Readers' opinions of romantic poetry are consistent with emotional measures based on the Dictionary of Affect in Language

Percept Mot Skills. 2003 Jun;96(3 Pt 1):990-2. doi: 10.2466/pms.2003.96.3.990.

Abstract

A principal components analysis of 68 volunteers' subjective ratings of 20 excerpts of Romantic poetry and of Dictionary of Affect scores for the same excerpts produced four components representing Pleasantness, Activation, Romanticism, and Nature. Dictionary measures and subjective ratings of the same constructs loaded on the same factor. Results are interpreted as providing construct validity for the Dictionary of Affect.

MeSH terms

  • Affect*
  • Attitude*
  • Humans
  • Language*
  • Love*
  • Poetry as Topic*
  • Reading*
  • Vocabulary*