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Negative emotional appeals do not always help to reduce risk behaviors. We report two studies about a new strategy based on the presentation of appeals with mixed sequential emotions (e.g., sadness/fear-joy/relief). Study 1 shows that a mixed message generates lower post-message discomfort than an exclusively negative message; moreover, in this first study, reported probability of performing the risk behavior, binge drinking, in the future is also lower in the mixed condition. Study 2 replicates these results and relates them to the extended parallel process model (EPPM) (Witte, 1992). Here, the mixed emotional message again generates lower post-message discomfort than the negative one, and participants are motivated to control the danger (response efficacy is evaluated more positively in the mixed condition).

Esta es la versión de autor del artículo publicado en: This is an author produced version of a paper published in: AbstractThe Theory of Planned Behavior offers a parsimonious explanation of purposive behavior, but in the study of healthy and risk behaviors its sufficiency may be questioned (Perugini & Bagozzi, 2001). Working in the field of binge-drinking, we used two strategies for improving predictions from TPB: using new proximal antecedents of behaviors and adding new predictors. Resultsshow that behavioral intention (BI) and behavioral expectations (BE) are not equivalent constructs, so that they cannot be used interchangeably. Hierarchical regression analyses show that where anticipated emotions (joy) improved TPB explanation about BI, anticipatory emotions (joy) did so about BE. The higher the future joy, anticipated or anticipatory, the higher, respectively, the intention and expectation to perform risk behavior in the near future.Future-oriented emotions 2

Esta es la versión de autor del artículo publicado en: This is an author produced version of a paper published in: El acceso a la versión del editor puede requerir la suscripción del recurso Access to the published version may require subscription Observing a person in need usually provokes a compound and dynamic emotional experience 3 made up of empathy and personal distress which, in turn, may influence helping behavior. As the 4 exclusive use of rating scales to measure these two emotions does not permit the analysis of their 5 concurrent evolution, we added the Analogical Emotional Scale (AES) in order to measure how 6 these two emotions evolve throughout the emotional experience, from its onset to its conclusion. 7Therefore, in two studies, the concurrence of empathy and personal distress was induced, both 8 rating scales and AES were used, and participants were given an unexpected opportunity to help. 9Two effects were found. First, the helping behavior was lower when personal distress prevailed 10 over empathy at the end of the experience (Studies 1 and 2). Second, this "end" effect was 11 coherent with the nature of the different motives evoked by personal distress and empathy -12 directed to increasing either one's own welfare (egoistic) or the victim's welfare (altruism) 13 (Study 2). These results support the usefulness of combining the rating scales and the AES for 14 gaining a better understanding of the nature and behavioral consequences of complex, compound 15 and dynamic emotional experiences. 16Keys words: empathy, personal distress, helping behavior. Can we feel both empathy and personal distress together? Yes, we can. Research has 3 consistently shown that these two emotions (a) are elicited by the situation of perceiving a person 4 in need, (b) are usually reported in rating scales as occurring simultaneously, and (c) may lead to 5 an increase in helping behavior (for a review, see Batson, Fultz, Schoenrade & Paduano 1987). 6 However, our initial question is not altogether irrelevant; while previous studies have shown that 7 the response to another's relatively severe and unexpected need involves the emotional 8 experiences of empathy and distress, distinguishing between these two emotional reactions has 9 been highlighted as important, and for two reasons: they are easily confused with one another 10 (Batson, Early & Salvarani, 1997) and they have a powerful effect on helping behavior (for a 11 review see Batson, 1991; Batson, 2011). 12Focusing on both their usual misidentification and their impact on helping behavior, 13 researchers have warned that empathy and personal distress are two emotions with very different 14 natures. For example, Batson and collaborators claim that empathy is an other-oriented emotion 15 that evokes the altruistic motivation to reduce the other's need, whereas personal distress is a 16 self-oriented emotion that evokes the egoistic motivation to reduce one's own aversive arousal 17 (Batson, Duncan, Ackerman, Buckley, & Birch, 1981; Batson, O'Quin, Fultz, Vanderpla...

Previous research has shown that while considering future behavioral intentions, desirability is more salient in making decisions in an abstract mindset than in a concrete one. Based on this premise, we test whether behavioral intentions to engage in desirable but difficult actions are more likely in an abstract mindset than a concrete mindset. We experimentally manipulated (Studies 1 through 4 using cognitive primes) and measured as a personal disposition (Study 5 using the Behavioral Identification Form) the construal level to evaluate its influence on the willingness to perform challenges. The behaviors tested focused on self-benefits (Studies 4 and 5) and benefits to others (Studies 1 through 3 and 5). Studies 1 and 2 included only demanding behaviors, whereas Studies 3 through 5 included both difficult and easy conditions. In Studies 1 and 2, the participants were more motivated to attempt a difficult task when they were in an abstract mindset. In Studies 3 through 5, the participants in the abstract (compared to concrete) mindset reported a greater willingness and commitment to attempt desirable but demanding behaviors. Finally, in Study 5, the influence of the construal level on the global behavioral plan index (three behaviors) was moderated by feasibility. Public Significance StatementThe present studies suggest that an abstract style of thinking enhances people's intentions to perform desirable but demanding actions. An abstract construal level is a personal trait that can be modified by different procedures. Interventions aiming to change the construal level could be useful in clinical and educational settings and social communication campaigns to persuade the broader population to overcome difficulties associated with the recommended behavior.