I wonder is there any way to map emotions on the two-dimensional circumplex space mode based on valence and arousal generated from either heart rate or GSR? (or any other biometrics)
I presume there should have coordinates for each of the emotion on the circumplex model, but I couldn't really fine one. I read several papers using self-report questionnaires - so you can say, for instance, (5 ,1) refers to happiness. But what if we use the results from biometrics such as GSR / heart rate / etc?
Thank you!
Hello Joanne Yu ,
since the circumplex model of affect (Russell, 1980) is based on subjective responses there cannot be a precise 1:1 overmapping with a biometric measures.
Nontheless, there is a considerable correlation between emotional arousal and skin conductance level (e.g. with normalized (transformed to z-score) peak SCL, r = .82; Vianna & Tranel, 2006). Electrodermal activity reflects the level of autonomic arousal since it is a sensitive peripheral index of sympathetic nervous system activity (Dawson, Schell, & Fillion, 2007). For the valence ratings, there is no reliable biometric indexes yet some studies use electromyography (EMG) measurements of zygomaticus major for positive feelings and of corrugator supercilii for negative feelings (see Larsen, Norris, & Cacioppo, 2003).
However, I'd be very careful to map emotions on the circumplex using physiological responses. As said before, the model is based on subjective responses. These subjective feelings (known as affect or core affect) are probably result of complicated intertwining of signals from the whole body (see Russell & Barrett, 1999; Critchley & Harrison, 2013). Given the considerable within- and between- subject variability of subjective and physiological responses in emotion, any one biometric measurement will represent only a fraction of information present in the core affect.
References
- Dawson, M. E., Schell, A. M., & Filion, D. L. (2007). The electrodermal system. Handbook of psychophysiology, 2, 200-223.
- Critchley, H. D., & Harrison, N. A. (2013). Visceral influences on brain and behavior. Neuron, 77(4), 624-638.
- Larsen, J. T., Norris, C. J., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2003). Effects of positive and negative affect on electromyographic activity over zygomaticus major and corrugator supercilii. Psychophysiology, 40(5), 776-785.
- Russell, J. A. (1980). A circumplex model of affect. Journal of personality and social psychology, 39(6), 1161.
- Russell, J. A., & Barrett, L. F. (1999). Core affect, prototypical emotional episodes, and other things called emotion: dissecting the elephant. Journal of personality and social psychology, 76(5), 805.
- Vianna, E. P., & Tranel, D. (2006). Gastric myoelectrical activity as an index of emotional arousal. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 61(1), 70-76.
Salazar-López, E., Domínguez, E., Ramos, V. J., de la Fuente, J., Meins, A., Iborra, O., & Gómez-Milán, E. (2015). The mental and subjective skin: Emotion, empathy, feelings and thermography. Consciousness and cognition, 34, 149-162.
Only with valence and arousal you can not be pretty sure of the specific emotion experienced by the participant. Most of the time, in labs. at least when you employ IASP images, the participnats do not experience a full emotion but a cognitive one (a cold one or in other words it is like a meta-emotion or a theory of mind of the specific emotion)
Emilio Gomez thanks a lot! So that being said, the best way is to report the results of valence and arousal directly instead of mapping them on the 2D space? Our stimuli will be destination pictures. Very likely, the stimuli might not be able to trigger exaggerated facial expressions or emotions.
Valence, Arousal and a basic emotion label. Just with two dimensions you can not discriminate hunger from fear.
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Psychology
- Emotion