Happy mood decreases self-focused attention
Authors: Green J.D.1; Sedikides C.2; Saltzberg J.A.3; Wood J.V.4; Forzano L-A.B.5
Source: British Journal of Social Psychology, Volume 42, Number 1, March 2003 , pp. 147-157(11)
Publisher: British Psychological Society
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Abstract:
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.Document Type: Research article
DOI: 10.1348/014466603763276171
Affiliations: 1: Soka University, USA 2: University of Southampton, UK 3: Pennsylvania Hospital, USA 4: University of Waterloo, Canada 5: SUNY College at Brockport, USA
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