Validation of the Affective Norms for English Words (ANEW) as weighted computerized language measures of arousal, valence and dominance

This study compared weighted computerized language measures of emotional arousal, valence and dominance (control) to the ratings of judges on these same dimensions in brief texts. The computerized measures were constructed using Bradley and Lang’s Affective Norms for English Words (ANEW) and validated on their Affective Norms for English Texts (ANET) using the Discourse Attributes Analysis Program (DAAP). The scores of each measure were significantly related to the target dimension scored by judges, but the strength and specificity of each dictionary to measuring its own dimension varied. The arousal and valence dictionaries performed better than the dominance dictionary in this regard. These measures may be applied to index arousal and valence in language samples, and may be useful for studying the role these dimensions play in emotional expression and evocation via language.