PDSTD - The Portsmouth Dynamic Spontaneous Tears Database

The vast majority of research on human emotional tears has relied on posed and static stimulus materials. In this paper, we introduce the Portsmouth Dynamic Spontaneous Tears Database (PDSTD), a free resource comprising video recordings of 24 female encoders depicting a balanced representation of sadness stimuli with and without tears. Encoders watched a neutral film and a self-selected sad film and reported their emotional experience for 9 emotions. Extending this initial validation, we obtained norming data from an independent sample of naïve observers (N = 91, 45 females) who watched videos of the encoders during three time phases (neutral, pre-sadness, sadness), yielding a total of 72 validated recordings. Observers rated the expressions during each phase on 7 discrete emotions, negative and positive valence, arousal, and genuineness. All data were analyzed by means of general linear mixed modelling (GLMM) to account for sources of random variance. Our results confirm the successful elicitation of sadness, and demonstrate the presence of a tear effect, i.e., a substantial increase in perceived sadness for spontaneous dynamic weeping. To our knowledge, the PDSTD is the first database of spontaneously elicited dynamic tears and sadness that is openly available to researchers. The stimuli can be accessed free of charge via OSF from https://osf.io/uyjeg/?view_only=24474ec8d75949ccb9a8243651db0abf.

The differential effects of integral pride and gratitude on divergent moral judgment for the self versus others

Individuals tend to have divergent moral judgment when judging oneself versus others, which is termed moral hypocrisy. While prior research has examined different factors that might influence moral hypocrisy, there are limited insights on the influences of different, discrete emotions. The present research seeks to address this gap and examines the differential influences of pride and gratitude on moral hypocrisy. Results of a pilot study and three main studies demonstrate that pride (but not gratitude) leads to moral hypocrisy. These effects are replicated across different cases of questionable behaviors and prosocial behaviors in a team setting. More importantly, this research identifies one mechanism that potentially explains this effect—the appraisal of self-other similarity. The findings of this research thus provide empirical evidence that distinct emotions arising from an organizational setting can differentially influence moral hypocrisy and offer practical implications. JEL Classification: C91, D23, D91

Discrete Emotion Profiles in Old Age: Stability and Change for Better or Worse

Although discrete emotions can change in salience across adulthood, little is known about developmental shifts in the co-occurrence of multiple discrete emotions. The present study (n=389, Mage=73) adopted a person-centered approach to identify stability and change in commonly-occurring profiles of calmness, excitement, sadness, and anger. Daily emotions were assessed over 1-week periods at baseline and two years later. Latent class analyses yielded consistent 3-profile solutions at both waves: a positive emotion (high calmness-moderate excitement-low sadness and anger), a mixed emotion (moderate/high calmness-moderate excitement, sadness, and anger), and an apathetic emotion profile (low calmness, excitement, sadness, and anger). Latent transition analyses revealed both stability (82% remained in the same profile) and change (18% changed profiles) in profile membership. Higher baseline optimism and fewer chronic conditions were associated with adaptive changes in profile membership. Findings point to the importance of considering the co-occurrence of distinct emotions in studying emotional aging.

Understanding the Link Between Discrete Negative Emotions and Empathic Accuracy

Extant theories have suggested that negative emotions generally harm cognitive processes. However, adopting a discrete emotion perspective, in this study, we predicted that only anger and fear but not sadness should be negatively associated with empathic accuracy, a process that has been shown to be cognitively highly demanding. Over 100 participants (Mage = 66.66 years, SDage = 1.00) reported their emotional reactions in response to a negative film in the laboratory, documented their everyday momentary emotions six times a day over seven consecutive days, and completed a film-based empathic accuracy test. Initial findings suggest that only fear but not anger or sadness was related to empathic accuracy. More specifically, high levels of fear both in the laboratory and in everyday life predicted low empathic accuracy. This pattern of findings will be discussed in the context of discrete emotions theories.

