Incidental Affect and Message Processing: Revisiting the Competing Hypotheses

Abstract

Using six television public service announcements (PSAs) and with a 3 (message topic) × 4 (frame combination) × 2 (messages) mixed design (N = 270), this study explores the impact of incidental affect on message processing in a broader horizon that incorporates operationalization of depth of message processing and how incidental affect is conceptualized and induced. Results showed that (a) there was no significant main effect of incidental affect on message processing in support of the cognitive capacity or affect as information explanations, and (b) there were significant simple main effects of incidental affect on message processing, but such an effect was consistent with the affect as resource explanation, rather than the hedonic contingency model. Implications and direction for future studies were discussed.

Keywords:

• Affect
• Affect As Resource
• Cognitive Capacity
• Hedonic Contingency Model
• Message Processing

Notes

^a Coded as 1 = gain frame, −1 = loss frame.

^b Standard errors in parentheses.

***p < .001.

Note. Contrast Code 1 = −1 (gain, gain), 3 (gain, loss); −1 (loss, gain), and −1 (loss, loss). Contrast Code 2 = 3 (gain, gain), −1 (gain, loss), −1 (loss, gain), and −1 (loss, loss).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lijiang Shen

Lijiang Shen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Studies at The University of Georgia.