Indirect scaling methods for testing quantitative emotion theories

Measuring the intensity of emotions

We describe a theoretical framework for the measurement of the intensity of emotional experiences and summarize findings of a series of studies that implemented this framework. Our approach is based on a realist view of quantities and combines the modern psychometric (i.e., latent-variable) view of measurement with a deductive order of inquiry for testing measurement axioms. At the core of the method are nonmetric probabilistic difference scaling methods, a class of indirect scaling methods based on ordinal judgments of intensity differences. Originally developed to scale sensations and preferences, these scaling methods are also well-suited for measuring emotion intensity, particularly in basic research. They are easy to perform and provide scale values of emotion intensity that are much more precise than the typically used, quality-intensity emotion rating scales. Furthermore, the scale values appear to fulfill central measurement-theoretical axioms necessary for interval-level measurement. Because of these properties, difference scaling methods allow precise tests of emotion theories on the individual subject level.

Exploring the Moral Challenges of Confronting High-Carbon-Emitting Behavior: The Role of Emotions and Media Coverage

In this article, we address the climate crisis as a moral issue and discuss the relevant moral and emotional processes and the role of the media underlying the motivations of individuals to behave in a less carbon-emitting manner. We provide theoretical insights from social psychology and emotion research and empirical data based on an online survey from Germany (N = 979). In the theoretical part, we outline the role of emotions in influencing carbon-related behavior, with a particular focus on self-condemning (e.g., guilt or shame), self-praising (e.g., pride), or other-suffering emotions (e.g., empathy). We further summarize the reasons for the low influence of the media on carbon-related behavior compared to the COVID-19 pandemic. The empirical results confirm that participants reported other- suffering and self-condemning emotions in response to news content and rated their likelihood of personal behavior change as high when confronted with news about the climate crisis on a daily basis, as has been widely the case during the COVID-19 pandemic. We argue that the media is responsible for regularly reporting on the victims of the climate crisis in order to generalize self-condemning and other-suffering emotions into affective attitudes. Opinion leaders can function as role models for low-carbon behavior.

Tasks for a theoretical psychology of emotion

In the first part of the article, the central role of theory in emotion psychology is underscored and reasons are given why more theoretical psychology of emotion is needed. In the second part, nine tasks for the theoretical psychology of emotion are defined, by refining and extending three of the general tasks of theoretical psychology proposed 70 years ago by Sigmund Koch [Theoretical psychology, 1950: An overview. Psychological Review, 58(4), 295. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0055768]. The nine tasks are: (1) Analysis, rational reconstruction and critique of existing emotion theories. (2) Comparison of different theories. (3) Systematization and integration of theories. (4) Reconstruction of the development of theories over time. (5) Analysis, reconstruction and critique of theory-data and data-theory inferences. (6) Analysis, reconstruction and critique of the complete set of arguments for and against specific emotion-theoretic assumption and whole theories. (7) Analysis, reconstruction and critique of measurement theories for emotions. (8) Development of new emotion theories and theories of emotion measurement. (9) Information about theoretical and methodological developments of interest to emotion psychology in other subdisciplines of psychology and in neighbouring sciences, and export of theories and methods to other disciplines.

Low level visual features support robust material perception in the judgement of metallicity

The human visual system is able to rapidly and accurately infer the material properties of objects and surfaces in the world. Yet an inverse optics approach—estimating the bi-directional reflectance distribution function of a surface, given its geometry and environment, and relating this to the optical properties of materials—is both intractable and computationally unaffordable. Rather, previous studies have found that the visual system may exploit low-level spatio-chromatic statistics as heuristics for material judgment. Here, we present results from psychophysics and modeling that supports the use of image statistics heuristics in the judgement of metallicity—the quality of appearance that suggests an object is made from metal. Using computer graphics, we generated stimuli that varied along two physical dimensions: the smoothness of a metal object, and the evenness of its transparent coating. This allowed for the exploration of low-level image statistics, whilst ensuring that each stimulus was a naturalistic, physically plausible image. A conjoint-measurement task decoupled the contributions of these dimensions to the perception of metallicity. Low-level image features, as represented in the activations of oriented linear filters at different spatial scales, were found to correlate with the dimensions of the stimulus space, and decision-making models using these activations replicated observer performance in perceiving differences in metal smoothness and coating bumpiness, and judging metallicity. Importantly, the performance of these models did not deteriorate when objects were rotated within their simulated scene, with corresponding changes in image properties. We therefore conclude that low-level image features may provide reliable cues for the robust perception of metallicity.

More on James and the Physical Basis of Emotion

We first present a reconstruction of James’s theory of emotion (JATE) and then argue for four theses: (a) Despite constructivist elements, James’s views are overall in line with basic emotions theory. (b) JATE does not exclude an influence of emotion on intentional action even in its original formulation; nevertheless, this influence is quite limited. It seems possible, however, to repair this problem of the theory. (c) Cannon’s theory of emotion is a centralized version of JATE that inherits from the latter theory a potentially fatal flaw, the insufficient physiological differentiation of emotions. (d) The core claim of JATE, that emotions are bodily feelings, is very likely false.