The impact of positive mood and category importance on crossed categorization effects

Four studies examined the effect of positive versus neutral affect on prefe rence among potential discussion partners who were members of two in-groups , two out-groups, or both an in-group and an out-group (crossed targets). T he importance of targets' category memberships was manipulated by idiograph ically based selection. Positive affect elevated evaluation of crossed targ ets with a dominant (differentially important) in-group (Study 1). When cat egories were made equally important, positive affect had no impact (Studies 2 and 3). Study 4 presented crossed targets with both equally and differen tially important group memberships and showed that differential category im portance (dominance) is necessary for positive affect to influence judgment s about them. These results are explained by the broadened categorization i nduced by positive affect.