Browsing by Subject "Mood"
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Item A computational modeling approach to understanding the psychological and neural mechanisms underlying directional reasoning about ambiguous events(2016-05) Flagan, Taru Maria; Beer, Jennifer S., 1974-; Eastwick, Paul W; Gosling, Samuel D; Schnyer, David MPeople often view the ambiguities of their social world through a subjective, rather than objective lens. For example, people may construe ambiguous social events in ways that are consistent with their current moods or with the goals they wish to achieve (e.g., Blanchette & Richards, 2010; Pauker, Rule, & Ambady, 2010). Although both mood and motivation direct reasoning about ambiguity, little is known about whether similar mechanisms account for the effects of mood or motivation. Furthermore, similar neural profiles have been associated with mood-congruent ambiguity resolution and motivated reasoning (e.g., Bhanji & Beer, 2012; Hughes & Beer, 2013), but the extent to which these regions support the same underlying processes has not been explored. A deep understanding of the underlying mechanisms has been difficult to assess because previous research has utilized self-report and reaction time measures to explore the effects of mood and motivation on ambiguity (e.g., Butler & Mathews, 1983; Ditto et al., 1998). People have little introspective access to the cognitive processes that lead to their decisions (Nisbett & Wilson, 1977), and reaction time analyses cannot disentangle underlying mechanisms. Therefore a deeper understanding requires alternative approaches. Drift-diffusion modeling (DDM) makes it possible to independently estimate parameters related to two mechanisms theorized to be involved ambiguity construal: expectations and preferential evidence accumulation. This dissertation describes five studies that utilize DDM to examine two overarching research questions: (I) What role do expectations and preferential evidence accumulation play in the influence of mood and motivation on the construal of ambiguity (Studies 1a, 1b, 3, 4) and (II) Are these processes supported by neural regions known to be involved in the effects of mood and motivation on the construal of ambiguity (Studies 2, 4)? The findings support a predicted role for expectations in mood-congruent and motivated construals of ambiguity. In addition, VMPFC supported motivated expectations that contribute to ambiguity construal. The role of preferential evidence accumulation, on the other hand, was less robust. Findings contribute to our understanding of mood-congruent and motivated reasoning about ambiguity and suggest fruitful approaches for future work exploring directed reasoning about ambiguous events.Item Development and validation of a new instrument for the measurement of transient mood states: the facial analogue mood scale (FAMS)(Texas Tech University, 1996-08) Killgore, William D.This investigation concems the measurement of a specific type of feeling state. The domain of interest is limited to hedonically valenced (i.e., pleasant to unpleasant) feeling states that are of low intensity, generally out of focal attention, and relatively diffuse in nature. These feeling states are typically pervasive in that they are likely to have subtle effects on cognitive, attentional, and motivational processes. In addition, the feeling states of interest are longer lasting than typical emotional episodes, although they are expected to evidence fluctuations in response to affectively relevant environmental events. Thus, the proposed domain of interest is best classified under the heading of mood.Item Emotion Perception in Borderline Personality Disorder: The Role of Mood and Personality(2013-04-25) Meyer, Justin KennethBorderline personality disorder (BPD) is one of the most studied psychological disorders in psychology, and it is also one of the most detrimental to the individual. Research on BPD has consistently found that those with the disorder often experience volatile interpersonal interactions, and several areas of research have been dedicated to the understanding of the mechanisms behind these interpersonal struggles. One of the most common theories is that emotion dysregulation and affective instability, two core traits of BPD, may impact these interpersonal interactions in a negative manner. Several researchers have attempted to identify how those with BPD perceive the emotional states of others, but have obtained mixed results. The purpose of the current study was to examine emotion perception in those with borderline personality features using a paradigm which has not been used in any of the existing literature, as well as to explore the differences between the effects of mood state and personality traits on emotion perception, as those with BPD experience high levels of negative mood. A modified version of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Task was utilized in combination with a mood induction method and a measure of borderline personality to determine the roles of both affective state and personality traits in emotion perception. Results indicated that although mood was unable to be effectively manipulated in the current sample, several findings emerged which offer support to various theories of the potential mechanisms behind emotion perception in BPD, including evidence for impulsivity as a potential influencing factor in accurate emotion perception. In addition, the current study highlights key areas of future research which may provide a greater understanding of how both affect and personality traits influence the interpersonal experiences of those with BPD. An examination of the results, potential mechanisms behind study findings, and future directions are discussed.Item Visual communication of mood through an establishing shot(Texas A&M University, 2006-04-12) Thirunarayanan, RadhikaVisual storytelling has come a long way since primitive man began creating colorful, narrative cave paintings. In this new age of technology, motion pictures have become a prevalent medium for visual storytelling throughout the developed world. Filmmakers have the added advantage of being able to create more and more fantastic settings and stories with the introduction of computer generation images (CGI). They also gain a fine degree of control over the visual elements of the final product. The ultimate goal, though, has always been the same: to create a visual story with a distinct mood that will captivate the viewing audience. In film, the first shot of a scene, known as the establishing shot, is used not only to set the time and place of the story, but also introduce the mood. This thesis involves the study of establishing shots from five contemporary films to determine how to manipulate specific visual elements that promote mood, specifically a dark and ominous mood. Through this study, an original computer generated establishing shot will be created that successfully communicates a similar dark mood. The visual analysis used to achieve this goal can be adapted to various other genres of film and can serve as a guide for future artists to create comparable work.Item Whistle while you work : the role of mindset and mood on goal motivation(2016-05) Han, Eunjoo; Gershoff, Andrew David, 1966-; Broniarczyk, Susan; Irwin, Julie; Raghunathan, Raj; Henderson, MarloneMy dissertation investigates the interactive effects of mindset and mood on motivation in consumers’ goal striving. In seven studies, I find that for those in a process mindset, positive (vs. neutral) mood decreases motivation. Conversely, being in a positive (vs. neutral) mood leads to increased motivation for those in an outcome mindset. The reason for this is rooted in the mood-creativity link, which leads individuals to generate more activities, or means, by which a goal may be achieved when in a positive mood. For those in a process mindset, a large set of goal attainment activities decreases motivation because detailed implemental steps and processes alert people to the challenge in resource allocation. However, I find that outcome-oriented individuals view their goal attainment activities as opportunities or resources that will aid in goal achievement. As outcome-oriented individuals are less concerned about resource constraint, motivation increases in an outcome mindset even when a large number of activities are considered as means to attaining a goal.