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Affective incoherence: when affective concepts and embodied reactions clash.


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Type

Article

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Authors

Centerbar, David B 
Clore, Gerald L 
Garvin, Erika D 

Abstract

In five studies, the authors examined the effects on cognitive performance of coherence and incoherence between conceptual and experiential sources of affective information. The studies crossed the priming of happy and sad concepts with affective experiences. In different experiments, these included approach or avoidance actions, happy or sad feelings, and happy or sad expressive behaviors. In all studies, coherence between affective concepts and affective experiences led to better recall of a story than did affective incoherence. The authors suggest that the experience of such experiential affective cues serves as evidence of the appropriateness of affective concepts that come to mind. The results suggest that affective coherence has epistemic benefits and that incoherence is costly in terms of cognitive performance.

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Keywords

Affect, Attention, Comprehension, Concept Formation, Conflict, Psychological, Cues, Culture, Female, Humans, Male, Memory, Short-Term, Mental Recall, Motivation, Reading, Retention, Psychology

Journal Title

J Pers Soc Psychol

Conference Name

Journal ISSN

0022-3514
1939-1315

Volume Title

Publisher

American Psychological Association (APA)