Factors in the effectiveness of anticipatory guilt and shame appeals on health communications: The role of self-construal, regulatory focus and personal cultural orientation

<p>Negative emotional appeals are commonly used in health messages to cut through the clutter and promote health behaviour change. A research gap exists as to how the emotions of guilt and shame and respective arousals to these emotions act to influence compliance with health messages. Research rarely distinguishes between guilt and shame appeals, different emotional and psychological responses to the two types of appeals, and the main moderators that influence the response to these appeals. To address this gap, this empirical study builds and tests a model for better understanding the processes by which guilt and shame appeals lead to compliance with health messages. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of cognition, emotion, motivation and research focusing on guilt or/and shame messages and behavioural intention, this study develops an extended model that incorporates influential variables. These include the significant mediating variable of the coping response to emotion, and the moderating variables of self-construal, regulatory focus, and personal cultural orientation. Binge drinking among young adults (aged 16 to 30) is the research context for this study. A series of experiments was conducted to test the research model. Data was collected through an online questionnaire survey among university undergraduates in New Zealand. The main survey collected 301 useable responses including the treatment (n = 266) and control (35) groups. The survey data were analysed using a combination of analysis of covariance and covariance-based structural equation modelling. The results broadly support the proposed model for health communications using guilt and shame appeals. Findings revealed that the coping response has a partial mediating effect on the relationship between guilt/shame arousals and message compliance. Both guilt and shame arousals influence not only message compliance (directly) but also the coping response (indirectly). As predicted, regulatory focus and self-construal were found to moderate guilt/shame arousals from respective emotional appeals. Regulatory focus moderated the levels of shame arousals from shame appeals; that is, prevention-focused individuals exhibited higher shame arousals than their promotion-focused counterparts. Self-construal moderated the levels of guilt arousals from guilt appeals; that is, independent self-construals exhibited higher guilt arousals than their interdependent counterparts. However, there were no interactive effects of self-construal with self-referencing or sources of evaluation on guilt/shame arousals. Personal cultural orientation moderated the impact of shame arousals, but not those of guilt arousals, on message compliance. That is, shame predicted message compliance in collectivists, but not individualists. Interestingly, there was no main differential effect of guilt versus shame arousals in message compliance, but there was an interactive effect of emotion type with personal cultural orientation as previously mentioned. The contributions of this study include refining understanding of guilt versus shame, developing the coping response construct, and identifying key moderators and illustrating their impacts on self-conscious emotional arousals. These contributions open new lines of inquiry in the health communications and discrete emotions literature. First, previous discrete emotions literature has mentioned the effects of unintentional emotions, but this research controlled for these effects. It examined guilt and shame separately through respective emotional arousals rather than emotional appeals. Second, the study extended the model of the effectiveness of guilt versus shame appeals in health communications where the coping response is an instrumental mediator. This mediator influences whether or not the receivers actually take on compliant behaviour. Third, the present study differentiated the effect of guilt versus shame appeals. It provides conditions where such appeals are effective. These conditions are type of emotion interacting with self-construal, and regulatory focus. In addition, the study identified the condition under which guilt or shame arousals are most effective. Effectiveness depends on emotion type and personal cultural orientation. The findings have important practical implications. By understanding how distinct emotion (i.e., guilt versus shame) works and how coping responses (i.e., adaptive versus maladaptive) to these emotions are triggered, practitioners can better structure emotional messaging. Knowledge of message receiver attributes will help them select media appropriately. These attributes are independent versus interdependent, promotion focused versus prevention focused, and individualist versus collectivist. Thus, insights from this research could help health marketers, policy makers as well as health promotion agencies to effectively develop health communications campaigns with more appealing message content and appropriate media selection.</p>

Factors in the effectiveness of anticipatory guilt and shame appeals on health communications: The role of self-construal, regulatory focus and personal cultural orientation

