Emotion analysis using SAM (Self-Assessment Manikin) scale

Background: Emotions are collective functional behaviors and action dispositions which has significant effects in our perception, thinking and behavior. The aim of our study is to detect and recognize the human emotion using SAM (Self-Assessment Manikin) rating. The objective of this study is to find the emotions of south Indian subjects and the classical dancers in addition to determine whether the perceived emotions are the same. Methods: A strong stimulus is need for inducing an emotion. Hence International Affective Picture System (IAPS) developed by the National Institute of Mental Health Center for the Study of Emotion and Attention at the University of Florida was used in our study. Fifty five subjects participated in the experiment (20 Males, 20 Females, and 15 Classical dancers). In this present study, a distinct attempt has been made by including the classical dancers among the group of participants. The perceived emotions are recorded in three dimensional spaces (valence, arousal, and dominance domain) for the Indian subjects using Self-Assessment Manikin Scale (SAM). Results: The male perceived the pleasant pictures in valence space as pleased and in arousal space it was excited (rs=0.511) in dominance space as dependant (rs=0.301). while female (rs=0.405) and classical dancers (rs=0.551) perceived the pleasant pictures in valence space as pleasant and in arousal space it was excited, as well as in dominance space as dependant (rs=0.202), (rs=0.210). The unpleasant pictures were rated as unpleasant by all in valance space whereas in arousal space female and male rated in arousal space rated as was dull (rs=0.222) and classical dancers as wide awake (rs=0.480). Whereas female (rs=0.170) and classical dancers (rs=0.332) rated dependant in dominance space. The neutral pictures were perceived as neutral by males, females and classical dancers. Conclusion: As emotion is subjective and it varies across culture, the valence scoring is same for gender to pleasant, unpleasant and neutral stimuli. The variations were noted in arousal and dominance space. The study concludes classical dancers perceived emotion for all the three categories of stimulus (pleasant/unpleasant/neutral) better when compared with female and male.