The role of positive and negative affect in cost/benefit perception: An evolutionary-psychological interpretation of prospect theory.

Abstract

This paper provides empirical support for a three dimensional model of human affect. Three lines of evidence: (1) a critical literature review, (2) two psychometric studies, and (3) two experiments are reported that converge on the finding that positive, negative, and neutral feeling states emerge as three independent dimensions of the self-report affect circumplex. Initial support is then provided--in the form of two experiments--for an evolutionary psychological model of prospect-based affect systems which views the three affect dimensions as mental representations of fitness contingencies. This model is presented as an integration of Tooby and Cosmides (1990) evolutionary-psychological model of emotion and Kahneman and Tversky's (1979) Prospect Theory. Two hypotheses generated from this evolutionary psychological model of prospect-based affect systems are supported. As predicted, positive affect changed mainly as a function of perceived gains (but not losses); whereas, negative affect changed mainly as a function of perceived losses (but not gains). Moreover, the prediction that negative affect would change at a faster rate (as a function of losses) than would positive affect (as a function of gains) was supported. Limitations of the current findings as well as future directions for research concerning neutral feeling states are offered.