Feeling good and feeling close: Affective influences on the perception of intimate relationships

Abstract

Two experiments investigated the role of short‐term affective states on the way people perceive various aspects of their personal relationships. Using an unobtrusive mood induction in a field setting, Experiment 1 found significant mood congruency in evaluative judgments about well‐established intimate relationships. Experiment 2 used a controlled laboratory procedure and found that evaluations of the relationship and the partner, as well as preferred styles of conflict resolution were all significantly affected by the respondents' transient mood state. Increasing relationship longevity did not reduce affective influences on judgments in either study. The results arc discussed in terms of the role of affective states in cognition and judgments, and the influence of affect on everyday judgments about personal relationships is considered.

Adult attachment and dating strategies: How do insecure people attract mates?

“…Being lighthearted and telling jokes in a dating scenario may serve the purpose of building rapport between individuals, and humor has been found to be a poignant and unique indicator of interest in burgeoning relationships (Li et al, 2009). Furthermore, people who are in a positive mood tend to evaluate their relationships more positively and feel closer to their partners (Forgas, Levinger, & Moylan, 1994). Having a sense of humor when getting to know new people may serve to divert attention away from anxious or avoidant people's character flaws and put a cheerful spin on the interaction, thus making an insecure person more appealing to potential partners.…”

Waking Up on the Right or Wrong Side of the Bed: Start-of-Workday Mood, Work Events, Employee Affect, and Performance

“…Being in a positive mood may influence a person to interpret events and the environment more charitably (Bower, 1981;Carlson, Charlin, & Miller, 1988;Forgas et al, 1984;McCrae & Costa, 1991), an interpretation that leads to positive reinforcement and greater feelings of positivity. Conversely, negative start-of-workday mood may generate more negative appraisals and interpretations of daily events (Forgas, 1994(Forgas, , 2001Forgas, Levinger, & Moylan, 1994;Judge & Ilies, 2004); such appraisals and interpretations lead to further feelings of negativity throughout the day. These positive and negative framing effects of mood suggest that start-ofworkday mood may influence both perceptions of work events themselves and affect subsequent to events throughout a workday because it may lead employees to interpret ongoing daily work events more positively (Bower, 1981) or negatively (Judge & Ilies, 2004).…”

Attraction to attachment insecurity: Flattery, appearance, and status's role in mate preferences

“…For example, most people are familiar with the characterization of the smooth‐talking “player” type. In spite of common awareness of “players,” flattery from them may nevertheless blind people to players' negative qualities and insecurity by making people feel good, and thus making them feel good about the source of flattery (e.g., Forgas, Levinger, & Moylan, ). Flattery could also shift attentional focus such that it leads people to ignore potential mates' less desirable features.…”