E-MOVIE - Experimental MOVies for Induction of Emotions in neuroscience: An innovative film database with normative data and sex differences

Abstract

The need for a validated set of emotional clips to elicit emotions in more ecological experiments is increasing. Here we present the validation of a new database of emotional films, named E-MOVIE, which includes, in this first validation phase, 39 excerpts arranged in six categories, three negative (Fear, Sadness and Compassion), two positive (Erotic and Scenery) and a Neutral category. Notably, Compassion and Scenery are new in the field as they were not included in other databases. The clips in E-MOVIE are characterized by homogenous durations of approximately two minutes, which make them suitable for psychophysiological research. In order to study the affective profile prompted by each category 174 participants (112 women) rated the movies on multiple dimensions, namely valence and arousal, intensity and discreteness of the induction of one of the six basic emotions and, finally, intensity of the experience of the emotional states defined by a series of emotional adjectives. Erotic clips were effective in the elicitation of a positive emotional state, characterized by high levels of arousal and excitement. On the other hand, Fear clips (selected without blood to avoid disgust reaction) prompted an affect characterized by high arousal, low valence and high levels of reported fear and anxiety. Women reported greater unpleasantness, distress, anxiety and jittery than men to the three negative categories. Compassion clips, characterized by the depiction of crying characters, were able to induce an affective state dominated by sadness and feeling touched, consistent with an empathic reaction to emotional sufferance. Sadness clips, instead, elicited an affective state characterized by sadness together with distress and angst. We also demonstrated that clips depicting natural environments (i.e. Scenery) prompted in the viewer a surprised, inspired affective state, characterized by high valence and arousal (especially in males), a result which suggests that their past categorization as neutral stimuli was inaccurate and problematic.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Fig 1. Effect of film categories on self-reported valence and arousal.

Asterisks indicate significant (p

Fig 2. Distribution of the 39 film clips in the valence-arousal affective space.

Fig 3. Evaluation of the 6 film categories according to the main seven basic emotions.

Bars represent SE.

Fig 4. Evaluation of the six film categories according to eleven emotional adjectives.

Asterisks indicate significant (p

Fig 5. Comparison of the eleven emotional adjectives for each film clip category.

Bars represent SE.

Fig 6. Familiarity plot.

Percentage (in vertical) of participants who reported to have previously seen the clip. In horizontal axis is represented each of the 39 films. The horizontal blue line represents the threshold of 15 participants who had already watched the film (which represents 8.6% of all participants). The threshold was surpassed by 19 film clips.