<p>Negative emotional appeals are commonly used in health messages to cut through the clutter and promote health behaviour change. A research gap exists as to how the emotions of guilt and shame and respective arousals to these emotions act to influence compliance with health messages. Research rarely distinguishes between guilt and shame appeals, different emotional and psychological responses to the two types of appeals, and the main moderators that influence the response to these appeals. To address this gap, this empirical study builds and tests a model for better understanding the processes by which guilt and shame appeals lead to compliance with health messages. Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of cognition, emotion, motivation and research focusing on guilt or/and shame messages and behavioural intention, this study develops an extended model that incorporates influential variables. These include the significant mediating variable of the coping response to emotion, and the moderating variables of self-construal, regulatory focus, and personal cultural orientation. Binge drinking among young adults (aged 16 to 30) is the research context for this study. A series of experiments was conducted to test the research model. Data was collected through an online questionnaire survey among university undergraduates in New Zealand. The main survey collected 301 useable responses including the treatment (n = 266) and control (35) groups. The survey data were analysed using a combination of analysis of covariance and covariance-based structural equation modelling. The results broadly support the proposed model for health communications using guilt and shame appeals. Findings revealed that the coping response has a partial mediating effect on the relationship between guilt/shame arousals and message compliance. Both guilt and shame arousals influence not only message compliance (directly) but also the coping response (indirectly). As predicted, regulatory focus and self-construal were found to moderate guilt/shame arousals from respective emotional appeals. Regulatory focus moderated the levels of shame arousals from shame appeals; that is, prevention-focused individuals exhibited higher shame arousals than their promotion-focused counterparts. Self-construal moderated the levels of guilt arousals from guilt appeals; that is, independent self-construals exhibited higher guilt arousals than their interdependent counterparts. However, there were no interactive effects of self-construal with self-referencing or sources of evaluation on guilt/shame arousals. Personal cultural orientation moderated the impact of shame arousals, but not those of guilt arousals, on message compliance. That is, shame predicted message compliance in collectivists, but not individualists. Interestingly, there was no main differential effect of guilt versus shame arousals in message compliance, but there was an interactive effect of emotion type with personal cultural orientation as previously mentioned. The contributions of this study include refining understanding of guilt versus shame, developing the coping response construct, and identifying key moderators and illustrating their impacts on self-conscious emotional arousals. These contributions open new lines of inquiry in the health communications and discrete emotions literature. First, previous discrete emotions literature has mentioned the effects of unintentional emotions, but this research controlled for these effects. It examined guilt and shame separately through respective emotional arousals rather than emotional appeals. Second, the study extended the model of the effectiveness of guilt versus shame appeals in health communications where the coping response is an instrumental mediator. This mediator influences whether or not the receivers actually take on compliant behaviour. Third, the present study differentiated the effect of guilt versus shame appeals. It provides conditions where such appeals are effective. These conditions are type of emotion interacting with self-construal, and regulatory focus. In addition, the study identified the condition under which guilt or shame arousals are most effective. Effectiveness depends on emotion type and personal cultural orientation. The findings have important practical implications. By understanding how distinct emotion (i.e., guilt versus shame) works and how coping responses (i.e., adaptive versus maladaptive) to these emotions are triggered, practitioners can better structure emotional messaging. Knowledge of message receiver attributes will help them select media appropriately. These attributes are independent versus interdependent, promotion focused versus prevention focused, and individualist versus collectivist. Thus, insights from this research could help health marketers, policy makers as well as health promotion agencies to effectively develop health communications campaigns with more appealing message content and appropriate media selection.</p>

PDSTD - The Portsmouth Dynamic Spontaneous Tears Database

The vast majority of research on human emotional tears has relied on posed and static stimulus materials. In this paper, we introduce the Portsmouth Dynamic Spontaneous Tears Database (PDSTD), a free resource comprising video recordings of 24 female encoders depicting a balanced representation of sadness stimuli with and without tears. Encoders watched a neutral film and a self-selected sad film and reported their emotional experience for 9 emotions. Extending this initial validation, we obtained norming data from an independent sample of naïve observers (N = 91, 45 females) who watched videos of the encoders during three time phases (neutral, pre-sadness, sadness), yielding a total of 72 validated recordings. Observers rated the expressions during each phase on 7 discrete emotions, negative and positive valence, arousal, and genuineness. All data were analyzed by means of general linear mixed modelling (GLMM) to account for sources of random variance. Our results confirm the successful elicitation of sadness, and demonstrate the presence of a tear effect, i.e., a substantial increase in perceived sadness for spontaneous dynamic weeping. To our knowledge, the PDSTD is the first database of spontaneously elicited dynamic tears and sadness that is openly available to researchers. The stimuli can be accessed free of charge via OSF from https://osf.io/uyjeg/?view_only=24474ec8d75949ccb9a8243651db0abf.