Sure, I'll wash the dishes!

Positive emotions can sometimes mask and influence changes in our attitudes. As Isen (1984) stated, people may view the world through “rose-colored glasses” when they are in a good mood. According to Petty et al (1993) and Worth & Mackie (1987), those who have positive feelings take a more peripheral route to persuasion. That is, those in a happy state, tend to use short-cuts, heuristics, and may allow their attitudes to be changed by superficial cues.

I fall into this generalization. I tend (try) to be an optimistic person. When I’m happy, I don’t let much bring me down. As Wegener & Petty explained (1994), I do this because I am motivated to keep my happy feelings and savor the moment. I can be having a wonderful day, enjoying myself; if someone asks me to wash dishes with some persuasion, for two hour (as happened this past weekend) I’ll agree with no hesitation, because I’m cognitively distracted (Mackie & Worth, 1989). I won’t have time to think, “Hey, I’m not a huge fan of burnt pots and pans and my hands are going to dry out and chafe.” I was impaired by my happy thoughts to think of what I was being asked to do. As a result of this distraction, I willingly agree to wash dishes.



My positive emotions made me susceptible to easy persuasion. I washed dishes all evening last Friday. My positive emotions then lead me to continue washing dishes all weekend long because I willingly volunteered without anyone asking me to do it! I would run to the sink and when people would thank me for washing the dishes, I’d say, “no problem, I like washing dishes!” Positive emotions really diluted my ability to think critically and now I have super dry hands!

[I was primed to think of washing dishes and dry hands]

Isen, A.M. (1984). Toward understanding the role of affect incognition. In R.S. Wyer & T. K. Srull (Eds.) Handbook of social cognition (Vol. 3, pp. 179-236). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Mackie, D. M. & Worth L.T. (1989). Processing Deficits and the mediation of positive affect in persuasion Jouranal of Personality and Social Psychology; 57, 27-40.

Petty r. E., Schumann, D. W., Richman, S.A., & Strathman, A.J. (1993). Positive mood and persuasion: Different roles for affect under high and low elaboration conditions. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 64, 5-20.

Wegener, D.T., & Petty, R.E. (1994). Mood management across affective states: the hedonic contingency hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology; 66, 1034-1048.

Worth, L.T., & Mackie, D. M. (1987).. Cognitive mediation of positive affect in persuasion. Social Cognition, 5, 74-94.