Evaluation of environmental problems: A coherence model of cognition and emotion

This article presents a computational framework for understanding how media information about environmental problems influences cognition, emotion, an d behaviour. The theoretical assumptions are formally specified and impleme nted in the computer model ITERA (Intuitive Thinking in Environmental Risk Appraisal) using a constraint satisfaction network. The model makes predictions about the cognitive evaluation of environmental problems, about the development of distinct emotions (anger and sadness), and about the resulting action tendencies. In addition, the model describes how cognitions and emotions interact in making judgements entailing cohere nce biases. In three experiments (N = 258), we presented manipulated media reports about environmental damages. The effects of three variables (knowle dge about the riskiness of an action; higher goal of the actor; voluntarine ss of the actor) were compared with the model's predictions. The empirical data confirmed the predicted coherence effects for the cognitive appraisal. Likewise, the model's predictions for anger corresponded well with the emp irical results. Assumptions concerning sadness, however, were only partiall y confirmed.