Anger and fear: Separable effects of emotion and motivational direction on somatovisceral responses
Abstract
We studied whether emotion (anger vs. fear) and motivational direction (approach vs. withdrawal) have specific, separable, and independent somatovisceral response patterns. Imagination scripts about soccer game episodes with crossed Emotion x Motivational Direction content resulting in four experimental groups were presented to a total of N = 118 active soccer players. Self-reports reflected the emotion but not the motivational direction induction. Univariate and multivariate analyses of 24 somatovisceral variables and 2 a priori defined summary variables showed that anger and fear had specific response profiles with effect sizes correlating r = 0.53 with the respective effect sizes from a previous study. Approach and withdrawal profiles varied only in intensity. Emotion and motivational direction did not interact and had independent somatovisceral effects. Results suggest that anger and fear have separate underlying neurobiological organizations each capable of bi-directional motivational tuning of efferent pathways. Results support the Component Model of Somatovisceral Response Organization.
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The notion that discrete emotion categories can be reliably identified by specific behavioural patterns and/or physiological features has been seriously called into doubt by marked variability within instances of the same category as well as similarities across categories.
“The notion that discrete emotion categories can be reliably identified by specific behavioural patterns and/or physiological features has been seriously called into doubt by the marked variability within instances of the same category as well as similarities across categories.”
From A new science of emotion: implications for functional neurological disorder (2022) · cites this paper as [62]
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References 99 · Cited by 99
- Authors
- Stemmler, G., Aue, T., & Wacker, J.
- Affiliations
- Philipps University of Marburg (DE)
- University of Geneva (CH)
- Corresponding author
- Stemmler, Gerhard
- Venue
- International Journal of Psychophysiology
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2007-11
- Volume
- 66
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 141-153
- ISSN
- 0167-8760 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2049757669
- Cited by
- 99
- References
- 99
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 4 · 2016: 6 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 8 · 2012: 5
- FWCI
- 6.68
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- International Journal of Psychophysiology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Bern Open Repository and Information System (University of Bern) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Sport Psychology and Performance
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
- Keywords
- anger, fear, approach behavior, withdrawal behavior, emotion induction, soccer players, efferent pathways, autonomic nervous system
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Physiological, Adaptation, Psychological, Adolescent, Adult, Analysis of Variance, Anger, Blood Pressure, Fear, Galvanic Skin Response, Heart Rate, Humans, Imagination, Male, Models, Psychological, Motivation, Reference Values, Self-Assessment, Skin Temperature
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