the onsets of new feeling states as determined by self-report. The ability of the models to identify these transitions suggests that these states may exhibit unique and consistent neural signatures. We next used the subjects' self-reports to evaluate the spatiotemporal consistency of neural patterns for positive, negative, and mixed states. The insula had unique and consistent neural signatures for univalent states, but not for mixed valence states. The anterior cingulate and ventral medial prefrontal cortex had consistent neural signatures for both univalent and mixed states. This study is the first to demonstrate that subjectively reported changes in feelings induced by naturalistic stimuli can be predicted from fMRI and the first to show direct evidence for a neurally consistent representation of mixed feelings.

Greenfluencing Through the Power of Emotions? Impact of Message Frames and Emotionally Matching Background Music on the Effectiveness of Influencers’ Environmental Communication

Social media influencers have become increasingly important in persuading people to become environmentally sensitive. As “greenfluencers” have been studied primarily in the context of advertising, it is crucial to investigate the mechanisms and effects of their non-product–related environmental messages. In two studies, we tested different message frames, a well-known persuasion strategy, in the context of Instagram reels (short audiovisual videos), where user-added background music is a prominent feature. In a 2 × 2 between-subjects online experiment ( N = 240), we manipulated the message frame (gain vs. loss) and the background music (positive vs. negative emotional valence) and found that loss frames reduced behavioral intention via negative emotions. A second 2 × 2 between-subjects online experiment ( N = 207) replicated these findings with an older sample and provided additional evidence that gain frames should be used in environmental communication. Contrary to our assumptions, we found no effect of the emotional valence of music in either study.

Mother-child dyadic responses to children facing challenges: An examination across ethnicities.

The current study (a) examined ethnic differences in mothers' and children's responses to children's performance in a challenging task, (b) tested the associations among children's desire for assistance, maternal control, and children's emotional responses to the challenge, and (c) explored whether these associations held across three ethnicities-Asian Americans (AA), Latinx Americans (LA), and European Americans (EA). Results showed that children's emotional arousal significantly increased and emotional valence became significantly less positive over the course of children experiencing repeated challenges in front of their mothers. In terms of ethnic differences, LA mothers exhibited more control than EA mothers, but LA children responded less negatively to the challenging task than EA children. AA dyads did not significantly differ from LA or EA dyads on any maternal or child responses. However, regardless of ethnicity, stronger child desire for assistance was associated with greater maternal control and greater maternal control was associated with less emotional arousal and more positive child emotional valence. These findings suggest that, in a challenging context, maternal control is likely experienced by children as guidance that mitigates decreases in positive emotion. Our work has implications for interventions to encourage more emotionally responsive parental involvement with children in late childhood and early adolescence. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Framing of 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) Financial Scandal by English and Chinese Newspapers Published in Malaysia

The study compared how the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) financial scandal was framed in English and Chinese online newspapers published in Malaysia. Content analysis was conducted for 200 articles for two English newspapers (The Star, 50; Malaysiakini English, 50) and two Chinese newspapers (Sin Chew Daily, 50; Malaysiakini Chinese, 50). The four newspapers were similar in the reliance on episodic framing and government sources of information, and the valence of the articles. Government sources is the opinion leader in 1MDB events but space is given to the voices of the opposition, foreign entities and the public. The English newspapers and Malaysiakini Chinese have more articles with a positive valence (46%-56%) in favour of investigations to resolve the financial corruption case and about 31% of the articles had a negative valence. However, Sin Chew Daily is more critical of the investigations than the other three newspapers. There are significant differences among the newspapers in frame dimensions of news headlines. The responsibility frame is used in close to 80% of the 1MDB articles in the Chinese newspapers but only in 40%-50% of the 1MDB articles in the English newspapers. Instead the English newspapers highlight the economic consequences of 1MDB and the conflict between individuals and groups, as well as contradictions between rumour and fact. The findings suggest that framing of controversial high-profile financial corruption case may differ due to the readership of the English and Chinese newspapers. Keywords: 1MDB, framing, financial scandal, mainstream newspapers, alternative newspapers.

There is no happiness in positive affect: the pervasive misunderstanding of the rotated circumplex model.

Research on positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA) is often guided by the rotational variant of the circumplex model of affect (RCMA). According to the RCMA, PA and NA are posited to be orthogonal, with PA ranging from the union of positive valence and high activation (e.g., excited) to the union of negative valence and low activation (e.g., sluggish), and NA ranging from the union of negative valence and high activation (e.g., distressed) to the union of positive valence and low activation (e.g., relaxed). However, many authors incorrectly interpret the RCMA as positing that positively valenced affect (i.e., pleasure) and negatively valenced affect (i.e., displeasure)-rather than PA and NA, as defined in the RCMA-are orthogonal. This "received view" of the RCMA has led to significant confusion in the literature. The present paper articulates the "received view" of the RCMA and characterizes its prevalence in psychological research. A random sample of 140 empirical research articles on affect published in 14 high-impact journals covering a range of psychological subdisciplines were reviewed. Over half of the articles subscribing to the RCMA showed evidence of the "received view," demonstrating that misuse of the terms PA and NA in the context of the RCMA is rampant in the psychological literature. To reduce continued confusion in the literature, we recommend abandoning use of the terms positive affect and negative affect. We further recommend referring to the two dimensions of the RCMA as positive activation and negative activation, and the two poles of the valence dimension as positive valence and negative valence (or pleasure and displeasure).

Burning Question: How Does Our Brain Process Positive and Negative Cues Associated with Thermosensation?

