Pleasure, displeasure, and mixed feelings: Are semantic opposites mutuallyexclusive?

Are pleasure and displeasure opposite markers of a single dimension, or are pleasure and displeasure two separate feelings? The present article argues that the existing evidence proved inconclusive for four reasons: (a) asses sment of affect in unspecified situations, (b) assessment of affect at one moment in time, (c) use of inappropriate statistics, and (d) lack of theore tical predictions. The present article presents a study in which affect was assessed before and after an induction of mild displeasure via unpleasant pictures. Furthermore, pleasure and displeasure ratings are compared to rat ings of feeling hot and cold. Results indicate that hot and cold ratings re present opposite ends of a single hot-cold dimension. Pleasure ratings coul d not be represented along a single pleasure-displeasure dimension. Methodo logical implications for future research on the structure of affect are dis cussed.