Valence asymmetries: the positive, the negative, 
the good and the bad in language, mind and morality

Introduction

An asymmetric behavior between the positive and the negative has been evidenced in psychology, for information processing, attention, recognition, and decision making. In philosophy, this asymmetry is observed for judgments about morality and intentionality. In linguistics, it manifests in a range of lexical, syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic phenomena. Negative information grabs our attention; we process it more carefully and recall it with greater precision.

Observations on Negative Information

We easily blame others for the negative side effects of their actions but do not praise them for the positive ones. It takes many nice words to overthrow one nasty remark. When we say that something is "not good," we usually imply that it is bad, but by saying "not bad," we do not imply that it is good.

Valence Asymmetries

Valence asymmetries have arisen on many horizons but have seldom been brought into correspondence and are at odds with most theories of value. The present project is a pioneering attempt to secure the premises for a cross-fertilization between the different accounts of valence asymmetries.

Methodology

This project will deploy methods from:

1. Philosophy (argumentation and conceptual analysis)
2. Formal semantic and value-theoretic models
3. Experimental methodology from psycholinguistics and moral psychology

Objectives

The project has three main objectives:

• Highlight the fundamental role that valence plays beyond emotion, particularly in value judgments and language.
• Examine what the different asymmetries have in common and whether they call for a unified explanation.
• Show that valence asymmetries are not necessarily irrational but often derive from a fundamental asymmetry between positive and negative value, and, as such, are a key component of our cognitive and linguistic architecture.

Further Exploration

Furthermore, we will: (a) Articulate the relationship among the notions of valence, value, and polarity.
(b) Put forward a novel account of the asymmetry of negation.
(c) Unearth new asymmetries in the realm of morality, virtue, and vice.
(d) Provide an account of valence reversals.