Media-induced affects and opinion formation: How related and unrelated affects influence political opinions

Abstract

Reason and emotion are often seen as two distinct mental faculties, with optimal decision-making assumed to require the protection of cognitive reasoning processes from the intrusion of irrational emotions. Accordingly, the media are expected to cover political issues without appealing to the emotions of the citizen, in order to support rational opinion formation. However, recent research indicates that the media often elicit affective responses in the recipients. This article focuses on the question of how such affective responses influence recipients’ political opinions. The effects of moods, arousal, and emotions in judgment processes are reviewed. Importantly, the article addresses the question as to whether affects, which are relevant for a judgment, have the same impact as affects, which are not relevant for a judgment.