The Influence of Affective States on Food Choice: Do Emotions of Corresponding Valence Have Corresponding Results? A Comparison Between Guilt and Sadness

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2018-10-09

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en

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Emotions of similar valence may have distinct influences on decision making processes. Results from one survey-experiment show that, in food choice context, sad individuals choose differently than guilt-experiencing individuals. Individuals experiencing sadness have strong bias towards unhealthy food choices, whereas no such effect was found in guilt-experiencing individuals. This paper argues that due to the difference in goals developed when experiencing distinct emotions, emotions of similar valence can have differing influences on food choice. While sadness evokes the development of hedonic activity that is designed to distract or provide instant pleasure, guilt evokes compensatory actions designed to equate an individual’s mental imbalance. This paper provides first steps towards conclusive evidence that while guilt-experiencing individuals make considerably healthy food choices, sad individuals do not.

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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen

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