Cross-modal validation of the Leipzig Affective Norms for German (LANG)

Affective stimuli are increasingly used in emotion research. Typically, stimuli are selected from databases providing affective norms. The validity of these norms is a critical factor with regard to the applicability of the stimuli for emotion research. We therefore probed the validity of the Leipzig Affective Norms for German (LANG) by correlating valence and arousal ratings across different sensory modalities. A sample of 120 words was selected from the LANG database, and auditory recordings of these words were obtained from two professional actors. The auditory stimuli were then rated again for valence and arousal. This cross-modal validation approach yielded very high correlations between auditory and visual ratings (>.95). These data confirm the strong validity of the Leipzig Affective Norms for German and encourage their use in emotion research.     

Subjective frequency and imageability ratings for 3,600 French nouns

Subjective frequency and imageability estimates for a sample of 3,600 French nouns were collected from two independent groups of 72 young adults each. Both groups received standard instructions and provided their ratings on a 7-point scale. The timing, sequencing, presentation of lexical stimuli, and recording of responses were controlled by a computer. All estimates of internal consistency and test—retest reliability (≥.98) confirm the high level of precision and reliability of the ratings. Correlations with ratings drawn from similar studies were found to be positive and significant for subjective frequency (r ≥ .85) and for imageability (r ≥ .69). Subjective frequency was positively and significantly correlated with objective frequency estimates drawn from 10 different sources (r ≥ .42). Subjective frequency and imageability were significantly correlated (r=.26), a relationship that was driven primarily by a sudden drop in imageability ratings for words with a subjective frequency rating below 2.5. The methodological implications of these findings are discussed. The ratings can be downloaded as supplemental materials from brm.psychonomic-journals.org/content/supplemental.     

Multidimensional Assessment of Emotion Regulation and Dysregulation: Development, Factor Structure, and Initial Validation of the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale

Given recent attention to emotion regulation as a potentially unifying function of diverse symptom presentations, there is a need for comprehensive measures that adequately assess difficulties in emotion regulation among adults. This paper (a) proposes an integrative conceptualization of emotion regulation as involving not just the modulation of emotional arousal, but also the awareness, understanding, and acceptance of emotions, and the ability to act in desired ways regardless of emotional state; and (b) begins to explore the factor structure and psychometric properties of a new measure, the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). Two samples of undergraduate students completed questionnaire packets. Preliminary findings suggest that the DERS has high internal consistency, good test–retest reliability, and adequate construct and predictive validity. An erratum to this article is available at .     

More than a feeling: Emotional cues impact the access and experience of autobiographical memories

Remembering is impacted by several factors of retrieval, including the emotional content of a memory cue. Here we tested how musical retrieval cues that differed on two dimensions of emotion—valence (positive and negative) and arousal (high and low)—impacted the following aspects of autobiographical memory recall: the response time to access a past personal event, the experience of remembering (ratings of memory vividness), the emotional content of a cued memory (ratings of event arousal and valence), and the type of event recalled (ratings of event energy, socialness, and uniqueness). We further explored how cue presentation affected autobiographical memory retrieval by administering cues of similar arousal and valence levels in a blocked fashion to one half of the tested participants, and randomly to the other half. We report three main findings. First, memories were accessed most quickly in response to musical cues that were highly arousing and positive in emotion. Second, we observed a relation between a cue and the elicited memory’s emotional valence but not arousal; however, both the cue valence and arousal related to the nature of the recalled event. Specifically, high cue arousal led to lower memory vividness and uniqueness ratings, but cues with both high arousal and positive valence were associated with memories rated as more social and energetic. Finally, cue presentation impacted both how quickly and specifically memories were accessed and how cue valence affected the memory vividness ratings. The implications of these findings for views of how emotion directs the access to memories and the experience of remembering are discussed.     

The Berlin Affective Word List Reloaded (BAWL-R)

The study presented here provides researchers with a revised list of affective German words, the Berlin Affective Word List Reloaded (BAWL-R). This work is an extension of the previously published BAWL (V?, Jacobs, & Conrad, 2006), which has enabled researchers to investigate affective word processing with highly controlled stimulus material. The lack of arousal ratings, however, necessitated a revised version of the BAWL. We therefore present the BAWL-R, which is the first list that not only contains a large set of psycholinguistic indexes known to influence word processing, but also features ratings regarding emotional arousal, in addition to emotional valence and imageability. The BAWL-R is intended to help researchers create stimulus material for a wide range of experiments dealing with the affective processing of German verbal material.     

Angry Thoughts and Response to Provocation: Validity of the Angry Cognitions Scale

Recently, Martin and Dahlen (J Ration Emot Cogn Behav Ther 25:155–173, 2007) developed the Angry Cognitions Scale (ACS), a theoretically derived instrument designed to measure the cognitive processes related to anger. This instrument has the potential to inform clinical and research perspectives of anger. Although preliminary evidence for the reliability and validity of the ACS was positive, further research is required regarding the ACS’s temporal stability and predictive validity. The current project sought to address this concern by assessing the six-week test–retest reliability of the ACS, exploring relationships between the ACS subscales and the experience and expression of anger, and assessing the ability of the ACS to predict cognitive and emotional responses to provocation. The ACS demonstrated adequate test–retest reliability and predicted hostile thoughts and state anger following provocation. Thus, results contribute to the literature on the ACS and support its use as a measure of cognitive processes associated with anger.     

Cross-validating the Berlin Affective Word List

We introduce the Berlin Affective Word List (BAWL) in order to provide researchers with a German database containing both emotional valence and imageability ratings for more than 2,200 German words. The BAWL was cross-validated using a forced choice valence decision task in which two distinct valence categories (negative or positive) had to be assigned to a highly controlled selection of 360 words according to varying emotional content (negative, neutral, or positive). The reaction time (RT) results corroborated the valence categories: Words that had been rated as “neutral” in the norms yielded maximum RTs. The BAWL is intended to help researchers create stimulus materials for a wide range of experiments dealing with the emotional processing of words.     

One-year temporal stability of delay-discount rates

The temporal stability of delay-discount rates for monetary rewards was assessed using a monetary choice questionnaire (Kirby & Marakovic, 1996). Of 100 undergraduate participants who completed the questionnaire at the initial session, 81 returned 5 weeks later and 46 returned 57 weeks later for subsequent sessions. The 5-week test—retest stability of discount rates was .77 (95% confidence interval 5 .67—.85), the 1-year stability was .71 (.50–.84), and the 57-week stability was .63 (.41—.77). Thus, at least when similar testing situations are reinstated, discount rates as individual differences have 1-year stabilities in the range that is typically obtained for personality traits. Discount rates index an attribute of the person that is relatively stable over time but that is moderated by aspects of the situation, such as reward type and deprivational state.     

Cross-Cultural Evaluation of the International Affective Picture System on an Indian Sample

The International Affective Picture System (IAPS) is widely used in emotion and attention research. Currently, there is neither a standard database of affective images for use in research with Indian population nor data on the way people from India respond to emotional pictures in terms of different dimensions. In the present study, we investigated whether self-reported Indian ratings are comparable to the original normative ratings (based on a North American sample) to evaluate its usability in Indian research context. The ratings were obtained from a sample of eighty Indian participants (age range?=?18 to 29 years, M _age?=?23.7, SD?=?2.67, 45 % females) on a stratified representative sample of 100 IAPS pictures. Similar to the normative data collected from the North American sample in the original IAPS database, the ratings were collected across three dimensions – valence (how pleasant/attractive or unpleasant/aversive), arousal (how calm or excited was the intensity of activation), and dominance (how controlling). Our results indicate similarities in valence ratings, but differences in arousal and dominance ratings between the Indian and the North American samples. The relationship between arousal and valence showed a similar (but less curved) boomerang shaped distribution seen with the North American sample. Unlike the North American sample, slopes were higher and intercepts were different for the Indian sample. However, the Indian sample also showed positivity offset and negative bias like the North American sample. These affective ratings show a fair amount of similarity but care is needed especially with arousal values in using these pictures for research with Indian population. While there are subtle differences in the relationship between different affective dimensions, there are also major similarities across cultures in affective judgments.     

Human content in affect-inducing stimuli: A secondary analysis of the international affective picture system

We report a secondary analysis of the international affective picture system (IAPS), the broadest available standardized sample of emotional stimuli, which confirmed our prediction that the distribution of slides across the valence and arousal dimensions would be related to human versus inanimate slide content. Pictures depicting humans are over-represented in the high arousal/positive and high arousal/negative areas of affective space as compared to inanimate pictures, which are especially frequent in the low arousal/neutral valence area. Results pertaining to dominance ratings and gender differences in valence and arousal ratings further suggest that there are qualitative differences between emotional reactions to animal or human slide content and responses to nonsocial still photos. Researchers need to be mindful of this distinction when selecting affect-inducing stimuli.

