Over the last four decades the topic of emotions and decision-making has gained relevance among psychologists. This paper presents a selective, qualitative review of the influence of the negative emotions fear, anger, sadness and disgust on the domains of judgement, choice and decision-making.
For this purpose it brings together traditional and contemporary theories from the field of emotion and decision-making and, building on this, reviews highly recognized and accepted research works that have concentrated on outcome effects. Negative emotions turned out to constitute major influence on judgement, choice and decision-making. The review of outcome effects has indicated that, in many cases, emotions of the same valence but with different appraisals can exert opposing effects on the decision outcome.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Conceptual Clarifications
3. Emotional Impact on Judgment, Choice and Decision-Making
3.1 Valence-based Approaches
3.1.1 Types of Affective Influences
3.1.2 Affect-as-information Account
3.1.3 Affect Infusion Theory
3.2 From Valence-based Approaches to Emotion-specific Influences
3.2.1 Appraisal-tendency Approach
3.3 Synthesizing Traditional and Contemporary Scientific Models
3.3.1 Emotion-Imbued Choice Model
4. Choosing Emotions
5. How might specific negative emotions influence judgment, choice and decision-making?
5.1 Research Methodology
5.2 The Effects of Fear
5.3 The Effects of Anger
5.4 The Effects of Sadness
5.5 The Effects of Disgust
6. Discussion of Effects
7. Conclusion and further Research
Research Objectives and Core Themes
The primary objective of this literature review is to systematically examine the influence of specific negative emotions—specifically fear, anger, sadness, and disgust—on the cognitive processes of judgment, choice, and decision-making. By moving beyond traditional valence-based models, the paper investigates how distinct emotional states with unique appraisal tendencies can lead to divergent decision outcomes in various contexts.
- The interplay between psychological theory and decision-making behavior.
- Distinction between valence-based approaches and appraisal-tendency frameworks.
- Specific impact of fear, anger, sadness, and disgust on risk perception and social judgment.
- Synthesis of traditional and contemporary models, such as the Emotion-Imbued Choice Model.
Excerpt from the Book
Appraisal-tendency Approach
As a result of this shortcoming, the appraisal-tendency framework (ATF) was introduced by Lerner and Keltner (2000) to give evidence of emotion-specific influences on decisions. It builds on early work of appraisal theorists that pointed out distinctive meaning structures behind emotions (Lazarus, 1991). The ATF examines multidimensional discrete emotions and systematically links it with the associated appraisal processes building on cognitive-appraisal dimensions of emotion that stand for a range of cognitive dimensions rather than just valence to usefully differentiate emotional experiences (Lerner & Keltner, 2000; Lerner et al., 2015).
Appraisal tendencies are the “(…) perceptual processes through which emotions colour the interpretation of stimuli” (Lerner & Keltner, 2000, p. 477). Appraisal mechanisms turn stimulus events into a situational meaning structure (Frijda, 1986). Thereby, six appraisal-patterns underlie different emotions: certainty, attentional activity, pleasantness, control, responsibility and anticipated effort. Thus, as an example, control, certainty and responsibility are central dimensions that separate anger from other negative emotions. The framework claims that emotions of the same valence (e.g. anger and fear) can bear converse influence on choice and judgment, whereas emotions of the opposite valence (e.g. happiness and anger) can bear similar influences. For example, anger underlies the appraisal tendency to perceive negative events as predictable, under human control and brought about by others, whereas fear underlies the appraisal tendency to perceive negative events as unpredictable and under situational control (Lerner & Keltner, 2000).
Summary of Chapters
Introduction: Provides a historical overview of how decision research shifted from rational choice models to incorporating emotional influences, establishing the paper's core research questions.
Conceptual Clarifications: Defines key psychological terms such as valence, arousal, affect, emotion, and mood to ensure a consistent framework for the subsequent analysis.
Emotional Impact on Judgment, Choice and Decision-Making: Reviews historical theories, including valence-based approaches, the affect-as-information account, and the affect infusion model, before introducing the appraisal-tendency framework.
Choosing Emotions: Details the categorization of emotional states and establishes the two-dimensional circumplex model as a foundation for distinguishing emotions.
How might specific negative emotions influence judgment, choice and decision-making?: Details the research methodology and systematically explores the distinct effects of fear, anger, sadness, and disgust on outcomes like risk-taking and social judgment.
Discussion of Effects: Synthesizes the reviewed evidence to demonstrate how emotions of the same valence can produce contradictory outcomes based on their specific appraisal tendencies.
Conclusion and further Research: Summarizes the findings and highlights the necessity for further investigation into other negative emotions and different mechanism types.
Keywords
emotion, decision-making, judgment, affect, cognition, choice, risk, fear, anger, sadness, disgust, appraisal tendency, valence, rational choice, emotional impact
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
This paper focuses on how specific negative emotions—fear, anger, sadness, and disgust—influence cognitive processes involved in judgment, choice, and decision-making.
What is the main goal of the study?
The goal is to determine which theories best explain the interplay between emotions and decisions and to analyze the specific outcome effects of individual negative emotions on various situational contexts.
What scientific method is employed in this work?
The paper employs a selective, qualitative literature review, analyzing 10 primary studies published between 1999 and 2012 that investigate specific emotion-based outcomes in decision-making.
What are the central themes of the work?
Key themes include the critique of valence-based theories, the implementation of appraisal-tendency frameworks, and the synthesis of traditional and modern models like the Emotion-Imbued Choice Model.
What is covered in the main body of the text?
The main body examines the evolution of psychological theories regarding affect, defines necessary concepts, and provides a detailed review of empirical findings on how each of the four chosen negative emotions affects risk and social judgment.
Which keywords best describe this paper?
Core keywords include emotion, decision-making, judgment, affect, cognition, risk, appraisal tendency, and valence.
Why does the paper criticize traditional valence-based approaches?
Traditional approaches predict that all negative emotions produce similar outcomes; the paper argues this is insufficient because distinct emotions, despite sharing negative valence, have different appraisal tendencies leading to opposing behaviors.
How does anger affect risk perception compared to fear?
The research indicates that anger is often positively related to optimistic risk assessments and feelings of control, whereas fear is associated with pessimistic risk assessments and a tendency to avoid uncertain situations.
What does the Emotion-Imbued Choice Model suggest?
It suggests that conscious and unconscious decision-making processes are heavily influenced by current emotions, which are derived from the decision-maker, characteristics of options, and incidental situational factors.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Bachelor of Arts Christian Acht (Autor:in), 2016, The Effect of Negative Emotions in Decisions, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/336518
