Positive-Right and Negative-Left: Affective Spatialization by Digital “Grab” Interactions

Recent research exploring embodied interactions with digital interfaces indicate cognitive and affective implications regarding the processing of visual stimuli when the hands are near to them (hand-proximity effect). In this regard, the present study delves into the affective implications of digital “grabbing”, particularly within the context of affective spatialization by hand dominance. Concretely, the Body Specificity Hypothesis (BSH) suggests that right-handers associate the right space with positivity and the left space with negativity. To test this assumption within an interactive environment, sixty right-handed participants performed lateralized grab interactions with forty pictures (20 positive and 20 negative) displayed at the right or left space of a touchscreen monitor. The results support an interactive positivity bias effect whereby grabbing positive (vs. negative) pictures at the right (vs. left) space was significantly faster. This finding is discussed against the background of the Spatial Affective Interaction (SAI) framework, integrating hand-proximity, affective spatialization, and approach-avoidance mechanisms to understand embodied digital interactions. Limitations include the need for further research on left-handed interactions and decontextualized stimuli. The findings highlight the relevance of considering ergonomics and emotional context in interface design.