Able but not motivated? The relative effects of happy and sad mood on persuasive message processing

The effects of happy and sad moods on systematic processing are examined in the present study. Research has indicated that positive mood leads to less systematic processing, and negative mood heightens systematic processing. Debate has ensued as to whether persons in a positive mood lack the cognitive ability to process messages systematically (e.g., Worth & Mackie, 1987), or lack the motivation to process systematically (e.g., Bohner et al., 1992). In the present study, it was posited that, consistent with Cialdini's Negative State Relief Model (1973), persons in a positive mood lack the motivation to process, but do not lack the cognitive ability to do so. An experiment was designed to test this motivational hypothesis by varying outcome involvement, message strength, and mood. Contrary to the cognitive inability hypothesis, results indicated that persons in a positive mood do have the cognitive capacity to process systematically, but that message strength is the major predictor of attitude.