Effects of Emotional Valence (Positive or Negative Visual Images) and Arousal Levels (High or Low Arousal Levels) on the Useful Field of View
Author(s)
Naoko Masuda*
ABSTRACT
One of two emotional valence (positive or negative) images and two arousal (high or low) images was presented for 500 ms to participants. After the image vanished from the screen, a letter was presented in the central visual field, while a number was also presented in one of the peripheral visual fields (upper right, upper left, bottom right, and bottom left). There were four conditions of degree of eccentricity of the presented number. The participants identified both the letter and number simultaneously. By calculating the correct performance rate of the peripheral identification task, the range of the useful field of view (UFOV) was speculated. Results showed that performance rates of the central and peripheral tasks were worse for the high arousal, negative emotion stimuli compared with the other three conditions. Moreover, performance rates of the peripheral task were better for the positive emotion conditions than those for the negative emotion conditions when the stimulus eccentricities were 3 or 12 degrees. We concluded that the range of the UFOV could be affected by the interaction between the emotional valence and arousal level of visual stimuli. This study was the first report that emotional valence and arousal level interacted each other and did affect our human visual cognition.
One of two emotional valence (positive or negative) images and two arousal (high or low) images was presented for 500 ms to participants. After the image vanished from the screen, a letter was presented in the central visual field, while a number was also presented in one of the peripheral visual fields (upper right, upper left, bottom right, and bottom left). There were four conditions of degree of eccentricity of the presented number. The participants identified both the letter and number simultaneously. By calculating the correct performance rate of the peripheral identification task, the range of the useful field of view (UFOV) was speculated. Results showed that performance rates of the central and peripheral tasks were worse for the high arousal, negative emotion stimuli compared with the other three conditions. Moreover, performance rates of the peripheral task were better for the positive emotion conditions than those for the negative emotion conditions when the stimulus eccentricities were 3 or 12 degrees. We concluded that the range of the UFOV could be affected by the interaction between the emotional valence and arousal level of visual stimuli. This study was the first report that emotional valence and arousal level interacted each other and did affect our human visual cognition.
KEYWORDS
Central, Peripheral, Arousal Level, Emotional Valence, Positive, Negative, Useful Field of View (UFOV)
Central, Peripheral, Arousal Level, Emotional Valence, Positive, Negative, Useful Field of View (UFOV)
Cite this paper
Masuda, N. (2015). Effects of Emotional Valence (Positive or Negative Visual Images) and Arousal Levels (High or Low Arousal Levels) on the Useful Field of View. Psychology, 6, 478-483. doi: 10.4236/psych.2015.64045.
Masuda, N. (2015). Effects of Emotional Valence (Positive or Negative Visual Images) and Arousal Levels (High or Low Arousal Levels) on the Useful Field of View. Psychology, 6, 478-483. doi: 10.4236/psych.2015.64045.
References
[1] Anderson, A. K., & Phelps, E. A. (2001). Lesions of the Human Amygdala Impair Enhanced Perception of Emotionally Salient events. Nature, 411, 305-309.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/35077083 [2] Barrett, L. F., & Russell, J. A. (1999). The Structure of Current Affect Controversies and Emerging Consensus. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 8, 10-14. [3] Bradley, M. M. (1994). Emotional Memory: A Dimensional Analysis. Emotions: Essays on Emotion Theory, 97-134. [4] Bradley, M. M., Codispoti, M., Sabatinelli, D., & Lang, P. J. (2001). Emotion and Motivation II: Sex Differences in Picture Processing. Emotion, 1, 300-319.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/1528-3542.1.3.300 [5] Bradley, M. M., Greenwald, M. K., Petry, M. C., & Lang, P. J. (1992). Remembering Pictures: Pleasure and Arousal in Memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 18, 379-390.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0278-7393.18.2.379 [6] Burke, A., Heuer, F., & Reisberg, D. (1992). Remembering Emotional Events. Memory & Cognition, 20, 277-290.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3758/BF03199665 [7] Calvo, M. G., & Lang, P. J. (2005). Parafoveal Semantic Processing of Emotional Visual Scenes. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 31, 502-519.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0096-1523.31.3.502 [8] Christianson, S. A. (1992). Emotional Stress and Eyewitness Memory: A Critical Review. Psychological Bulletin, 112, 284-309.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.112.2.284 [9] Christianson, S. A., & Loftus, E. F. (1991). Remembering Emotional Events: The Fate of Detailed Information. Cognition & Emotion, 5, 81-108.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02699939108411027 [10] Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The Role of Positive Emotions in Positive Psychology: The Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions. American Psychologist, 56, 218-226.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.56.3.218 [11] Jefferies, L. N., Smilek, D., Eich, E., & Enns, J. T. (2008). Emotional Valence and Arousal Interact in Attentional Control. Psychological Science, 19, 290-295.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02082.x [12] Lang, P. J., Bradley, M. M., & Cuthbert, B. N. (2008). International Affective Picture System (IAPS): Affective Ratings of Pictures and Instruction Manual. Technical Report A-8. Gainesville, FL: University of Florida. [13] Nobata, T., & Ochi, K. (2005). The Effect of Arousal Level on Memory Depend on Pleasantness: Evidence against the Arousal Level Hypothesis of Memory. The Japanese Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 3, 23-32.