A Brief Scale for Measuring “Behavioral Inhibition to the Unfamiliar” in Children

The behavioral inhibition scale (BIS) is a brief rating scale for measuring behavioral inhibition in children. The present study examined the test–retest stability of the BIS in a sample of 7–12-year-olds consisting of inhibited and non-inhibited children (N = 83). Results demonstrated that the BIS scores were fairly stable over a 2-year period, with a test–retest correlation of .77. Further, the BIS scores of inhibited children significantly increased over the 2-year period, whereas those of the non-inhibited comparison group significantly decreased. Finally, the BIS was in a theoretically meaningful way associated with temperamental traits as measured by the Rothbart scales. Altogether, these results provide support for the reliability and validity of the BIS.     

The importance of identifying underlying process abnormalities in alexithymia: Implications of the three-process model and a single case study illustration

We present an in-depth case study of a rare individual (whom we will refer to as “Jane”) who reported an inability to experience emotion. Jane completed a range of assessments measuring alexithymia, emotional awareness, and emotion recognition ability. She, along with 22 control participants, also underwent skin conductance (SC) measurement and facial electromyography (EMG) during exposure to affective images, and self reported the valence/arousal of their responses to those images. Jane scored high on alexithymia and low on emotional awareness; yet she performed well on emotion recognition measures and showed a typical pattern of valence ratings. Her SC responses and subjective arousal ratings were atypically low, and some of her EMG responses were also atypical. Jane’s deficit profile highlights the dissociability of self-focused emotional awareness and other-focused emotion recognition ability, as well as the dissociability between the generation and representation of valence and arousal (with both subjective and objective measures).     

Validating an interlingual metanorm for emotional analysis of texts

In this article, we present a set of 12 norms that characterize emotional terms in French, English, German, Spanish, Italian, and Finnish. The high correlation between the norm values in the two emotional dimensions of valence and arousal suggests an interlingual homogeneity of emotional representations and allows a significant metanorm??EMONORM??to be established with 6,383 terms characterized in valence and 4,345 terms characterized in arousal. This metanorm is a resource for creating experimental materials in studies on language and emotions. Furthermore, we perform three tests using EMONORM, with the objectives of (1) identifying basic emotions from their valence and arousal values, (2) determining the orientation of texts referring to positive and negative emotions, and (3) evaluating the intensity of emotions expressed in texts. The results are highly similar to those for human judgments. Finally, we present EMOVAL/SEMOTEX, a Web application for static and dynamic valence and arousal emotional analysis of texts using EMONORM (http://www.semotex.fr).     

Subclinical depression modulates the impact of emotion on force control

The primary goals of this project were to examine whether (1) the impact of emotional state on force control varies as a function of target force level, (2) self reports of emotional state covary with force control, and (3) emotional state and trait levels of depression interact to alter force control. Subjects varying in self-reported depression performed a sustained pinch grip for 20 s at low, moderately low, and moderate target force levels. Each trial began with 8 s of visual feedback, which was replaced with an emotional or neutral image for 12 s. Subjects reported valence and arousal ratings for each image. Across the entire sample, self-reported arousal predicted constant error (CE) during low and moderately low target force trials. Depression significantly predicted the relationship between self-reported valence and CE during moderate target force trials. Theoretical explanations, implications, and future research directions are discussed.     

Emotional organization of autobiographical memory

The emotional organization of autobiographical memory was examined by determining whether emotional cues would influence autobiographical retrieval in younger and older adults. Unfamiliar musical cues that represented orthogonal combinations of positive and negative valence and high and low arousal were used. Whereas cue valence influenced the valence of the retrieved memories, cue arousal did not affect arousal ratings. However, high-arousal cues were associated with reduced response latencies. A significant bias to report positive memories was observed, especially for the older adults, but neither the distribution of memories across the life span nor response latencies varied across memories differing in valence or arousal. These data indicate that emotional information can serve as effective cues for autobiographical memories and that autobiographical memories are organized in terms of emotional valence but not emotional arousal. Thus, current theories of autobiographical memory must be expanded to include emotional valence as a primary dimension of organization.     

