The Effect of Ambient Sadness on Hedonic Choice

Purpose – This study examines the strength of sadness and the belief it will last, as regards the effects of the degree of self-extension to the sad-evoking event on choice behavior related to self-control dilemmas. Research Design, Data, and Methodology – In an experiment involving high and low self-extension groups, 261 undergraduates answered self-administered questionnaires. The hypotheses were tested using AMOS 19.0 and path analysis. Results – The positive relationship between the degree of self-extension to the sad-evoking event and hedonic vs. utilitarian food choices was mediated by the belief that the sadness will last. There is a significant indirect path from the degree of self-extension (to the sad-evoking event) to the strength of the sadness, and to the belief that it will last with respect to hedonic vs. utilitarian food choices. Conclusions – These results show that beliefs about sad emotion transience depend on both the degree of self-extension to the sad-evoking event and the strength of sadness, and that the belief that sad emotions are transient makes sad people susceptible to temptation when facing self-control related dilemmas.