The effect of mood on integration of information in a multi-attribute decision task

Abstract

The exact effect of different moods on choosing strategies in multi-attribute decision tasks is yet unknown since previous work has found apparently contradicting results. Furthermore, different theoretical accounts lead to opposite expectations. While the “mood-as-information” theory states that a positive mood leads to heuristic processing of information and application of non-compensatory strategies, the “broaden-and-build” theory expects more non-compensatory decision-making in a negative mood. To test the predictions of those two theories, we conducted two experimental studies, in which both the mood and the type of information search were manipulated. The results rather support “mood-as-information” theory, so participants in the positive mood made non-compensatory choices more often than participants in the negative mood. The effect was only present in the open information board, where the information was presented simultaneously, but not in the closed Mouselab, where the information had to be searched in a sequential manner.