Instrumentalising emotions - How dynamics between situations and emotions shape decision-making

Summary

Emotions motivate many choices, like what people buy and eat. Emotions are often seen as impulsive or irrational. This thesis, however, shows that emotions can help people make thoughtful long-term decisions, depending on the situation. Across multiple studies, emotions and situations show to be tightly linked: how people feel shapes how they see and choose situations, and these situations in turn influence how emotions guide decisions. Emotions trigger competing goals, and the situation determines which goal people prioritize. For example, pride motivates indulgence in a bar, but perseverance in an office. Importantly, when people can choose their situation, they make goal-directed choices, like visiting a gift shop to repair guilt. But when forced into a situation, emotions motivate indulgence. These findings challenge existing research and highlight the instrumentality of emotions in real life, especially when people can freely choose environments that support what truly matters.