How do word valence and classes influence lexical processing? Evidence from virtual reality emotional contexts

Abstract

The current study examines the influence of word class (i.e., noun vs. adjective) and valence (i.e., positive vs. negative vs. neutral) on the processing of emotional words under different virtual reality (VR) emotional contexts. To this end, 115 participants performed a modified affect labeling task after experiencing different VR scenarios. Their galvanic skin responses were also examined to further gauge the different effects of VR contexts. The results demonstrated significant main effect for word valence, indicating more processing of positive words relative to neutral words which are processed more than negative words. The results also demonstrated significant main effect for word class, indicating more processing of nouns in contrast to adjectives. Additionally, the results indicated that both positive and negative VR contexts could stimulate participants to select more positive words though negatively valenced words were processed more under negative VR context relative to positive VR context. However, the amplitude of galvanic skin responses in positive VR was lower than that in negative VR. The results were interpreted in line with the situation-consistency effects, the mood-consistency effects, the specific nature of VR context, and the different features of different word classes in terms of concreteness, imageability, arousal, and valence.