Cited by 186Emotions and Moral BehaviorEmotion and Mood RecognitionNeural and Behavioral Psychology Studies

The structure of subjective emotional intensity.

Open access
Sonnemans, Joep, Frijda, Nico H.·1994·Cognition & Emotion

Abstract

Emotions vary in intensity. But what is it that vanes? There are many parameters that can be considered parameters of emotional intensity, and it is unclear how these parameters are related. The main question of this study is: Is the subjective intensity of emotion one dimensional, and, if not, what are its dimensions? We sampled 222 instances of emotions, and for each instance subjects completed a questionnaire. The subjects also drew a diagram of the course of their emotion over time. A factor analysis of the intensity questions and the diagram variables yielded six factors: (1) duration of the emotion and delay of its onset and peak; (2) perceived bodily changes and strength of felt passivity; (3) recollection and re-experience of the emotion; (4) strength and drasticness of action tendency, and drasticness of actual behaviour; (5) belief changes and influence upon long-term behaviour; and (6) overall felt intensity. Most specific dimensions correlated moderately with overall felt intensity. Special attention is given to the relation between intensity and the duration of emotion.

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Crossref · 10.1080/02699939408408945

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15 of 15 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • The summed magnitude of ratings of dynamic properties over a past emotional incident correlates with ratings of how intense the emotion has been.

    “The summed magnitude of the ratings of those dynamic properties over a past emotional incident correlates with ratings of how intense the emotion has been.”

    From Impulsive action: emotional impulses and their control (2014) · cites this paper as Sonnemans and Frijda, 1994

    The Results report that ratings of specific properties of recalled emotions correlate with overall felt-intensity ratings; together, the property scales have a multiple correlation of 0.723 with overall felt intensity. But the paper reports correlations for individual scales and a multiple regression, not a correlation between a simple sum of the property ratings and felt intensity. The “summed score” in the regression is the overall-intensity outcome, not the sum described in the claim. (LLM, conf=0.82)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Felt intensity can be considered as having been caused by the dynamic aspects of impulsive action.

    “That felt intensity can be considered as having been caused by the dynamic aspects of impulsive action (Sonnemans and Frijda, 1994).”

    From Impulsive action: emotional impulses and their control (2014) · cites this paper as Sonnemans and Frijda, 1994

    The Results link overall felt intensity to the strength of action impulses and behaviour, so the cited paper supports a role for impulsive action. But it describes felt intensity as a composite of several dimensions, including bodily changes and recollection, and reports associations rather than establishing that impulsive action causes felt intensity. (LLM, conf=0.83)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Cites

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1 of the 16 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 3

  1. Frijda, N. (1986). The emotions. Cambridge University Press.
  2. Sonnemans, J. (1991). The structure and determinants of emotional intensity. PhD dissertation, University of Amsterdam.
  3. Venables, P .H. (1984). Arousal: an examination of its status as a concept. In M. Coles, J. Jennings, & J. Stem (Eds.), Psychophysiological perspectives. New York: Van Nostrand.

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Authors
Sonnemans, J., & Frijda, N. H.
Affiliations
University of Amsterdam (NL)
Venue
Cognition & Emotion
Published
1994-07
Volume
8
Issue
4
Pages
329-350
ISSN
  • 0269-9931 (ISSN-L)
  • 1464-0600
OpenAlex
W2114785251
Cited by
186
References
16
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 19 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 13 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 9
FWCI
4.58
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Cognition & Emotion (publishedVersion)
  • UvA-DARE (University of Amsterdam) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
  • UvA-DARE (University of Amsterdam) (submittedVersion)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
  • Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Emotions and Moral Behavior
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Emotion and Mood Recognition
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
Keywords
emotional intensity, subjective intensity, emotion duration, physical changes, passivity, action tendencies, behavior change, belief revision

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