Whether it is the dramatic suffocating sensation from a heat wave in the summer or the positive reinforcement arising from a hot drink on a cold day; we can certainly agree that our thermal environment underlies our daily rhythms of sensation. Extensive research has focused on deciphering the central circuits responsible for conveying the impact of thermogenesis on mammalian behavior. Here, we revise the recent literature responsible for defining the behavioral correlates that arise from thermogenic fluctuations in mammals. We transition from the physiological significance of thermosensation to the circuitry responsible for the autonomic or behavioral responses associated with it. Subsequently, we delve into the positive and negative valence encoded by thermoregulatory processes. Importantly, we emphasize the crucial junctures where reward, pain, and thermoregulation intersect, unveiling a complex interplay within these neural circuits. Finally, we briefly outline fundamental questions that are pending to be addressed in the field. Fully deciphering the thermoregulatory circuitry in mammals will have far-reaching medical implications. For instance, it may lead to the identification of novel targets to overcome thermal pain or allow the maintenance of our core temperature in prolonged surgeries.

A randomized controlled trial of brief behavioral activation plus savoring for positive affect dysregulation in university students

Rising rates of depression on university campuses accentuate the need for specific intervention. Interventions targeting disturbances in positive affect, in particular, remain sparse, yet such deficits interfere substantially with functioning and further exacerbate or maintain negative symptoms. The current study aimed to evaluate the impact of a virtual, two-session Behavioral Activation augmented with Savoring (BA + S) intervention compared to an Emotional Awareness (EA) control group in increasing positive affect. Sixty university students with low positive affect were randomized to BA + S or EA and completed 21 days of experience-sampling of positive affect. Weekly measures of positive and negative valence symptoms were assessed at baseline, sessions one and two, and at one-week follow-up. Through a prori analyses utilizing multilevel and multivariate multilevel models, our results demonstrate that daily positive affect measured via experience-sampling significantly improved in BA + S, whereas positive affect did not change for those receiving EA, though the interaction of condition and time was not significant. Furthermore, interactions in weekly variables were significant. Increases in positive valence symptoms (affect, anhedonia, etc.) were only reported for students receiving BA + S but not EA. Negative valence symptoms (affect, depression, general distress) improved in both conditions but with superior improvements in BA + S compared to EA. BA + S shows promise for a scalable and accessible intervention to university students with clinical levels of positive and negative affect. ClinicalTrials ID: NCT05234476.

Evaluation of indicators of acute emotional states in dogs

A complete assessment of animal welfare requires not just an understanding of negative emotional states, such as fear and anxiety, but also of positive states, such as calmness and happiness. However, few studies have identified accurate and reliable indicators of positive emotional states in dogs. This study aimed to identify parameters that may serve as indicators of short-term emotional states in dogs. Using a cross-over design, 60 dogs living at a research facility were exposed to six different 10-min scenarios expected to elicit responses varying in emotional valence and arousal. A range of behavioural and physiological parameters were collected and their relationship to anticipated emotional valence and arousal was analysed using linear and logistic mixed models. Cortisol, adrenocorticotropic hormone, heart rate variability, panting, whining, and body shake all demonstrated significant differences based on arousal levels, but only within negative valence scenarios. Scores from a qualitative behavioural assessment (QBA) were associated with both emotional valence and arousal and were considered the best indicator of positive valence. Activity, ear temperature, and sitting were associated with positive high arousal, although this may have been influenced by differing levels of movement induced during these scenarios. Meanwhile, heart rate, secretory immunoglobulin A, standing and lying all showed similar changes associated with arousal for both positive and negative valence scenarios. This study provides a critical first step towards identifying evidence-based indicators of short-term emotional states in dogs, while highlighting considerations that should be made when employing these parameters, including the influence of coder bias, food provision, exercise, and external temperature. Overall, it is recommended future dog emotion and welfare research use a combination of parameters including indicators of both emotional valence and arousal.

The reminiscence bump and the self: evidence from five studies on positive and negative memories

ABSTRACT A plethora of studies have shown that people persistently remember public and personal events experienced during adolescence and early adulthood, particularly with a positive valence. In five studies, we investigate the reminiscence bump (RB) for positive and negative memories of public events (Studies 1 and 2), private events (Study 3), music-related events (Study 4), and cross-cultural memory differences (i.e., China and US) (Study 5). Participants retrieved either one positive or one negative memory, indicated their Age of Encoding, and provided secondary measures, i.e., memory vividness and rehearsal (Studies 1 and 3) and emotional intensity (Studies 2 and 4). About 10,000 memories were collected and positive memories appeared generally older than negative recollections, but the RB emerged for both positive and negative memories. Furthermore, the peak was earlier for positive memories of public events (<15 years old) than for negative memories (20–40 years), while no differences were found for private events or music-related experiences (15–25 years). Chinese had their RB later than US respondents. Finally, autobiographical recollections have moderate to low associations with secondary measures of phenomenological features of memory. These findings are consistent with the identity-formation theory, providing additional and important information on the development of the Self.

Consumer Engagement on Weibo in a Professional Sport Context: The Case of the Chinese Super League

Online fan communities on social media are an effective avenue for sport organizations to engage sport fans. Sport fans who identify with online fan communities express positive and negative consumer engagement behavior (CEB) on social media. Most researchers focus on the positive valence of CEB. This study explores the mediating effect of both positive and negative valences of CEB between online fan community identification and behavioral intention simultaneously. Additionally, the moderating effect of satisfaction with teams’ performance is examined. This study contributes to the conceptualization of the negative valence of CEB on social media and extends the literature on the dual valence of CEB in the sport context. It also provides insights to sport managers on relationship marketing on social media.