Negative mood and optimism bias: An experimental investigation of sadness and belief updating.
Affect
Behavioral economics
Belief updating
Optimism bias
Sadness
Journal
Journal of behavior therapy and experimental psychiatry
ISSN: 1873-7943
Titre abrégé: J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry
Pays: Netherlands
ID NLM: 0245075
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
Mar 2024
Mar 2024
Historique:
received:
17
04
2023
revised:
18
08
2023
accepted:
02
09
2023
medline:
4
12
2023
pubmed:
16
9
2023
entrez:
15
9
2023
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Understanding how individuals integrate new information to form beliefs under changing emotional conditions is crucial to describing decision-making processes. Previous research suggests that although most people demonstrate bias toward optimistic appraisals of new information when updating beliefs, individuals with dysphoric psychiatric conditions (e.g., major depression) do not demonstrate this same bias. Despite these findings, limited research has investigated the relationship between affective states and belief updating processes. We induced neutral and sad moods in participants and had them complete a belief-updating paradigm by estimating the likelihood of negative future events happening to them, viewing the actual likelihood, and then re-estimating their perceived likelihood. We observed that individuals updated their beliefs more after receiving desirable information relative to undesirable information under neutral conditions. Further, we found that individuals did not demonstrate unrealistic optimism under negative affective conditions. This study incorporated a population of university students under laboratory conditions and would benefit from replication and extension in clinical populations and naturalistic settings. These findings suggest that momentary fluctuations in mood affect how individuals integrate information to form beliefs.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
OBJECTIVE
Understanding how individuals integrate new information to form beliefs under changing emotional conditions is crucial to describing decision-making processes. Previous research suggests that although most people demonstrate bias toward optimistic appraisals of new information when updating beliefs, individuals with dysphoric psychiatric conditions (e.g., major depression) do not demonstrate this same bias. Despite these findings, limited research has investigated the relationship between affective states and belief updating processes.
METHODS
METHODS
We induced neutral and sad moods in participants and had them complete a belief-updating paradigm by estimating the likelihood of negative future events happening to them, viewing the actual likelihood, and then re-estimating their perceived likelihood.
RESULTS
RESULTS
We observed that individuals updated their beliefs more after receiving desirable information relative to undesirable information under neutral conditions. Further, we found that individuals did not demonstrate unrealistic optimism under negative affective conditions.
LIMITATIONS
CONCLUSIONS
This study incorporated a population of university students under laboratory conditions and would benefit from replication and extension in clinical populations and naturalistic settings.
CONCLUSIONS
CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that momentary fluctuations in mood affect how individuals integrate information to form beliefs.
Identifiants
pubmed: 37714798
pii: S0005-7916(23)00077-0
doi: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2023.101910
pii:
doi:
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
101910Informations de copyright
Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts
Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflicting interests to declare.