Happy mood decreases self-focused attention.
Research addressing the influence of happy mood on self-focused attention has yielded inconsistent results. Some studies found that happy mood decreased self-focus relative to sad mood. Other studies did not detect a significant difference between happy and neutral mood, and still other studies found that happy mood, relative to neutral mood, increased self-focus. These investigations have potential shortcomings, such as an insufficiently powerful happy mood induction and a confound between visualization mood inductions and self-focus itself. The present experiment addressed these shortcomings by inducing mood via musical selections, equalizing the approximate potency between happy and sad moods, and using a within-participants design. Relative to neutral mood, happy mood decreased self-focused attention.
Green
Jeffrey D
JD
Soka University, Vejo, CA 92656, USA. jgreen@soka.edu
Sedikides
Constantine
C
Saltzberg
Judith A
JA
Wood
Joanne V
JV
Forzano
Lori-Ann B
LA
D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D001288:Attention; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006240:Happiness; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D010147:Pain Measurement; D012107:Research Design; D012649:Self Concept; D012938:Social Perception; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology