Dealing with feelings: positive and negative discrete emotions as mediators of news framing effects

http://citation.allacademic.com/meta/p552756_index.htmlThe underlying psychological processes that enable framing effects are often described as cognitive. Yet, a large body of research suggests that decision-making and opinion formation are also guided by emotionality. As a result, a number of studies have investigated emotional responses to framed messages. However, to date, the role of specific emotions in mediating the framing process has not been fully determined empirically. This study tests four key emotions as mediators of framing effects on opinion (anger, fear, enthusiasm, and contentment). In an experimental survey design (n = 161), we contrast the effects of these emotions as mediators. We show that only some emotions (anger and enthusiasm) mediate a framing effect, whereas others (contentment and fear) do not.