Duration of the effect of good mood on helping: "Footprints on the sands of time."

Isen, Alice M.; Clark, Margaret S.; Schwartz, Mark F.

doi:10.1037/0022-3514.34.3.385

Cited by 220 publications

(125 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…It could also be the case that the mood of the participants had already returned to its original state at this point of the experiment. Mood effects are known to be rather fragile (Frost & Green, 1982;Isen & Gorgoglione, 1983;Isen, Clark & Schwartz, 1976). The effect of the induction could have faded away during the two tasks between the texts and the subjective probabilities page.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plain Texts as an Online Mood-Induction Procedure

Verheyen

Göritz

2009

Social Psychology

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Abstract. This experiment examined six short texts for their effectiveness in inducing positive or negative mood in an online environment. Compared to two control groups, the texts successfully changed mood in the desired direction for mood measured on a single-item self-report scale. In accordance with previous research, negative mood was induced more effectively than positive mood. In addition to the self-report mood measure, two non-self-report mood measures are used; namely, word-pleasantness ratings and subjective probabilities of negative life-events. Pleasantness ratings of uncommon words seemed to be a suitable measure for mood, whereas subjective probabilities of negative life-events were not.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plain Texts as an Online Mood-Induction Procedure

Verheyen

Göritz

2009

Social Psychology

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Section: Theoretical Background Enduring Impact Of Emotions On Dmmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the effect declined as time elapsed between the free gift (mood manipulation) and the phone request (dependent variable). After 20 minutes, as the positive mood supposedly faded away, the impact of the free gift on helping also mitigated (Isen, Clark, & Schwartz, 1976).Although it is indisputable that under many circumstances the impact of emotion on behavior is directly contingent on the strength of the affective signal (e.g., Cohen & Andrade 2004;Wegener & Petty 1994), there are situations in which the impact of emotions on behavior can outlive the emotion itself. A few pieces of evidence have given initial support to this idea, focusing mostly on the retrieval and use of previously affect-based assessments in subsequent assessments and decisions.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The enduring impact of transient emotions on decision making

Andrade

Ariely

2009

Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes

303

162

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People often do not realize they are being influenced by an incidental emotional state. As a result, decisions based on a fleeting incidental emotion can become the basis for future decisions and hence outlive the original cause for the behavior (i.e., the emotion itself). Using a sequence of ultimatum and dictator games, we provide empirical evidence for the enduring impact of transient emotions on economic decision making. Behavioral consistency and false consensus are presented as potential underlying processes. Enduring Impact of Emotions on DM 3 The Enduring Impact of Transient EmotionsThe impact of incidental emotions on decision-making is well established (Vohs, Baumeister, & Loewenstein 2007). Incidental emotions (i.e., unrelated to the target object) have been shown to influence how much people eat (Grunberg & Straub, 1992), help (Manucia, Baumann, & Cialdini, 1984), trust (Dunn & Schweitzer 2005), procrastinate (Tice, Bratlavstky, & Baumesiter, 2001), or price different products (Lerner, Small, & Loewenstein 2004). Based on all of this evidence, it is tempting to suggest that incidental emotions represent an omnipresent influence in our mundane decision making processes. Skeptical critics, however, might wonder how pervasive the impact of emotion actually is. Most of the emotional changes experienced in our daily lives are relatively mild and short-lived. Even when a strong emotion is experienced, its intensity tends to fade away in a matter of seconds or, at most, minutes (Ekman 1999). Although we may happen to grieve for days after a sudden loss, we more often get mildly disappointed after a tasteless meal or temporarily upbeat after a comedy show. It seems logical then to suggest that the impact of emotions on decision making should also be brief. Put simply, as the emotional state rapidly recedes to the background, so should its impact on decision-making.In contrast to this view, this paper shows that the influence of mild incidental emotions on decision making can live longer than the emotional experience itself. Given that people often do not realize they are being influenced by the incidental emotional state, decisions based on a fleeting incidental emotion can become the basis for future decisions and hence outlive the original cause for the behavior (i.e., the emotion itself). Theoretical Background Enduring Impact of Emotions on DM 4The emotion literature has traditionally worked under the assumption that the intensity of a given feeling state fades away rather quickly, along with its impact on behavior (for a definitional note on emotion, see Appendix 1). Support for short-lived impact of emotions is demonstrated in a field study conducted by Isen and colleagues. The authors showed that after a positive mood manipulation made door to door (a free gift), individuals were more willing to help in a subsequent request over the phone relative to the control condition. However, the effect declined as time elapsed between the free gift (mood manipulation) and the phone request (dependent ...

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“…Past experiments often relied on positive emotion elicitations that are somewhat superficial and hard to replicate in daily life, like finding a dime in a pay phone (e.g. Cunningham, Steinberg, & Grev, 1980;Isen & Levin, 1972) or receiving a gift of stationery (Isen, Clark, & Schwartz, 1976). In contrast, positive activities are usually self-initiated and comprise repeated thoughts or actions (e.g.…”

Section: Positive Activities Increase Positive Affectmentioning

confidence: 99%

What triggers prosocial effort? A positive feedback loop between positive activities, kindness, and well-being

Layous

Nelson

Kurtz

et al. 2016

The Journal of Positive Psychology

119

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Across two studies, we found evidence supporting a positive feedback loop between positive activities, kindness and well-being. In Study 1, participants were randomly assigned to one of four distinct positive activities (versus a neutral writing activity) before spending three weeks engaging in kind acts. We found that the positive activities served as triggers -that is, they predicted greater prosocial effort, which in turn predicted greater well-being immediately following the intervention and at a two-week follow-up. In Study 2, we explored the specific effects of a gratitude trigger, and extended the intervention period to six weeks. Although, we did not replicate the direct effect of the gratitude trigger on prosocial effort, people who wrote gratitude letters (versus writing about their week) reported relatively greater elevation, which predicted greater prosocial effort during the six weeks. In turn, replicating Study 1, greater effort predicted higher well-being immediately following the study.Remember there's no such thing as a small act of kindness. Every act creates a ripple with no logical end. (Scott Adams)

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Duration of the effect of good mood on helping: "Footprints on the sands of time."

Cited by 220 publications

References 12 publications

Plain Texts as an Online Mood-Induction Procedure

Plain Texts as an Online Mood-Induction Procedure

The enduring impact of transient emotions on decision making

What triggers prosocial effort? A positive feedback loop between positive activities, kindness, and well-being

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