Abstract
Past research demonstrates that mood can influence level of perceptual processing (global vs. local). The present research shows that level of perceptual processing can influence mood as well. In four studies, we manipulated people’s level of perceptual processing using a Navon letter task (Study 1), landscape scenery (Study 2), and Google Maps Street View images (Studies 3 and 4). Results from these studies and a meta-analysis support the conclusion that global processing results in higher happiness than local processing. In conjunction with previous findings that mood affects level of cognitive processing, these results suggest that the link between level of processing and mood may be reciprocal and bidirectional.
Highlights
If you broaden your perspective, and look at the situation from a global perspective, you might see some basis for hope. – Dalai Lama.In The Art of Happiness in a Troubled World (Lama and Cutler, 2009), Dalai Lama discussed how happiness can be achieved by adopting a wider or global perspective, which he believes is extremely helpful for maintaining hope and coping with troubled situations
Fredrickson and Branigan (2005) demonstrated that, compared to participants in a neutral mood state, participants in a positive mood were more likely to broaden their scope of attention and matched figures based on their global configuration, whereas participants in a negative mood were more likely to narrow their scope of attention and matched figures based on their local elements
Follow up simple effects showed that local processing led to a decrease in participants’ happiness (Mpre = 5.53, SE = 0.27; Mpost = 5.18, SE = 0.28), F(1, 72) = 5.67, p = 0.020, 95% CI [-0.65, -0.06], but global processing did not change happiness (Mpre = 6.35, SE = 0.25; Mpost = 6.35, SE = 0.26), F(1, 72) = 0.00, p > 0.25
Summary
If you broaden your perspective, and look at the situation from a global perspective, you might see some basis for hope. – Dalai Lama.In The Art of Happiness in a Troubled World (Lama and Cutler, 2009), Dalai Lama discussed how happiness can be achieved by adopting a wider or global perspective, which he believes is extremely helpful for maintaining hope and coping with troubled situations. Research shows that positive moods are more likely to elicit a global level of processing, whereas negative moods are more likely to elicit a local level of processing (Bless et al, 1996; Clore et al, 2001; Gasper and Clore, 2002; Gasper, 2004; Fredrickson and Branigan, 2005). Fredrickson and Branigan (2005) demonstrated that, compared to participants in a neutral mood state, participants in a positive mood were more likely to broaden their scope of attention and matched figures based on their global configuration, whereas participants in a negative mood were more likely to narrow their scope of attention and matched figures based on their local elements Participants who wrote about a happy and positive life event were more likely to match the figures in the Kimchi–Palmer-task based on their global features (instead of local features) than participants who wrote about a sad and negative life event (Gasper and Clore, 2002). Fredrickson and Branigan (2005) demonstrated that, compared to participants in a neutral mood state, participants in a positive mood were more likely to broaden their scope of attention and matched figures based on their global configuration, whereas participants in a negative mood were more likely to narrow their scope of attention and matched figures based on their local elements
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