Effect of positive mood on the children's impression-formation judgement

Abstract

The study was conducted to determine if positive mood enables children to form positive judgments rather than negative judgments. The study was based on a two—randomized group design. Experimental group was induced in a positive mood and the control group was manipulated with a neutral mood. Neutral mood was also induced to a group of participants to provide a control condition for aid in interpretation of the results. The researcher induced mood through film showing. This method appeared to be the most suitable mood—manipulation technique in the present circumstances. With children , In particular as subjects, videotaped films represent a most suitable and familiar medium for influencing mood. After mood manipulation was completed, the subjects were shown pictures of different persons. These persons served as stimulus characters. Each of the stimulus characters was rated on a IO—centimeter scale as being more closely related to one or the other pair of opposite traits. Thus, participants were asked to write a small vertical line on the 10—centimeter scale to indicate their rating. Results did not show enough evidence for the researcher to conclude that a significant difference in impression—formation judgment will come differentially from positive mood and neutral mood. Based on the findings, children with positive mood and neutral mood both have positive judgments rather than negative judgments. Therefore the researcher concludes that transient mood has no pronounced effect on impression—formation judgment on this study .