More than just ambivalence: the perception of emotionally ambiguous words on the spaces of origin and activation indexed by behavioural and webcam-based eye-tracking correlates

Abstract

When we think about emotional ambiguity, we usually think about the feeling of ambivalence. However, in a recently proposed model, ambiguity might also be present in different emotional spaces, such as origin (dimensions of automaticity and reflectiveness) and activation (arousal and subjective significance) as proposed in the basics of dual-process theories. In two experiments, we checked for behavioural and psychophysical differences in processing words of origin and activation ambiguities while completing an emotionality rating task. In Experiment 1, we assessed emotionality ratings and reaction times; in Experiment 2, we used a webcam-based eye-tracking measurement to assess the number and mean duration of fixations. We found significant effects for words differing in origin and activation: the emotionality ratings increased within the intensity of origin ambiguity but decreased within the intensity of activation ambiguity; more and longer fixations were registered for words of higher origin ambiguity; and gradually fewer and shorter fixations were registered within increases in activation ambiguity. We found that the ambiguities on spaces of origin and activation produced their own main effects, but they also factored significantly into the interaction, modifying each other’s results. Our study is the first to show specifics of the perception of ambiguous stimuli on spaces other than valence.

Is the ambiguity of emotion multidimensional? The ambiguous valence, activation and origin of emotions

“…Similarly to ambivalence (Fong, 2006;Kung & Chao, 2019), we believe that ambiguity on the dimensions of origin and activation will increase creativity, but in the understanding of coming up with significantly more solutions to a problem (seeing the situation from many perspectives, noticing a few potential ways of dealing with it). Furthermore, our model was confirmed in some empirical studies with the usage of word stimuli and perceived emotional load in them (Wielgopolan & Imbir, 2023a, 2023b Wielgopolan & Imbir, in review.…”

“…The main advantage of the dimensional approach is its simplicity; basic dimensions might be easier for participants to express their feelings and capture even small differences (e.g. the perception of different types of ambiguity in words; Wielgopolan & Imbir, 2022). Because of all that, in any future studies, we would recommend using simple and intuitive methods, such as drawing the process of emotional experience (Carrera & Oceja, 2007) or indicating the emotional state with a Self-Assessed Manikin Scale (Lang, 1980;Hodes et al, 1985;Imbir, 2016).…”

“…how arousing is each one of them) but also by their relation to each other (the intensity of ambiguity on emotional spaces). Namely, in our model we would like to distinguish two spaces with negatively correlated, dimensions: valence and origin; as well as one space with positively correlated (Imbir, , 2016Wielgopolan & Imbir, 2022) dimensions: activation. We predict that this relationships between the dimensions may result in different outcomes (e.g.…”

“…On the basis of the results of the aforementioned studies for words (Imbir, , 2016Wielgopolan & Imbir, 2022, 2023a, 2023b we may assess what the relationships between the dimensions would be also for the emotional experiences (not just words only). We present those predictions (alongside with short summary of spaces and dimensions) in Table 1.…”

Attention and Political Choice: A Foundation for Eye Tracking in Political Science

“…However, the RealEye.io system has only been validated in an internal white paper, which used 36 RealEye.io team members as the respondents. Nonetheless, it has been utilized in several academic publications Jain, Nayakankuppam and Gaeth, 2021;Nuhoglu Kibar, 2023;Wielgopolan and Imbir, 2023).…”