Does the Brief Implicit Association Test measure semantic or affective valence representations?

Valence, the representation of a stimulus as positive or negative, is fundamental to conceptualizing attitudes and their empirical research. Valence has two potential representations: semantic and affective. The current line of studies investigates the degree to which the congruency effect of the Brief Implicit Association Test (BIAT), often used as an indirect evaluation measure, reflects affective or semantic aspects of valence.

Studies on the functions and mechanisms of shame and pride: A systematic examination of the relationship between shame/pride and concealment/exposure behaviors.

A series of four studies systematically investigated the boundary conditions of the shame-concealment/pride-exposure relationship through an experimental paradigm. Experiment 1 developed an experimental procedure to assess the shame/pride-concealment/exposure relationship. Shame and pride were induced by randomly assigning participants to either low or high fictitious IQ score conditions, followed by an assessment of concealment and exposure behaviors.

Temporal dynamics of the semantic versus affective representations of valence during reversal learning.

Valence, the representation of a stimulus in terms of good or bad, plays a central role in models of affect, value-based learning theories, and value-based decision-making models. Previous work used Unconditioned Stimulus (US) to support a theoretical division between two different types of valence representations for a stimulus: the semantic representation of valence, i.e.

A divergent effect of stimulus perceptual details on affective and semantic representations of valence.

The current work investigated the potential dissociation between two modes of valence: affective valence (valence of the emotional response) and semantic valence (stored knowledge about the valence of an object/event). A series of six experiments systematically examined the divergent effect of manipulating the amount of perceptual details on affective valence and semantic knowledge about valence. We predicted that affective valence, more than semantic valence, will be affected by manipulating the amount of stimulus perceptual details.

Comparing three models of arousal in the human brain.

The bipolar valence-arousal model is assumed by many to be an underlying structure of conscious experience of core affect and emotion. In this work, we compare three versions of the bipolar valence-arousal model at the neural domain, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Specifically, we systematically contrast three models of arousal: model 1-'arousal as a separate quale from valence', model 2-'arousal as intensity of bipolar valence' and model 3-'arousal as a linear combination of unipolar pleasant and unpleasant'.

Semantic and affective representations of valence: Prediction of autonomic and facial responses from feelings-focused and knowledge-focused self-reports.

The term can refer to either the affective response (e.g., "I feel bad") or the semantic knowledge about a stimulus (e.

Semantic and affective manifestations of ambi (valence).

People sometimes report both pleasant and unpleasant feelings when presented with affective stimuli. However, what is reported as "mixed emotions" might reflect semantic knowledge about the stimulus (Russell, J. A.

The effect of relevance appraisal on the emotional response.

Many models of emotion assume that the emotional response is preceded by an assessment of a stimulus' relevance to the perceiver's goals. Although widely assumed, experimentally controlling and, hence, empirically testing the effect of a stimulus' relevance on the emotional response has proven challenging. In this study, we used stimuli with high ecological validity and manipulated their relevance while holding constant the perceptual features of the stimuli.

Dissociating affective and semantic valence.

We examined the possible dissociation between two modes of valence: affective valence (valence of e emotional response) and semantic valence (stored knowledge about valence of an object or event). In Experiment 1, 50 participants viewed affective pictures that were repeatedly presented while their facial electromyography (EMG) activation and heart rate response were continuously recorded. Half of the participants provided self-report ratings about the valence of their feelings and half about the valence of the stimulus.

Are valence and arousal separable in emotional experience?

The bipolar valence-arousal model of conscious experience of emotions is prominent in emotion research. In this work, we examine the validity of this model in the context of feelings elicited by visual stimuli. In particular, we examine whether arousal has a unique contribution over bivariate valence (separate measures for pleasure and displeasure) in explaining physiological arousal (electrodermal activity, EDA) and self-reported feelings at the level of item-specific responses across and within individuals.

Spending one's time: the hedonic principle in ad libitum viewing of pictures.

The hedonic principle maintains that humans strive to maximize pleasant feelings and avoid unpleasant feelings. Surprisingly, and contrary to hedonic logic, previous experiments have demonstrated a relationship between picture viewing time and arousal (activation) but not with valence (pleasure vs. displeasure), suggesting that arousal rather than the hedonic principle accounts for how individuals choose to spend their time.

How are you feeling? Revisiting the quantification of emotional qualia.

Numerous emotion researchers have asked their study participants to attend to the distinct feelings of arousal and valence, and self-report and physiological data have supported the independence of the two. We examined whether this dissociation reflects introspection about distinct emotional qualia or the way in which valence is measured. With either valence (Experiment 1) or arousal (Experiment 2) as the primary focus, when valence was measured using a bipolar scale (ranging from negative to positive), it was largely dissociable from arousal.

Feelings don't come easy: studies on the effortful nature of feelings.

We propose that experience of emotion is a mental phenomenon, which requires resources. This hypothesis implies that a concurrent cognitive load diminishes the intensity of feeling since the 2 activities are competing for the same resources. Two sets of experiments tested this hypothesis.

What is it that color determinants determine? The relation between the rorschach inkblot method and cognitive object-recognition processes.

We sought to demonstrate a relation between the Determinants in the Rorschach Inkblot Method (Rorschach, 1921) and fundamental properties of the participant's cognitive (visual) system by examining whether the report about Color Determinants is related to basic cognitive processes concerned with color of visual objects. In Experiment 1, we established an object-naming task that is sensitive to the objects' color. Participants were strongly influenced by the object's color, responding fastest when objects appeared in their typical color and slowest when the object's color was atypical.