• International Journal of Advanced Culture Technology
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.182-189
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• 2023

This study investigates the psychological effects of positive/negative valence order in repeated exposure to a suspenseful text. Specifically, the study seeks to understand how the order in which positive and negative elements are presented in a narrative impacts the experience of suspense, arousal, and enjoyment in readers or listeners. Using a suspenseful short story, participants were exposed to narratives with varying valence orders in a repeated-measures design. The study employed self-report questionnaires and psychophysiological measurements to capture participants' psychological responses. The results supported the hypothesis that repeated exposure impacts suspense, with negative valence enhancing suspense and arousal. Moreover, the order of valence influenced participants' psychological responses, indicating that positive valence can mitigate the impact of repeated exposure. However, the influence on enjoyment was not significant. Psychophysiological measures, specifically skin conductance level (SCL), revealed trends of habituation over repeated exposure. The findings underscore the significance of negative valence in heightening suspense and suggest directions for future research in exploring diverse factors that contribute to suspense in both fictional and real-life contexts.