Purpose The purpose of this review is to systematically address which emotions, how they affect motivation and what strategies regulate information behavior in problem-solving contexts. Design/methodology/approach A systematic review of Scopus and Web of Science databases was conducted. A total of 21 peer-reviewed empirical studies published from January 1999 to May 2025 were identified. The findings were analyzed thematically, using the Situational Theory of Problem Solving (STOPS) model as a framework for analysis. Findings The findings provide a comprehensive synthesis of these three aspects. First, a range of positive and negative emotions was identified. Second, the review details the mechanism, showing that emotions modulate the STOPS cognitions: positive emotions typically enhance problem recognition (PR) and involvement recognition (IR), while negative emotions tend to heighten constraint recognition (CR). These cognitive shifts were, in turn, found to shape situational motivation and subsequent information behavior. Finally, the review synthesizes key emotion regulation strategies that mediate this model. Originality/value By systematically integrating the literature on emotion with the STOPS framework, this review offers a novel Emotion-STOPS model. It provides a structured answer to how emotions shape the key perceptual variables (PR, CR and IR) that drive motivation and information behavior.
Wu et al. (Sat,) studied this question.