Circumplex Observer

These terms are used with specific meaning by CircumplexObserver_Song_Level and may differ from everyday usage.

• Affective Expression: The observable signals of emotional experience in language — including word choice, tone, repetition, and metaphor — that suggest an underlying emotional state.
• Valence: A core dimension of emotion that describes how pleasant or unpleasant a feeling is. Positive valence refers to pleasurable states (e.g. joy, contentment), while negative valence refers to unpleasurable states (e.g. sadness, anger).
• Arousal: The intensity or activation level of an emotional state. High arousal involves energy, agitation, or alertness (e.g. excitement, tension), while low arousal involves calmness or fatigue (e.g. serenity, boredom).
• Core Affect: A neurophysiological state experienced as a blend of valence and arousal. It is not directed toward any particular object, but influences how all stimuli are perceived and expressed.
• Circumplex Model: A circular, two-axis system for plotting emotions by valence (horizontal) and arousal (vertical). Emotions are conceptualized as points or regions within this 2D affective space.
• Primary Emotion (for this model): The dominant affective state expressed by the lyrics. This is the emotion that appears most frequently or is most strongly reinforced throughout the text.
• Secondary Emotion: Additional emotional tones present in the song that are consistent and meaningful, but less dominant than the primary. A maximum of two are allowed.
• Emotion Label: A specific term drawn from the controlled vocabulary of Circumplex Emotions (e.g., “anxious,” “relaxed,” “elated”). Each label has defined coordinates (valence + arousal) and must be grounded in textual evidence.