Emotions

Kai Wang ~ Morgan Keys ~ Ying-Yu Chen ~ Jeremy Canfield

the obligatory outline slide:

the Theory: Valence and Appraisal

Application 1: smoke
Application 2: auctions
Application 3: politics here and there
Summing up:
Implications for Decision Making
Implications for Choice Architecture
Discussion Question for your Consideration

emotions: the valence view

emotions: the appraisal view (simplified)

Lerner & Keltner 2000

Happiness and Anger increase

confidence
Both Happiness and Anger trigger increased confidence,
feelings of power, and decreased sensitivity to risk.
(JMDM, 96)

Disgust and Sadness Warp Utility

Functions in Opposite Ways
Disgust: focuses attention on physical contamination, motivates us to purge
ourselves of contaminating agents. Triggers the desire to expel, making people
eager to get rid of things and avoid acquiring new things. Hence they will sell
things at lower prices, as well as bid lower on things.(JMDM, 96)

Sadness:

focus attention on self, leads to rumination, change seeking

behavior. Triggers goal to change one's circumstances, thereby increasing
willingness to pay, as well as price demanded to sell. (JMDM, 96)

Fear
Makes our minds sensitive
to risk and prepares our
bodies to flee.
Creates risk-averse
behavior. (JMDM, 96)
Anti-smoke: http://www.
youtube.com/watch?
v=Vkbvd9FvVwU

Application 2: Swoopo.com
Swoopo: http://www.swoopo.com/
Auction site where users pay not only for items but for every bid
they make. Bidding wars, can lead to users paying far more
than rational.
Is this a case of regret-avoidance?

[Silver Medalists]
(JMDM, 98)

Application 3.a: Glenn Beck & Keith

Olberman
Glenn Beck on progressives:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvMqHiiL1lI#t=1m03s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvMqHiiL1lI#t=2m47s
--Appealing to emotion of disgust.
Keith Olberman on conservatives:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IbWw23XwO5o#t=9m05s

Application 3.b: Taiwanese Politician's

speech use of emotion
The terms that politician uses in the speech
Local "we" vs "they" on the mainland

Increasing emotional intensity by virtue of merely repeating

a phrase
former Taiwan president Chen Shui-Bian asked the crowd "Is A-bian
wrong?" for four times in the speech and the crowd responded to him
more and more enthusiastic by each time he asked.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIzVyA61VQA#t=0m55s

Choice Architecture:
Management: managers can make
employees devote more by using
emotions.
eg. William Wallace in "Brave Heart"

To Neutralize: Ask yourself "what am

I feeling right now?"
"To neutralize the negative impact of emotions
on our decisions, we must begin by identifying
the emotions and their sources. Identifying the
source of emotion allows people to react to the
causal stimulus with system 2 instead of system
1." (pg. 99 JMDM)

For Discussion - Repetition:

Enhance or Wear Out Emotional Response?
The repetition of politician's
question could raise the
emotion of the crowd even
higher.
Obama: Yes we can! Yes
we can!
Glen: it's morning in
America.

The African Children Charity

pictures are typical. People's
sympathy could be
desensitized after looking at
too many similar images or
hearing the refrain

Implications for Decision Making

Summary:

Emotions vary along two axes.

Emotions affect decision making--people and the

environment can affect emotions and thus your decisions.
e.g. Speakers can use disgust to induce a desire to
discard things, or use sadness to induce a desire to pay
more.