Related Experiment Videos
A method for measuring "primitive" and "advanced" elements in pleasures and aversions
K G Bailey1, D S Burns, L C Bazan
1Dept. of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond 23284, USA.
Journal of Personality Assessment
|December 1, 1982
Summary
This study explored pleasure and aversion responses, finding that people
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Understanding human emotional responses to stimuli is crucial in psychology.
- Differentiating between experienced and fantasized emotional reactions provides insight into cognitive processing.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the differences in pleasure and aversion responses between reality and fantasy.
- To develop and validate a rating scale for "primitive" (gut-level) versus "advanced" (detached) emotional experiences.
Main Methods:
- Subjects provided real and fantasized pleasure and aversion responses.
- Trained raters used a 7-point scale to assess "primitive" vs. "advanced" elements.
- Data were analyzed using ANOVA and correlation, with sex as a moderator.
Main Results:
- A significant interaction showed that pleasure responses became more "advanced" from reality to fantasy.
- Conversely, aversion responses became more "primitive" from reality to fantasy.
- Reality-based aversions were rated as more "advanced" than reality-based pleasures.
Conclusions:
- Emotional processing differs between pleasure and aversion, particularly when comparing reality and fantasy.
- The distinction between "primitive" and "advanced" emotional responses offers a framework for analyzing subjective experiences.