When Emotions Move: Validating Virtual Environments for Affect Dynamics

Inducing and tracking affect dynamics in the laboratory is now feasible with virtual environments that can be scripted to evolve over time and drive specific emotional transitions. To verify that such trajectories are grounded in reliable affective states, we first validated the ad hoc virtual environments that were developed. Twelve 4K 360°videos - each representing one endpoint of six bidirectional transitions on Russell's circumplex model - were shown on desktop screens to fifty healthy adults. Valence, Arousal, and Dominance were recorded after every video with the Self-Assessment Manikin, and Positive and Negative Affective Schedule was administered pre- and post-session. This protocol establishes that each environment truly elicited its intended affect states, supplying a vetted stimulus set for future VR research on real-time emotion change.