Does mood really influence comparative optimism? Tracking an elusive effect

Abstract

Methodological limitations call into question prior evidence that positive moods are associated with greater comparative optimism. Experiments 1-4 tested if mood affects comparative optimism using a mood manipulation that minimized experimenter demand. While the procedure was successful in inducing mood, we found no evidence for a mood effect on comparative optimism. The absence of a mood effect was not due to participants correcting their judgments in response to a presumed mood bias (Experiments 2, 3 and 4) or to participants proactively regulating their mood (Experiments 3 and 4). Experiment 5 compared the mood manipulation of Experiments 1-4 with an autobiographical recall procedure. Although the two methods were equally effective in inducing mood, only autobiographical recall influenced participants' comparative optimism. Study 6 provides preliminary evidence that experimenter demand may be responsible for the effects of autobiographical recall on comparative judgments.

Taking Stock of Unrealistic Optimism

“…Finally, evidence suggests that negative mood and prior experience with a negative event can decrease both unrealistic absolute optimism and unrealistic comparative optimism, primarily because both appears to affect personal risk estimates rather than risk estimates for others (Helweg-Larsen & Shepperd, 2001). However, not all studies have replicated this mood effect (Drace et al, 2009). …”

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“…Participants were shown each of the pictures for their condition for 15 seconds, with a gap of 5 seconds between pictures, during which time the screen was black. Participants in the neutral and strong negative mood conditions were exposed to the standard procedure (e.g., Drace et al, 2009Drace et al, , 2010 asking them to look at the pictures and try to vividly imagine themselves as witness-1 The following pictures were used for the mood inductions. Neutral mood: 2190, 2385, 2514, 2516, 2749, 2840, 2890, 5510, 5531, 5534, 7004, 7006, 7009, 7010, 7020, 7050, 7160, 7170, 7175, 7185, 7187, 7207, 7211, 7217, 7233, 7235.…”

“…Participants in the moderate negative mood condition received the same instructions but were exposed to shorter inductions during which they watched only 8 pictures, which were randomly selected from a set of 24 pictures used in the strong condition. Prior work showed that sustained presentation of a series of pictures of similar valence produces emotional reactions that are sensitized across the temporal intervals (Bradley, Cuthbert, & Lang, 1996;Smith, Bradley, & Lang, 2005) and that it could be an efficient method to manipulate the intensity of negative mood (Drace et al, 2009). After the mood induction, participants were first asked to fill in the BMIS and once they finished they were instructed to position themselves in front of a response box on the same table.…”

“…The mood induction procedure was similar to the one used by Drace and his colleagues (Drace, 2013;Drace et al, 2009;Drace et al, 2010). During a period of 10 minutes, participants were asked to look at a series of pictures while listening to music.…”

“…In both conditions participants were asked to look at a series of positive or negative pictures while listening to music. Those in the hot induction conditions were exposed to the standard procedure asking them to look at the pictures and try to vividly imagine themselves as witnesses of each situation (Drace, Desrichard, Shepperd, & Hoorens, 2009;Drace, Ric, & Desrichard, 2010). Participants in the cold induction condition were watching the same stimuli but in a more distant way.…”