Abstract
Standardized sets of films have been shown to be effective for eliciting emotional states in adults, but no comparable validated stimuli are available for children. We therefore examined the effects of three pre-selected film clips each of 3-min duration in eliciting a pleasant, neutral and unpleasant emotional state in 297 children aged between 6 and 12 years. After the films were presented on a video projector, affective ratings were obtained with the Self-Assessment-Manikin on the emotional dimensions of valence and arousal. Increasing pleasure ratings were observed from the unpleasant to the neutral to the pleasant film. Associated arousal ratings were stronger for the unpleasant and pleasant films compared to the neutral film. Overall, results showed successful elicitation of targeted emotional states only marginally influenced by age, gender or prior experience with the films. The use of these films is therefore suggested for future studies on emotions in children.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bradley, M. M. (2000). Emotion and motivation. In J. T. Cacioppo, L. G. Tassinary, & G. B. Berntson (Eds.),Handbook of psychophysiology (pp. 602–642). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Bradley, M. M., Cuthbert, B. N., &Lang, P. J. (1996). Picture media and emotion: Effect of a sustained affective context.Psychophysiology,33, 662–670.
Bradley, M. M., &Lang, P. J. (2000). Measuring emotion: Behavior, feeling, and physiology. In R. Lane & L. Nadel (Eds.), Cognitive neuroscience of emotion (pp. 242–276). New York: Oxford University Press.
Coan, J. A., &Allen, J. J. B. (2007).The handbook of emotion elicitation and assessment. New York: Oxford University Press.
Ekman, P., Levenson, R. W., &Friesen, W. V. (1983). Autonomic nervous system activity distinguishes among emotions.Science,221, 1208–1210.
Gentzler, A. L., &Kerns, K. A. (2006). Adult attachment and memory of emotional reactions to negative and positive events.Cognition & Emotion,20, 20–42.
Gross, J. J., &Levenson, R. W. (1995). Emotion elicitation using films.Cognition & Emotion,9, 87–108.
Hodes, R. L., Cook, E. W., III, &Lang, P. J. (1985). Individual differences in autonomic response: Conditioned association or conditioned fear?Psychophysiology,22, 545–557.
Lang, P. J., Bradley, M. M., &Cuthbert, B. N. (1997).The International Affective Picture System: Technical manual and affective ratings. Gainesville: University of Florida, NIMH Center for the Study of Emotion and Attention.
Lang, P. J., Bradley, M. M., &Cuthbert, B. N. (1999).The International Affective Picture System: Digitized photographs. Gainesville: University of Florida, NIMH Center for the Study of Emotion and Attention.
Miller, B. D., &Wood, B. L. (1997). Influence of specific emotional states on autonomic reactivity and pulmonary function in asthmatic children.Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry,36, 669–677.
Philippot, P. (1993). Inducing and assessing differentiated emotionfeeling states in the laboratory.Cognition & Emotion,7, 171–193.
Rainville, P., Bao, Q. V., &Chretien, P. (2005). Pain-related emotions modulate experimental pain perception and autonomic responses. Pain, 18, 306–318.
Rietveld, S., &Prins, P. J. (1998). The relationship between negative emotions and acute subjective and objective symptoms of childhood asthma.Psychological Medicine,28, 407–415.
Ritz, T., Alatupa, S., Thöns, M., &Dahme, B. (2002). Effects of affective picture viewing and imagery on respiratory resistance in nonasthmatic individuals.Psychophysiology,39, 86–94.
Rottenberg, J., Ray, R. R., &Gross, J. J. (2007). Emotion elicitation using films. In J. A. Coan & J. J. B. Allen (Eds.),The handbook of emotion elicitation and assessment. New York: Oxford University Press.
Sabatinelli, D., Bradley, M. M., Fitzsimmons, J. R., &Lang, P. J. (2005). Parallel amygdala and inferotemporal activation reflect emotional intensity and fear relevance.NeuroImage,24, 1265–1270.
Sharp, C., van Goozen, S., Goodyer, I. (2006). Children’s subjective emotional reactivity to affective pictures: Gender differences and their antisocial correlates in an unselected sample of 7-11-year-olds.Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry, & Allied Disciplines,47, 143–150.
Sutherland, G., Newman, B., &Rachman, S. (1982). Experimental investigations of the relations between mood and intrusive unwanted cognitions.British Journal of Medical Psychology,55, 127–138.
Velten, E. (1968). A laboratory task for induction of mood states.Behaviour Research & Therapy,6, 473–482.
Villemure, C., Slotnick, B. M., &Bushnell, M. C. (2003). Effects of odors on pain perception: Deciphering the roles of emotion and attention.Pain,106, 101–108.
von Leupoldt, A., &Dahme, B. (2005). Emotions and airway resistance in asthma: Study with whole body plethysmography.Psychophysiology,42, 92–97.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
The authors thank M. Mach for technical assistance with generating the film clips; W. von Leupoldt, M. Olbrisch, and colleagues for local assistance in their schools; and especially the children for their participation.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
von Leupoldt, A., Rohde, J., Beregova, A. et al. Films for eliciting emotional states in children. Behavior Research Methods 39, 606–609 (2007). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03193032
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03193032