Could this be because the scale is linear rather than in EV?
For example, if you set it to +1 EV, you move the value from 1.0 to 2.0. You adjust by 1.0. For -1 EV, you move it from 1.0 to 0.5. In this case, you only adjust by 0.5. Perceptually, decreasing seems more sensitive.