Emotion in Motion: An Experimental Study on Walking Speed Under Anger and Sadness in Women
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54536/ajhp.v4i1.6791Keywords:
Affective States, Anger Induction, Gait, Sadness InductionAbstract
This experimental study aimed to investigate the impact of two negative emotions – anger and sadness – on the walking speed of women. Forty-seven females volunteered to be part of the experiment. Each participant was randomly assigned to either the anger or the sadness condition. Participants also completed a baseline walking speed measure and reported their affective state using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). The paired samples t-tests showed that the within-group effects were different for each emotion. Results from the Anger group demonstrated lowered walking speed; however, Positive Affect was decreased, and Negative Affect was increased. While Sadness group, participants walked significantly slower after induction and showed a statistically significant increase in Negative Affect, while Positive Affect remained unchanged. Independent samples t-tests of the change in walking speed between groups did not reveal significant differences. Therefore, it seems that both emotions changed motor behavior, but the degree of change was similar. On the other hand, the Anger group showed a significantly greater reduction in Positive Affect than the Sadness group, while the increases in Negative Affect were statistically similar across emotions. These findings indicate that anger and sadness not only have a noticeable impact on women’s mood but also bring about different changes in their manner of walking. This confirms the theory that emotions are embodied and that walking speed can be considered a valuable observable behavioral indicator of emotional change.
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