# Arousal — VoiceNet dimension guide

*Category:* Emotion & Affect · *code:* `vn_AROU` · *slot:* 55

This dimension measures the physiological “engine speed” of the speaker. Merge the `__high` / `__low` LoRA from `laion/moss-voicenet-dimension-loras` at 25/50/75/100/125%. Costs are shifts vs. the 24-sample neutral baseline.

**TL;DR.** **Arousal** controls the physiological “engine speed” of the speaker. The **__high** LoRA shifts it +0.73 at 100% (worst cost: burst-blend -0.43); the **__low** LoRA shifts it -0.09 at 50% (worst cost: burst-blend -0.23). The **__high** direction is the stronger, more reliable knob here.

## ▲ HIGH — Arousal __high

| dose | target | Δtarget | Δgenu | Δblend | Δqual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| baseline (0%) | 0.143 | — | — | — | — |
| 25% | 0.235 | +0.09 | -0.04 | -0.17 | -0.06 |
| 50% | 0.307 | +0.16 | +0.00 | -0.16 | -0.04 |
| 75% | 0.540 | +0.40 | -0.03 | -0.33 | -0.10 |
| 100% ★ | 0.874 | +0.73 | -0.08 | -0.43 | -0.23 |
| 125% | 0.796 | +0.65 | -0.09 | -0.44 | -0.11 |

- **EmoNet emotion** — ↑ Triumph (+0.72), Anger (+0.68), Bitterness (+0.61); ↓ Contemplation (-0.70), Relief (-0.65), Contentment (-0.64)
- **VoiceNet dimension** — ↑ Attack (+0.98), Metallic Character (+0.98), Stance (+0.94); ↓ Vulnerability (-0.86), Whisper-Talk Style (-0.79), Warmth (-0.79)

Merging **Arousal __high** ramps the dimension: at the recommended **100%** dose the measured Arousal score moves from a 0.14 baseline to 0.87 (a +0.73 shift). The dose-response is clean and monotonic — each step pushes the dimension further. That reach is a steep cost — the biggest hit is to **burst-blend** (-0.43); across the board genuineness -0.08, burst-blend -0.43, speech quality -0.23. Emotionally it reads as Triumph (r 0.72), Anger (0.68) and Bitterness (0.61), and it moves away from Contemplation, Relief and Contentment. On other voice dimensions it co-moves most with Attack (0.98), Metallic Character (0.98) and Stance (0.94), while pulling down Vulnerability, Whisper-Talk Style and Warmth. Practical call: merge __high at **75–100%**; expect Triumph and Attack to rise and burst-blend to fall. If you don’t want Triumph bleeding in, offset it with a prompt cue toward Contemplation to keep the arousal shift without the side-effect.

## ▼ LOW — Arousal __low

| dose | target | Δtarget | Δgenu | Δblend | Δqual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| baseline (0%) | 0.143 | — | — | — | — |
| 25% | 0.076 | -0.07 | +0.02 | +0.07 | -0.03 |
| 50% ★ | 0.055 | -0.09 | -0.01 | -0.23 | -0.07 |
| 75% | 0.061 | -0.08 | -0.07 | -0.22 | -0.01 |
| 100% | 0.141 | +0.00 | -0.04 | -0.31 | -0.06 |
| 125% | 0.118 | -0.03 | -0.07 | -0.25 | +0.05 |

- **EmoNet emotion** — ↑ Jealousy & Envy (+0.58), Teasing (+0.54), Bitterness (+0.35); ↓ Sourness (-0.36), Fatigue/Exhaustion (-0.30), Contentment (-0.24)
- **VoiceNet dimension** — ↑ Metallic Character (+0.82), Attack (+0.73), Stance (+0.72); ↓ Conversational Style (-0.46), Vulnerability (-0.34), ASMR Style (-0.32)

Merging **Arousal __low** damps the dimension: at the recommended **50%** dose the measured Arousal score moves from a 0.14 baseline to 0.06 (a -0.09 shift). The dose-response is mostly ordered but noisy between doses. That reach is a real cost — the biggest hit is to **burst-blend** (-0.23); across the board genuineness -0.01, burst-blend -0.23, speech quality -0.07. Emotionally it reads as Jealousy & Envy (r 0.58), Teasing (0.54) and Bitterness (0.35), and it moves away from Sourness, Fatigue/Exhaustion and Contentment. On other voice dimensions it co-moves most with Metallic Character (0.82), Attack (0.73) and Stance (0.72), while pulling down Conversational Style, Vulnerability and ASMR Style. Practical call: merge __low at **25–75%**; expect Jealousy & Envy and Metallic Character to rise and burst-blend to fall. If you don’t want Jealousy & Envy bleeding in, offset it with a prompt cue toward Sourness to keep the arousal shift without the side-effect.

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