Valence-space associations in touchscreen interactions: Valence match between emotional pictures and vertical touch location leads to pictures' positive evaluation

Embodied cognition research suggests that bodily experiences might ground mental representations of emotional valence in the vertical dimension of space (i.e., positive is up and negative is down). Accordingly, recent studies show that upward (downward) arm movements may also influence the evaluation of emotional stimuli. With the advent of touchscreen devices and their use for experimental environments, a direct and more natural interaction with the stimuli has come to the fore. However, affective implications stemming from such interactions have been only scarcely investigated. In our study, we show that direct interactions with emotional pictures across a vertically mounted touchscreen monitor, may influence their perceived valence.