Demystifying the Role of Goal-Related Processes in Explaining the Effects of Emotion on Information-Seeking Decisions

Article Article scientifique Article Demystifying the Role of Goal-Related Processes in Explaining the Effects of Emotion on Information-Seeking Decisions eng 2026-02-17 author Stussi Yoann 0000-0002-8601-6737 700303 Section de psychologie (PSICO) author Gaudre Martin 0009-0009-2097-7023 837367 Services communs du CISA (EMCO) author Sander David 0000-0003-1266-9361 558712 Section de psychologie (PSICO) 76-79 17540739261422938 10.1177/17540739261422938 1754-0739 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/17540739261422938 <p>Adopting componential and appraisal approaches to emotion, this commentary highlights how Moors' goal-directed theory allows a deep analysis of the role of emotion in information-seeking decisions. We illustrate how (i) the opportunity to gain information can signal discrepancies with multiple goals, which are reduced by seeking or avoiding information, (ii) goalrelated appraisals and goal satisfaction may partly account for the rewarding properties of information, (iii) practical rationality can explain seemingly irrational information-seeking behaviors, and (iv) biased goal priorization and appraisal biases could lead to maladaptive information-seeking. We suggest that appraisal and goal-directed theories may complement current theoretical frameworks of information-seeking by providing a mechanistic approach to understanding how the evaluation and selection of goals, behavioral strategies, and actions influence information-seeking.</p> Emotion Goals Information-seeking Expected utility Dewey 128.37 Dewey 150 Swiss National Science Foundation Behavioral, psychophysiological, and computational signatures of affective influences on information value learning 10005828 ISLE CH Swiss National Science Foundation Emotion in Education Network 229182 CH 108 Section de psychologie 71 15 Centre interfacultaire en sciences affectives 0D8 false 1241 Affective sciences 593 Emergence et expression de l'émotion (E3 Lab) Emotion review 18 2 b1370dc6-ab3b-4ff3-b6fe-278afb160ce4 Article (Accepted version) Public 20260115_stussi-gaudre-sander_moors.pdf 206917 application/pdf CC BY-4.0 4e3a0cd54ab82950d8c16c85d552ca150e984dda993df28bedaaf078dd5d0394 04b341b8-228e-4367-836f-155e1a639c00 Article (Published version) Restricted stussi_2026_emorev.pdf 391383 application/pdf 48d8a4116c2b30ace4f0808bda65ed35ed58a534a2c27cbe6d3d5f1036de3edb openAccess Faculté de psychologie et des sciences de l'éducation / Section de psychologie Centres et instituts / Centre interfacultaire en sciences affectives

Title	Published in	Year	Views	Downloads

Demystifying the Role of Goal-Related Processes in Explaining the Effects of Emotion on Information-Seeking Decisions	Emotion review	2026	38	98
Pavlovian aversive conditioning to positive emotional stimuli: An fMRI study		2025	69	0

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