9.5.07

"Similarly, here are some of the conditions that appear to produce automatic negative affect:"

heights,
sudden, unexpected loud sounds or bright lights,
"looming" objects (objects that appear to be about to hit the observer),
extreme hot or cold,
darkenss,
extrememly bright lights or loud sounds,
empty, flat terrain (deserts),
crowded dense terrain (jungels or forests),
crowds of people,
rotting smells, decaying foods,
bitter tastes,
sharp objects,
harsh, abrupt sounds,
grating and discordant sounds,
misshapen human bodies,
snakes and spiders,
human feces (and its smell),
other people's body fluids,
vomit.

This is a list I found in the book Emotional Design by Donald A. Norman of sensations that typically produce an "automatic negative" visceral affect. This list is preceeded by a list of situations and objects that do the contrary. The latter is neither as long, nor as poetic.

(continuity) It is a list. It is also a poem if you choose to read it as a poem. no?

3 comments:

les Meteques said...

i used this on the art history AP writing about "un chien andalou"... what is the link to the paper magazine post?

Kit Halvorsen said...

you mean this: http://www.papermag.com/blogs/2007/05/frisco_day_2_part_b.php#more
?

les Meteques said...

yeah!