Which of the following emotions has a neutral valence?

• A. Sadness
• B. Anger
• C. Joy
• D. Surprise

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of 'valence' in emotions: Valence refers to the intrinsic attractiveness (positive valence) or averseness (negative valence) of an emotion.
2. Identify the valence of the given emotions: Sadness and Anger typically have negative valence, while Joy has positive valence.
3. Recognize that 'Surprise' is often considered to have a neutral valence because it can be either positive or negative depending on the context.
4. Review psychological theories or models of emotion (such as Russell's circumplex model) where Surprise is positioned near the neutral valence axis.
5. Conclude that among the options, Surprise is the emotion with neutral valence, as it does not inherently carry a positive or negative charge.