How can emotions be measured?
To measure emotions depends on how one defines emotion. Some people simply ask their participants, how they feel. This is interesting, but it does not capture a full picture. Somebody might answer that they feel slightly worried, but their heart is beating rapidly. Someone else might blush in response to a question, but report not feeling anything. As discussed on the "What are emotions" page, emotions are now considered to comprise several components, and so measuring emotions involves assessing very different things. For some a questionnaire suffices, for others complex machines are required.
We are currently preparing a set of web pages at my laboratory at Jacobs University and will discuss there how we are measuring emotions in the research my collaborators and I conduct.
We are currently preparing a set of web pages at my laboratory at Jacobs University and will discuss there how we are measuring emotions in the research my collaborators and I conduct.
Some relevant literature
Mauss, I. B., & Robinson, M. D. (2009). Measures of emotion: A review. Cognition and Emotion, 23, 209-237.
Coan, J. A. & Allen, J. J. B. (Eds.) (2007). The Handbook of Emotion Elicitation and Assessment. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Coan, J. A. & Allen, J. J. B. (Eds.) (2007). The Handbook of Emotion Elicitation and Assessment. New York, NY: Oxford University Press.