NEGATIVE EMOTION AND SUPERFICIAL SOCIAL PROCESSING

Two studies examined whether negative emotional arousal increases the tendency to process social information less carefully. In both studies, subjects were dental patients waiting to receive a filling from a student dentist. In Study 1, 48 subjects responded to illusory correlation materials adopted from Hamilton & Rose (1980). As expected, those above the median on self-reported anxiety were more likely than low-anxious subjects to exhibit illusory correlation effects. In Study 2, fear level was manipulated. Thirty-four dental patients were instructed to evaluate critically a persuasive message after receiving either graphic descriptions of their upcoming procedure or filler information. As expected, the message evaluations made by high-fear subjects were more influenced by superficial cues (audience applause) and less influenced by central cues (message content) than the message evaluations made by subjects reporting at least moderate to high initial anxiety about dental treatment at the outset of the study. Theoretical and social implications are discussed.