TY - JOUR
T1 - The emotional impact of chosen and imposed thoughts
AU - Wenzlaff, Richard M.
AU - Lepage, James P.
PY - 2000/12
Y1 - 2000/12
N2 - Two studies tested the idea that perceptions of choice can alter the self-relevance and emotional impact of thoughts. Participants who were initially in either a positive or negative mood engaged in a thought exercise that involved either positive or negative thinking. Half of the participants received information stressing the optional nature of the task, thereby fostering a sense of choice and personal determination. The results indicate that under high-choice, mood-incongruent thinking was especially self-relevant, memorable, and produced the most mood change. The findings raise new considerations for self-perception and cognitive dissonance theories and offer insights into the relationship between cognition and emotion.
AB - Two studies tested the idea that perceptions of choice can alter the self-relevance and emotional impact of thoughts. Participants who were initially in either a positive or negative mood engaged in a thought exercise that involved either positive or negative thinking. Half of the participants received information stressing the optional nature of the task, thereby fostering a sense of choice and personal determination. The results indicate that under high-choice, mood-incongruent thinking was especially self-relevant, memorable, and produced the most mood change. The findings raise new considerations for self-perception and cognitive dissonance theories and offer insights into the relationship between cognition and emotion.
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U2 - 10.1177/01461672002612005
DO - 10.1177/01461672002612005
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0034346313
SN - 0146-1672
VL - 26
SP - 1502
EP - 1514
JO - Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
JF - Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin
IS - 12
ER -