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Positive Mood and the Perception of Variability Within and Between Groups

Barnard College, Columbia University, ss233{at}columbia.edu

Diane M. Mackie

University of California, Santa Barbara

Venezia Michalsen

CUNY, The Graduate Center

Three experiments investigated the effects of positive mood on perceptions of variability within and between groups. Participants formed impressions of two different and highly variable groups under a neutral or positive mood. When participants expected to learn about both groups, positive mood increased perceived intergroup similarity but did not affect perceived intragroup variability. In contrast, when participants expected to learn about only one group, judgments of intergroup and intragroup similarity were both affected by mood. Mood and the intergroup context influenced the nature and degree of information processing and resultant judgments of variability in social groups.

Key Words: group differentiation • homogeneity • mood • variability

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