Do Spanish Affective Picture Norms Transfer to Russian Speakers? Valence and Arousal Ratings of a Low-Level Matched Subset of the EmoMadrid Database

Norms of standardised affective picture sets obtained in one sample may not transfer to another. We examined whether the EMselec subset of the EmoMadrid database (40 negative, 40 neutral and 40 positive pictures matched for luminance, spatial frequency and chromatic complexity) retains its normative properties in a Russian-speaking sample. Sixty-three participants (M = 25 years, SD = 6; 43 women) rated the pictures online on five-point valence and arousal scales under the exposure parameters of the Spanish norms. Rank-order agreement was high across all pictures (valence ρ = 0.91; arousal ρ = 0.86) and lower within categories (arousal ρ = 0.40 to 0.73; neutral and positive valence ρ = 0.27 and 0.07). Absolute agreement was good for valence (ICC = 0.89) and imprecisely estimated for arousal (ICC = 0.70, 95% CI [−0.02, 0.89]). Arousal ratings were lower in all categories, by 0.24 to 0.59 points. Valence ratings were compressed towards the middle of the scale (calibration slope 0.68), and the overall valence difference was not significant. Unlike in the Spanish norms, negative pictures were rated as more arousing than positive ones (difference 0.35), so their arousal matching did not hold. EMselec keeps its category structure, but its absolute norms require local recalibration.