Investigating postures and movements associated with psychological arousal and valence.

INTRODUCTION

Previous research has identified specific postures associated with different combinations of psychological arousal and valence. This study positioned psychological arousal and valence following different postures and movements within a two-dimensional affective space and exploratorily examined relative differences among conditions.

METHODS

Twenty university students (11 men and nine women) assumed six postures and performed six movements in random order for 1 min across two experimental days. Arousal and valence after each condition were assessed using the Two-Dimensional Mood Scale (TDMS). Participants also provided open-ended descriptions of the emotions experienced during each condition, and heart rate (HR) was measured as an index of physiological arousal. Linear mixed-effects models accounting for the within-participant repeated-measures structure were used for the primary analyses.

RESULTS

Differences among posture and movement conditions were observed in arousal, valence, and HR. In comparisons with the theoretical origin of the TDMS, skipping was located in the high-arousal positive quadrant, whereas the supine and meditation postures were located in the low-arousal positive quadrant. Multilevel correlation analysis showed a positive within-person association between subjective arousal and HR; however, this association was not significant in an additional linear mixed-effects model adjusting for posture and movement condition and other covariates. Open-ended responses included expressions corresponding to TDMS items as well as infrequent emotional expressions and bodily sensations not directly captured by the TDMS.

DISCUSSION: These findings provide exploratory evidence, based on a two-dimensional affective model, regarding emotional states following different postures and movements and their accompanying physiological arousal.