Understanding Mixed Emotions: Paradigms and Measures

Abstract

In this review, we examine the paradigms and measures available for experimentally studying mixed emotions in the laboratory. For eliciting mixed emotions, we describe a mixed emotions film library that allows for the repeated elicitation of a specific homogeneous mixed emotional state and appropriately matched pure positive, pure negative, and neutral emotional states. For assessing mixed emotions, we consider subjective and objective measures that fall into univariate, bivariate, and multivariate measurement categories. As paradigms and measures for objectively studying mixed emotions are still in their early stages, we conclude by outlining future directions that focus on the reliability, temporal dynamics, and response coherence of mixed emotions paradigms and measures. This research will build a strong foundation for future studies and significantly advance our understanding of mixed emotions.

Keywords: facial expression; mixed emotions; objective measures; physiology; subjective feelings.

Figure 1

Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate measures of mixed emotions. (a) A univariate mixed emotions measure probes the phenomenological qualia of mixed emotion, such that it shows greater responsivity to mixed emotion than to positive, negative, or neutral emotional states. (b) A bivariate mixed emotions measure consists of two independent measures, one of which is uniquely sensitive to positive emotion and the other is uniquely sensitive to negative emotion, that are subsequently combined using some mathematical function, such as their minimum (translating this into a univariate mixed emotions measure). (c) A multivariate mixed emotions measure assesses multiple measures of positive and negative emotion facets at one occurrence (left), which allows for the construction of a multivariate discrimination of the mixed emotional state from its matched pure positive and negative constituent and neutral emotional states (middle). Orthogonal rotation, dimensionality reduction, and creation of discriminant functions can be used to derive composite measures of positive and negative emotion (right; translating this into a bivariate mixed emotions measure). Abbreviations: ME_u – univariate mixed emotions measure; ME_b1 – bivariate mixed emotions measure of pure positive constituent emotion; ME_b2 – bivariate mixed emotions measure of pure negative constituent emotion; Me_mx – multivariate mixed emotions measure of positive or negative emotion facet; min – mathematical minimum function.