1. Mood and cognitive processing styles The experiment of Bless et al. (1990).Bless et al. (1990). Positive mood is a signal that the interaction with the outside world is going smoothly, whereas negative mood informs us that something is wrong and some attention is needed to solve a problem.mood Contributor© POSbase 2003

2. Mood and cognitive processing styles Prediction of mood-as-information view (Schwarz & Clore, 1983): Impact of mood on cognitive processing styles.Schwarz & Clore, 1983 In a positive mood, people think that everything is ok and therefore use a heuristic processing style. A negative mood provides information that something is wrong; as a consequence, people begin to use a systematic processing style. A network model of emotional processing (Bower, 1981) does not predict any effect of mood on processing styles.network model of emotional processing (Bower, 1981) © POSbase 2003

3. Mood and cognitive processing styles Bless et al. (1990) tested this assumption. Participants in their experiment first had to describe either a positive or a negative life event. After this mood induction phase, they were shown either strong or weak arguments in favor of increasing tuition fees. They had to rate how much they are in favor of higher tuition fees.mood induction © POSbase 2003

4. Mood and cognitive processing styles Predictions: If positive mood elicited a heuristic processing style, participants who read strong arguments would not differ much from participants who read weak arguments. In contrast, if negative mood elicited a systematic processing style, participants who read strong arguments would be more in favor of an increase in tuition fees than participants who read weak arguments. © POSbase 2003

5. ______________________________________________ Mood +Mood - ______________________________________________ Strong arguments Weak arguments ______________________________________________ (Control group without induction: 3.3) Mood and cognitive processing styles Results: (Scale: 1 – 9): (Bless et al., 1990) 4.6 4.7 5.4 3.0 © POSbase 2003

6. Participants in positive mood used a heuristic processing style, whereas participants in a negative mood used a more systematic processing style, as shown the interaction between mood and strength of argument conditions. This study demonstrated the effect of mood on processing styles in a judgmental task. In a subsequent study, Bohner et al. (1992) were able to demonstrate the same mood effects on processing styles in a behavioral task.Bohner et al. (1992) Mood and cognitive processing styles These findings support the mood-as-information view by Schwarz and Clore (1983): Schwarz and Clore (1983): © POSbase 2003