# The Role of Exposure Time on the Subjective Ratings of Emotional Images in Younger and Older Adults

## TL;DR

This study shows that brief exposure to emotional images reduces their perceived intensity, especially in older adults.

## Contribution

The study reveals age-related differences in how exposure time affects emotional image perception.

## Key findings

- Emotional ratings were less extreme for shorter image exposure times in both age groups.
- Older adults were more affected by exposure time and rated images more positively overall.
- Visual features may explain differences in fast versus slow emotional ratings.

## Abstract

Does the subjective emotionality of images change when they are only shown briefly, and are differences in the impact of emotional image duration modulated by age? The first question has broad implications for research on how emotional stimuli impact behavior, and the second question is pressing in light of evidence for age-related changes in how emotions are experienced. Here we present a study run in 2021, in which younger adults (n = 125) and older adults (n = 115) rated the emotional valence (positive vs. negative) and arousal of images that were presented for either 100 or 1,000 ms. Emotion ratings were strongly correlated between image durations, although both age groups rated emotional images as less extreme in valence and arousal when shown for less time. Older adults were affected by exposure time more than younger adults and generally rated images more positively. An exploratory analysis examined whether various visual features explained differences between fast and slow ratings. Our findings shed light on how emotional stimuli are experienced at fast speeds and how age exacerbates exposure time effects, while highlighting considerations when showing emotional stimuli at varying rates.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42761-025-00326-9.