The influence of feedback on mood: Linear effects on pleasantness and curvilinear effects on arousal

Avraham N. Kluger*, Shai Lewinsohn, John R. Aiello

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

71 Scopus citations

Abstract

We investigated the effects of feedback (grades) on two primary mood dimensions - Pleasantness and Arousal. We hypothesized that (a) cognitive comparisons of feedback to multiple standards yield cognitive appraisals of feedback sign, and that (b) feedback sign has a linear effect on harm/benefit appraisal, which influences mood Pleasantness, and a curvilinear effect on need for action appraisal, which influences Arousal. In Study 1 (N = 281), grades (a proxy for the sign of feedback-norm discrepancy) had a linear relationship with Pleasantness and a U-shaped relationship with Arousal. In addition, subjects who received grades had higher Arousal than control subjects. Study 2 (N = 226) replicated the results of Study 1 and showed that after controlling for the relationship of grades with Pleasantness and Arousal, the sign of feedback-expectation discrepancy (a second standard) also had a linear relationship with Pleasantness and a U-shaped relationship with Arousal.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)276-299
Number of pages24
JournalOrganizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes
Volume60
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 1994
Externally publishedYes

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