Psychological Distancing: Why Happiness Helps You See the Big Picture

We propose that a positive mood, by signaling that a situation is benign, might allow people to step back and take in the big picture. As a consequence, a positive mood might increase abstract construal and the adoption of abstract, future goals. In contrast, a negative mood, by signaling not only d...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of consumer research 2009-02, Vol.35 (5), p.800-809
Main Authors: Labroo, Aparna A., Patrick, Vanessa M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Abstracting
Bullets
Consumer behavior
Demography
Emotions
Experiments
Friendship
Happiness
Heuristics
Mind
Psychology
Questionnaires
Undergraduate students
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Summary:We propose that a positive mood, by signaling that a situation is benign, might allow people to step back and take in the big picture. As a consequence, a positive mood might increase abstract construal and the adoption of abstract, future goals. In contrast, a negative mood, by signaling not only danger but also its imminence, might focus attention on immediate and proximal concerns and reduce the adoption of abstract, future goals.
ISSN:0093-5301
1537-5277
DOI:10.1086/593683