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The Effects of Helping and Focus of Attention on Mood States

University of Wisconsin-Parkside

Karen U. Millar

Alverno College

Abraham Tesser

University of Georgia

In this study helping behavior was predicted to have either a positive or negative impact on mood, depending on how it affects the helper's focus of attention. When a helping act focuses attention away from the conditions producing the initial mood, the initial mood is weakened. Alternatively, when a helping act focuses attention on the conditions producing the initial mood, the initial mood is either maintained or strengthened. To test this hypothesis, positive and negative moods in connection with either self or other focus were created: Participants focused their attention on positive or negative statements about themselves or about friends. Participants then performed a task that either helped themselves (focused attention on themselves) or helped others (focused attention on others). The predicted three-way interaction was obtained. Helping another decreased the strength of self-focused moods and increased the strength of other-focused moods. Alternatively, helping oneself increased the strength of self-focused moods and decreased the strength of other-focused moods.

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