Appraisals cause experienced emotions: Experimental evidence

Abstract

Abstract Recent theories claim appraisals cause emotions. But supporting evidence has been correlational or simulational, leaving doubt about direction of causality and the generalisability of these findings to actual emotional experiences. This study manipulated appraisals of motivational state (relating an event to appetitive vs. aversive motivation) and outcome probability (certain vs. uncertain), and found evidence for some (though not all) hypothesised effects on actual experiences of joy, relief, and hope: Events consistent with pleasure‐maximising goals gave rise to joy; events consistent with pain‐minimising goals and certain to occur produced relief; and events consistent with pleasure‐maximising goals but uncertain led to hope. These findings provide experimental evidence that appraisals do cause experienced emotions.