A novel approach to affect induction using dynamic social stimuli

Humans are inherently social beings who depend on successful social interactions. Understanding how different social stimuli elicit emotional responses is crucial for both psychological and physiological research. This study aimed to develop and validate dynamic stimulus material depicting social interactions and perspective-taking. Specifically, it examined whether emotionally charged video sequences of brief hand interactions elicit affect-specific subjective and psychophysiological response patterns. A total of 81 healthy participants (42 female, 39 male) viewed video clips of hand interactions across four emotional contacts (Love, Neutral, Pain, and Rejection) and three perspectives (Agent, Interaction partner, and Observer). Participants rated arousal and valence using the Self-Assessment Manikin (SAM), while electrodermal activity (EDA) and heart rate (HR) were simultaneously recorded as psychophysiological indicators. Analyses revealed significant effects of the stimuli on both subjective affect ratings and psychophysiological reactivity. SAM ratings of arousal and valence varied across emotional contacts, with perspective additionally influencing arousal. Subjective arousal was highest for Pain and Rejection, with both the Agent and Observer perspective eliciting higher arousal than the Interaction partner perspective. For subjective valence, Love was rated most positively, Pain most negatively. Similar significant effects of emotional contact, perspective, and their interactions were also observed in psychophysiological measures (EDA, HR), with Rejection inducing the highest EDA and HR. These findings demonstrate that the newly developed stimuli effectively induce distinct affective responses, providing a valuable tool for future research on affect perception and processing.