Fear, Anger, and Risk Preference Reversals: An Experimental Study on a Chinese Sample

Frontiers in Psychology

Shengxiang She¹ 

关键词: fear;    anger;    risk preference reversals;    framing effect;    emotion;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01371

学科分类：心理学（综合）

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

Fear and anger are basic emotions of the same valence which differ in terms of their certainty and control dimensions according to the Appraisal Tendency Framework, a theory addressing the relationship between specific emotions, and judgments and choices. Past research based on the Appraisal Theory revealed contradictory results for risky choice decision-making. However, these conclusions were drawn from Western samples (e.g., North American). Considering potential cultural differences, the present study aims to investigate whether the Appraisal Tendency hypothesis yields the same results in a Chinese sample. Our first study explores how dispositional fear and anger influence risk preferences through a classic virtual “Asia Disease Problem” task and the second study investigates how induced fear and anger influence risk preferences through an incentive-compatible task. Consistent with previous research, our results reveal that induced fear and anger have differential effects on risky decisions: angry participants prefer the risk-seeking option, whereas fearful participants prefer a risk-averse option. However, we find no associations between dispositional fear (or anger) and risky decisions.

【 授权许可】

CC BY