Now that I Think about It, I’m in the Mood for Laughs: Decisions Focused on Mood

Four studies examined the impact that thinking about mood can have on people’s choices. In Study 1, participants who were asked to suppose they were in good, bad, or neutral moods were more likely to choose a silly comedic movie over an otherwise more attractive drama, compared to others who had not thought about mood. Similar patterns were observed when people introspected about how they felt before making a hypothetical choice (Study 2) or an actual choice (Study 3). In Study 4, participants who pursued mood-relevant information chose to see a comedic play more often than those who had not focused on such information. Thinking about their own mood appears to increase decision makers’ concern with the hedonic consequences of decisions, thereby promoting mood regulatory activities and altering preference, possibly in favor of suboptimal outcomes. Copyright # 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. key words decision making; choice; mood; affective beliefs; salience; preference