The World of Emotions is not Two-Dimensional

TLDR

Emotion research has long sought a minimal dimensional space to capture emotional similarities, yet most studies now rely on two‑dimensional valence–arousal models. The study demonstrates that four dimensions are required to adequately represent emotional word meanings across three languages. Four dimensions were derived from 144 features covering six emotion components: event appraisals, physiological changes, motor expressions, action tendencies, subjective experiences, and regulation. The four dimensions, ranked by importance, are evaluation‑pleasantness, potency‑control, activation‑arousal, and unpredictability.

Abstract

For more than half a century, emotion researchers have attempted to establish the dimensional space that most economically accounts for similarities and differences in emotional experience. Today, many researchers focus exclusively on two-dimensional models involving valence and arousal. Adopting a theoretically based approach, we show for three languages that four dimensions are needed to satisfactorily represent similarities and differences in the meaning of emotion words. In order of importance, these dimensions are evaluationpleasantness, potency-control, activation-arousal, and unpredictability. They were identified on the basis of the applicability of 144 features representing the six components of emotions: (a) appraisals of events, (b) psychophysiological changes, (c) motor expressions, (d) action tendencies, (e) subjective experiences, and (f) emotion regulation.