Valence, as used in psychology, especially in discussing
emotions, means the intrinsic
attractiveness (positive valence) or
aversiveness (negative valence) of an event, object, or situation. However, the term is also used to characterize and categorize specific emotions. For example, the emotions popularly referred to as "negative", such as
anger and
fear, have "negative valence".
Joy has "positive valence". Positively valenced emotions are evoked by positively valenced events, objects, or situations. The term is also used about the
hedonic tone of
feelings,
affect, certain
behaviors (for example, approach and avoidance), goal attainment or nonattainment, and conformity with or violation of
norms.
Ambivalence can be viewed as conflict between positive and negative valence-carriers.