Self-Assessment Manikin

A nonverbal pictorial instrument developed by Bradley and Lang (1994) for measuring the affective dimensions of valence, arousal, and dominance. Respondents select from a row of stylised manikin figures whose expressions and body states vary along each dimension, typically on a 5- or 9-point scale. Because SAM avoids language, it is widely used in cross-cultural studies, with children, and with participants who have limited literacy or communication differences, making it a useful self-report tool in accessibility research where text-based Likert scales may be a barrier.