# Valence Shift — VoiceNet dimension guide

*Category:* Temporal Dynamics · *code:* `vn_VALS` · *slot:* 71

This dimension measures the change in emotional polarity across the segment. 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.** **Valence Shift** controls the change in emotional polarity across the segment. The **__high** LoRA shifts it +0.30 at 100% (worst cost: burst-blend -0.39); the **__low** LoRA shifts it -0.07 at 125% (worst cost: speech quality -0.17). The **__high** direction is the stronger, more reliable knob here.

## ▲ HIGH — Valence Shift __high

| dose | target | Δtarget | Δgenu | Δblend | Δqual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| baseline (0%) | 0.173 | — | — | — | — |
| 25% | 0.182 | +0.01 | -0.03 | -0.01 | +0.05 |
| 50% | 0.237 | +0.06 | -0.02 | -0.07 | +0.06 |
| 75% | 0.364 | +0.19 | -0.04 | -0.28 | +0.06 |
| 100% ★ | 0.468 | +0.30 | -0.08 | -0.39 | +0.07 |
| 125% | 0.441 | +0.27 | -0.07 | -0.46 | -0.01 |

- **EmoNet emotion** — ↑ Sourness (+0.54), Teasing (+0.46), Amusement (+0.43); ↓ Fear (-0.47), Longing (-0.46), Relief (-0.41)
- **VoiceNet dimension** — ↑ Nasal Resonance (+0.81), Mask Resonance (+0.78), Valence (+0.77); ↓ Vocal-burst blend (-0.70), Cognitive Load (-0.47), Perceived Gender (-0.41)

Merging **Valence Shift __high** drives the dimension: at the recommended **100%** dose the measured Valence Shift score moves from a 0.17 baseline to 0.47 (a +0.30 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** (-0.39); across the board genuineness -0.08, burst-blend -0.39, speech quality +0.07. Emotionally it reads as Sourness (r 0.54), Teasing (0.46) and Amusement (0.43), and it moves away from Fear, Longing and Relief. On other voice dimensions it co-moves most with Nasal Resonance (0.81), Mask Resonance (0.78) and Valence (0.77), while pulling down Vocal-burst blend, Cognitive Load and Perceived Gender. Practical call: merge __high at **75–100%**; expect Sourness and Nasal Resonance to rise and burst-blend to fall. If you don’t want Sourness bleeding in, offset it with a prompt cue toward Fear to keep the valence shift shift without the side-effect.

## ▼ LOW — Valence Shift __low

| dose | target | Δtarget | Δgenu | Δblend | Δqual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| baseline (0%) | 0.173 | — | — | — | — |
| 25% | 0.137 | -0.04 | +0.03 | -0.03 | -0.01 |
| 50% | 0.115 | -0.06 | +0.00 | -0.02 | -0.02 |
| 75% | 0.168 | -0.01 | +0.03 | -0.03 | -0.08 |
| 100% | 0.209 | +0.04 | +0.05 | -0.06 | -0.17 |
| 125% ★ | 0.105 | -0.07 | +0.03 | -0.16 | -0.17 |

- **EmoNet emotion** — ↑ Concentration (+0.24), Thankfulness/Gratitude (+0.21), Contemplation (+0.21); ↓ Elation (-0.36), Anger (-0.28), Impatience and Irritability (-0.28)
- **VoiceNet dimension** — ↑ Warmth (+0.42), Whisper-Talk Style (+0.38), Esthetics (+0.37); ↓ Volatility (-0.48), Casual Style (-0.42), Respiration (-0.36)

Merging **Valence Shift __low** lowers the dimension: at the recommended **125%** dose the measured Valence Shift score moves from a 0.17 baseline to 0.10 (a -0.07 shift). The dose-response is mostly ordered but noisy between doses. That reach is a real cost — the biggest hit is to **speech quality** (-0.17); across the board genuineness +0.03, burst-blend -0.16, speech quality -0.17. Emotionally it reads as Concentration (r 0.24), Thankfulness/Gratitude (0.21) and Contemplation (0.21), and it moves away from Elation, Anger and Impatience and Irritability. On other voice dimensions it co-moves most with Warmth (0.42), Whisper-Talk Style (0.38) and Esthetics (0.37), while pulling down Volatility, Casual Style and Respiration. Practical call: merge __low at **100–125%**; expect Concentration and Warmth to rise and speech quality to fall. If you don’t want Concentration bleeding in, offset it with a prompt cue toward Elation to keep the valence shift shift without the side-effect.

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