Can we distinguish mixed from ambiguous emotions and morality?

ABSTRACT

The neurocognitive model of Mixed and Ambiguous Emotions and Morality (MA-EM) makes a relevant case for putting non-unidimensional emotions and morality more prominently on the research agenda. However, existing research challenges its assumptions about the distinction between mixed and ambiguous emotions and morality, and how they relate to reflective versus simulative processing routes, in three respects. First, the emotional state of being moved is generally conceptualized as a non-ambiguous rather than an ambiguous emotion. Second, mixed emotions have been found to elicit reflection rather than simulation. Third, the morality of narrative characters is typically perceived as mixed rather than ambiguous.

KEYWORDS:

• Narrative
• emotion
• morality

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Netherlands Science Foundation NWO [406.18.SW.039]