Positive Emotions

Positive Emotions It’s interesting that just as fear helps induce a change in attitude, so does positive emotion. In one study, people were more likely to agree with a series of controversial arguments when they snacked on pea- nuts and soda than when they did not eat. In another study, participants liked a television commercial more when it was embedded within a program that was upbeat rather than sad. Research shows that people are easy to influence when they’re in a good mood. Depending on the situation, food, drinks, a soft reclining chair, happy memories, a success experience, breathtaking scenery, laughter, and good music can lull us into a positive emotional state and make us ripe for persuasion.

What is it about feeling good that leads us to take shortcuts to persuasion rather than the more effortful central route? There are three possible explana- tions. One is that a positive emotional state is cognitively distracting, causing the mind to wander and impairing our ability to think critically about the persuasive arguments. A second explanation is that when people are in a good mood, they assume that all is well, let down their guard, and become somewhat lazy processors of information. A third explanation is that when people are happy, they become motivated to savor the moment and maintain their happy mood rather than spoiling it by thinking critically about new information.