ABSTRACT
This chapter is concerned with the examination of the influence of transient affective states upon the processing of information, which results in a change in an attitude held by the recipient of the information. Processing goals are known to play a significant part in the acquisition and retrieval of social information. If the general instructions designed to motivate information processing emphasize creative and noncritical reactions, then such mood-congruent processing goals may result in outcomes very different from mood-incongruent processing goals. The induction of positive mood has been shown to have both cognitive (reducing capacity for information processing) and motivational (reducing inducement to process) influences. Mackie and Worth consider the influence that positive mood may have upon the processing of information in different modes.