http://dx.doi.org/10.5265/jcogpsy.3.23 [14] Nobata, T., Hakoda, Y., & Ninose, Y. (2010). The Functional Field of View Becomes Narrower While Viewing Negative Emotional Stimuli. Cognition and Emotion, 24, 886-891.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02699930902955954 [15] Sekuler, B., Bennett, P. J., & Mortimer Mamelak, A. (2000). Effects of Aging on the Useful Field of View. Experimental Aging Research, 26, 103-120.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/036107300243588 [16] Small, L., Kenny, L., & Bryant, R. A. (2011). The Cost in Remembering of Ruminating on Negative Memories. Emotion, 11, 1434-1438.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0026436 [17] Sussman, T. J., Heller, W., Miller, G. A., & Mohanty, A. (2013). Emotional Distractors Can Enhance Attention. Psychological Science, 24, 2322-2328.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0956797613492774
[1] Anderson, A. K., & Phelps, E. A. (2001). Lesions of the Human Amygdala Impair Enhanced Perception of Emotionally Salient events. Nature, 411, 305-309.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/35077083 [2] Barrett, L. F., & Russell, J. A. (1999). The Structure of Current Affect Controversies and Emerging Consensus. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 8, 10-14. [3] Bradley, M. M. (1994). Emotional Memory: A Dimensional Analysis. Emotions: Essays on Emotion Theory, 97-134. [4] Bradley, M. M., Codispoti, M., Sabatinelli, D., & Lang, P. J. (2001). Emotion and Motivation II: Sex Differences in Picture Processing. Emotion, 1, 300-319.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/1528-3542.1.3.300 [5] Bradley, M. M., Greenwald, M. K., Petry, M. C., & Lang, P. J. (1992). Remembering Pictures: Pleasure and Arousal in Memory. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 18, 379-390.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0278-7393.18.2.379 [6] Burke, A., Heuer, F., & Reisberg, D. (1992). Remembering Emotional Events. Memory & Cognition, 20, 277-290.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3758/BF03199665 [7] Calvo, M. G., & Lang, P. J. (2005). Parafoveal Semantic Processing of Emotional Visual Scenes. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 31, 502-519.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0096-1523.31.3.502 [8] Christianson, S. A. (1992). Emotional Stress and Eyewitness Memory: A Critical Review. Psychological Bulletin, 112, 284-309.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.112.2.284 [9] Christianson, S. A., & Loftus, E. F. (1991). Remembering Emotional Events: The Fate of Detailed Information. Cognition & Emotion, 5, 81-108.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02699939108411027 [10] Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The Role of Positive Emotions in Positive Psychology: The Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions. American Psychologist, 56, 218-226.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.56.3.218 [11] Jefferies, L. N., Smilek, D., Eich, E., & Enns, J. T. (2008). Emotional Valence and Arousal Interact in Attentional Control. Psychological Science, 19, 290-295.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02082.x [12] Lang, P. J., Bradley, M. M., & Cuthbert, B. N. (2008). International Affective Picture System (IAPS): Affective Ratings of Pictures and Instruction Manual. Technical Report A-8. Gainesville, FL: University of Florida. [13] Nobata, T., & Ochi, K. (2005). The Effect of Arousal Level on Memory Depend on Pleasantness: Evidence against the Arousal Level Hypothesis of Memory. The Japanese Journal of Cognitive Psychology, 3, 23-32.
http://dx.doi.org/10.5265/jcogpsy.3.23 [14] Nobata, T., Hakoda, Y., & Ninose, Y. (2010). The Functional Field of View Becomes Narrower While Viewing Negative Emotional Stimuli. Cognition and Emotion, 24, 886-891.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02699930902955954 [15] Sekuler, B., Bennett, P. J., & Mortimer Mamelak, A. (2000). Effects of Aging on the Useful Field of View. Experimental Aging Research, 26, 103-120.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/036107300243588 [16] Small, L., Kenny, L., & Bryant, R. A. (2011). The Cost in Remembering of Ruminating on Negative Memories. Emotion, 11, 1434-1438.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0026436 [17] Sussman, T. J., Heller, W., Miller, G. A., & Mohanty, A. (2013). Emotional Distractors Can Enhance Attention. Psychological Science, 24, 2322-2328.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0956797613492774