College
College of Arts & Sciences
Mentor Information
Dr. Peter Clayson
Description
Trait worry is associated with heightened negative interpretation of internal arousal, raising the possibility that individuals higher in worry may evaluate high-arousing experiences less positively. The most unpleasant and pleasant experiences are also the most arousing. However, individuals higher in trait worry may evaluate highly arousing experiences more negatively, depending on the content of the stimulus. This study tested whether trait worry moderates arousal and valence ratings and whether this association depends on image content.
Eighty-seven students passively viewed emotional and neutral images and provided arousal and valence ratings for images. Image content categories were generated by an AI classification platform. Trait worry was measured using the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ). A multilevel model was fit to predict valence ratings from worry, arousal ratings, image content, and all constituent interactions.
A significant three-way interaction between worry, arousal, and image content was observed. Individuals high in worry rated highly arousing erotic images as less pleasant than individuals low in worry. For violent images, the arousal-valence relationship was significant only among participants high in worry, showing a negative quadratic pattern in which high-arousing images were evaluated most negatively. Worry did not significantly moderate the arousal-valence relationship for images of objects.
These findings suggest trait worry moderates the arousal-valence relationship in a content-dependent manner. The effect for erotic images suggests that worry-related negative evaluations of arousal may extend beyond threat-related content to include highly arousing pleasant stimuli. Future research could test whether these evaluative differences predict avoidance of highly arousing pleasant experiences.
When Intensity Becomes Unpleasant: Content-Dependent Effects of Arousal on Valence
Trait worry is associated with heightened negative interpretation of internal arousal, raising the possibility that individuals higher in worry may evaluate high-arousing experiences less positively. The most unpleasant and pleasant experiences are also the most arousing. However, individuals higher in trait worry may evaluate highly arousing experiences more negatively, depending on the content of the stimulus. This study tested whether trait worry moderates arousal and valence ratings and whether this association depends on image content.
Eighty-seven students passively viewed emotional and neutral images and provided arousal and valence ratings for images. Image content categories were generated by an AI classification platform. Trait worry was measured using the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ). A multilevel model was fit to predict valence ratings from worry, arousal ratings, image content, and all constituent interactions.
A significant three-way interaction between worry, arousal, and image content was observed. Individuals high in worry rated highly arousing erotic images as less pleasant than individuals low in worry. For violent images, the arousal-valence relationship was significant only among participants high in worry, showing a negative quadratic pattern in which high-arousing images were evaluated most negatively. Worry did not significantly moderate the arousal-valence relationship for images of objects.
These findings suggest trait worry moderates the arousal-valence relationship in a content-dependent manner. The effect for erotic images suggests that worry-related negative evaluations of arousal may extend beyond threat-related content to include highly arousing pleasant stimuli. Future research could test whether these evaluative differences predict avoidance of highly arousing pleasant experiences.
