The springs of action: Affective and analytical information processing in choice

Affective processes were predicted to play a critical role in choices among complex stimuli. As hypothesized self-report measures of individual differ ences in affective information processing were associated with choices in a task designed by Bechara, Damasio, Damasio, and Anderson (1994) to mimic t he gains, losses, and uncertainties of real life decisions. The results wer e stronger when the processing of losses was considered separately from the processing of gains. Greater negative affectivity was associated with more avoidance of high-loss options; greater positive affectivity was associate d with more choices from high-gain options. Both measures of affectivity ad ded unique explanatory power to the prediction of choices among the decks o ver and above conscious knowledge about the decks. Affect appears to play a n important role in guiding decisions and judgments.