Change and status quo in decisions with defaults: The effect of incidental emotions depends on the type of default
Affective states can change how people react to measures aimed at influencing their decisions such as providing a default option. Previous research has shown that when defaults maintain the status quo positive mood increases reliance on the default and negative mood decreases it. Similarly, it has b...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2014-05-01
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| Series: | Judgment and Decision Making |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1930297500005817/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1797701116570370048 |
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| author | Yury Shevchenko Bettina von Helversen Benjamin Scheibehenne |
| author_facet | Yury Shevchenko Bettina von Helversen Benjamin Scheibehenne |
| author_sort | Yury Shevchenko |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Affective states can change how people react to measures aimed at influencing their decisions such as providing a default option. Previous research has shown that when defaults maintain the status quo positive mood increases reliance on the default and negative mood decreases it. Similarly, it has been demonstrated that positive mood enhances the preference for inaction. We extend this research by investigating how mood states influence reliance on the default if the default leads to a change, thus pitting preference for status quo against a preference for inaction. Specifically, we tested in an online study how happiness and sadness influenced reliance on two types of default (1) a default maintaining status quo and (2) a default inducing change. Our results suggest that the effect of emotions depends on the type of default: people in a happy mood were more likely than sad people to follow a default when it maintained status quo but less likely to follow a default when it introduced change. These results are in line with mood maintenance theory. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T04:30:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4cbce5cf058a4dc3b9399e763c8e72b2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1930-2975 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T04:30:39Z |
| publishDate | 2014-05-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Judgment and Decision Making |
| spelling | doaj.art-4cbce5cf058a4dc3b9399e763c8e72b22023-09-03T10:05:07ZengCambridge University PressJudgment and Decision Making1930-29752014-05-01928729610.1017/S1930297500005817Change and status quo in decisions with defaults: The effect of incidental emotions depends on the type of defaultYury Shevchenko0Bettina von Helversen1Benjamin Scheibehenne2Experimental Psychology, University of Mannheim, Schloss EO, 68131 Mannheim, GermanyDepartment of Psychology, University of Basel, SwitzerlandDepartment of Psychology, University of Basel, SwitzerlandAffective states can change how people react to measures aimed at influencing their decisions such as providing a default option. Previous research has shown that when defaults maintain the status quo positive mood increases reliance on the default and negative mood decreases it. Similarly, it has been demonstrated that positive mood enhances the preference for inaction. We extend this research by investigating how mood states influence reliance on the default if the default leads to a change, thus pitting preference for status quo against a preference for inaction. Specifically, we tested in an online study how happiness and sadness influenced reliance on two types of default (1) a default maintaining status quo and (2) a default inducing change. Our results suggest that the effect of emotions depends on the type of default: people in a happy mood were more likely than sad people to follow a default when it maintained status quo but less likely to follow a default when it introduced change. These results are in line with mood maintenance theory.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1930297500005817/type/journal_articledefault biasincidental emotionsstatus quomood induction |
| spellingShingle | Yury Shevchenko Bettina von Helversen Benjamin Scheibehenne Change and status quo in decisions with defaults: The effect of incidental emotions depends on the type of default Judgment and Decision Making default bias incidental emotions status quo mood induction |
| title | Change and status quo in decisions with defaults: The effect of incidental emotions depends on the type of default |
| title_full | Change and status quo in decisions with defaults: The effect of incidental emotions depends on the type of default |
| title_fullStr | Change and status quo in decisions with defaults: The effect of incidental emotions depends on the type of default |
| title_full_unstemmed | Change and status quo in decisions with defaults: The effect of incidental emotions depends on the type of default |
| title_short | Change and status quo in decisions with defaults: The effect of incidental emotions depends on the type of default |
| title_sort | change and status quo in decisions with defaults the effect of incidental emotions depends on the type of default |
| topic | default bias incidental emotions status quo mood induction |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1930297500005817/type/journal_article |
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