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Positive mood boosts the expression of a dispositional need for closure
Małgorzata Kossowska1, Yoram Bar-Tal
1a Psychology Department , Jagiellonian University , Krakow , Poland.
Cognition & Emotion
|April 6, 2013
Summary
Positive mood influences how the need for closure affects information processing. When in a good mood, people
Area of Science:
- Social Psychology
- Cognitive Psychology
Background:
- Positive mood states can influence cognitive processes.
- The need for closure (NFC) relates to an individual's desire for definitive answers.
- Information processing styles range from heuristic (quick, simple) to systematic (thorough, analytical).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if positive mood moderates the relationship between the need for closure and information processing styles.
- To determine how mood affects the impact of NFC on heuristic versus systematic information processing.
Main Methods:
- Three studies (total N=539) employed different mood manipulation/measurement techniques (state mood, recall, emotional pictures).
- Information processing was assessed via preferences for and recall of schema-consistent and inconsistent information.
- The need for closure (NFC) was measured or manipulated across studies.
Main Results:
- A significant interaction between mood and NFC on information processing was observed.
- Under positive mood conditions, a negative relationship emerged between NFC and the use of schema-inconsistent information.
- This suggests that high NFC individuals under positive mood processed information more systematically.
Conclusions:
- Positive mood enhances the influence of the need for closure on information processing.
- Mood appears to affect individuals' perceived ability to achieve closure, thereby altering processing strategies.
- Findings highlight the role of affective states in modulating epistemic motivation and cognitive styles.
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