Preschool Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale (PreBERS): Test–Retest Reliability and Inter-Rater Reliability

The Preschool Behavioral and Emotional Rating Scale (PreBERS) is a standardized, norm-referenced instrument that assesses the emotional and behavioral strengths of preschool children. Two studies that investigated the test–retest and inter-rater reliability of the PreBERS are reported. In the first study, teachers rated preschool children (N = 96) on two occasions with 1 month between ratings. Reliability coefficients for the four subscales and total score of the PreBERS were all at or above 0.86. In the second study teachers and paraprofessionals rated the same preschool children (N = 88). All of the correlations were over 0.72. In both studies the magnitude of correlations were large indicating that the PreBERS is a stable measure across time and raters. Based on the data the PreBERS appears to be a psychometrically sound instrument appropriate for use with preschool children. Recommendations for use with preschool children as well as future research are discussed.     

Personality effects and sex differences on the International Affective Picture System (IAPS): A Spanish and Swiss study

The present study analyses the relationship between Anxiety and Impulsivity personality factors and emotions, by controlling for country and sex effects in a sample of Spanish and Swiss university students. Emotions were assessed through the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) of pictures (valence/arousal) using the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM) procedure. The mixed valence/arousal groups’ pictures were formed according to Tok, Koyuncu, Dural and Catikkas procedure (2010). Results showed that females scored significantly higher in Anxiety factor and men in Impulsivity factor in both countries. The effect of sex was highly significant for Anxiety (ŋ²: 0.12), but there was no significant effect of the country. Also, females obtained higher scores in the four valence/arousal pictures groups. The sex effect was particularly robust for negative valence–high arousal (ŋ²: 0.13). Impulsivity correlated with high ratings of positive valence–high arousal while Anxiety correlated with high ratings of negative valence–high arousal and with high ratings of negative valence–low arousal in both sexes, although scores were higher for females. Structural Equation Modelling confirmed these relationships. Nevertheless, Anxiety and Impulsivity explained only a small amount of the accounted variance of the self-reported valence and arousal of the pictures.     

Reliability and Validity of a Brief Life Satisfaction Scale with a High School Sample

This study investigated the psychometric properties of a brief life satisfaction scale, the Brief Multidimensional Students’ Life Satisfaction Scale (Huebner et al., 2004a), with a high school age sample. The results revealed preliminary evidence of internal consistency, two-week test–retest reliability, construct validity, and criterion-related validity for research purposes. Expected demographic effects were also obtained. Overall, the findings suggest that the BMSLSS may provide a useful indicator of adolescent life satisfaction in studies in which brevity of measures is an important consideration.     

任务与字频对汉字阅读中情绪价效应的影响

两个实验均以汉字为材料,采用2×3被试内设计,分别使用语义范畴判断和语音判断任务考察了汉字频率对阅读中情绪价效应的影响。结果发现：在语义任务中,情绪价与字频之间交互作用不显著,低频消极字和积极字的反应时均快于中性字,高频消极字的反应时也快于中性字,但高频积极字与中性字之间无差异。在语音任务中,情绪价与字频之间交互作用显著,低频消极字和积极字的反应时均快于中性字,而高频字的语音通达则不受情绪价的影响。汉字阅读中的情绪价效应不是自动化的过程,会受到字频与任务形式的影响。     

Norms of valence,arousal, concreteness,familiarity, imageability,and context availability for 1,100 Chinese words

In the present study, we collected valence, arousal, concreteness, familiarity, imageability, and context availability ratings for a total of 1,100 Chinese words. The ratings for all variables were collected with 9-point Likert scales. We tested the reliability of the present database by comparing it to the extant Chinese Affective Word System, and performed split-half correlations for all six variables. We then evaluated the relationships between all variables. Regarding the affective variables, we found a typical quadratic relation between valence and arousal, in line with previous findings. Likewise, significant correlations were found between the semantic variables. Importantly, we explored the relationships between ratings for the affective variables (i.e., valence and arousal) and concreteness ratings, suggesting that valence and arousal ratings can predict concreteness ratings. This database of affective norms will be a valuable source of information for emotion research that makes use of Chinese words, and will enable researchers to use highly controlled Chinese verbal stimuli to more reliably investigate the relation between cognition and emotion.