Discrete emotions predict changes in cognition, judgment, experience, behavior, and physiology: A meta-analysis of experimental emotion elicitations.

Abstract

Our purpose in the present meta-analysis was to examine the extent to which discrete emotions elicit changes in cognition, judgment, experience, behavior, and physiology; whether these changes are correlated as would be expected if emotions organize responses across these systems; and which factors moderate the magnitude of these effects. Studies (687; 4,946 effects, 49,473 participants) were included that elicited the discrete emotions of happiness, sadness, anger, and anxiety as independent variables with adults. Consistent with discrete emotion theory, there were (a) moderate differences among discrete emotions; (b) differences among discrete negative emotions; and (c) correlated changes in behavior, experience, and physiology (cognition and judgment were mostly not correlated with other changes). Valence, valence-arousal, and approach-avoidance models of emotion were not as clearly supported. There was evidence that these factors are likely important components of emotion but that they could not fully account for the pattern of results. Most emotion elicitations were effective, although the efficacy varied with the emotions being compared. Picture presentations were overall the most effective elicitor of discrete emotions. Stronger effects of emotion elicitations were associated with happiness versus negative emotions, self-reported experience, a greater proportion of women (for elicitations of happiness and sadness), omission of a cover story, and participants alone versus in groups. Conclusions are limited by the inclusion of only some discrete emotions, exclusion of studies that did not elicit discrete emotions, few available effect sizes for some contrasts and moderators, and the methodological rigor of included studies.

Anxious and egocentric: How specific emotions influence perspective taking.

“…First, our experiments relied exclusively on an autobiographical recall task to induce incidental emotions. Although such tasks are among the most frequently used and valid methods for inducing specific emotions, including anxiety-related states (Lench et al, 2011), future research using different emotion inductions, such as watching an anxiety-eliciting video clip (Gino et al, 2012) or anticipating a stressful experience (e.g., an impromptu public performance; Brooks, 2014), will be needed to determine the generalizability of our findings. Second, several of our dependent measures comprised only a few items or even a single item, thus potentially raising concerns about stimulus sampling (see Wells & Windschitl, 1999).…”

Fear shapes information acquisition in decisions from experience

“…How emotions interact with cognitive processes has been extensively studied (for reviews, see Lench, Flores, & Bench, 2011;Vohs, Baumeister, & Loewenstein, 2007). One idea that has been particularly influential is that emotions, affects, and feelings themselves represent information providing input into cognitive processes like evaluations (including which information processing style to adopt; Schwarz & Clore, 1983), choice, and inferences about uncertain environmental quantities such as risks and opportunities (e.g., Andrade & Cohen, 2007;Bechara, Damasio, & Damasio, 2000;Loewenstein, Weber, Hsee, & Welch, 2001;Slovic, Flynn, & Layman, 1991).…”

A Influência do Constrangimento do Consumidor no Processo de Compra

“…Além da separação por valência, sabe-se que as emoções são diferentes em outras dimensões (Smith & Ellsworth, 1985) e, com isso, emoções diferentes de mesma valência podem influenciar o comportamento de compra de formas distintas (Lench, Flores, & Bench, 2011). Dentre as emoções negativas, o presente artigo foca a investigação no constrangimento.…”