Valence Asymmetry in Cognition - A Formal Account

Valence asymmetries - the tendency for negative stimuli to elicit more processing effort than positive stimuli - have been widely observed but remain theoretically contested. To advance this debate, we present a formalized account that integrates two major explanatory perspectives: the intrapsychic (or phylogenetic), and the ecological (or ontogenetic) approach. We introduce a concise set of parameters to specify the key concepts and analyze the argumentative structure of each perspective. This yields three major insights: a) parts of the established terminology are misleading and we suggest using more informative labels such as valence-driven and distinctiveness-driven instead, b) it is essential to specify how exactly “good” and “bad” stimuli are distinguished from one another, and c) some explanations rely on implicit yet critical assumptions such as the probability of having contact with stimuli. Clarifying these theoretical foundations provides a framework for conducting informative empirical tests in future research.