Are we in danger of the greenhouse effect? The influence of the dynamics of emotions on acceptance of persuasive arguments

Two studies investigated connections between the emotional see - saw and the effectiveness of persuasion. In both experiments a sudden interruption of emotion influenced compliance towards attempts to direct opinions. Experiment 1 showed an interesting example of an opposing effect of the emotional see - saw. In the case when subjects were presented with convincing arguments that the greenhouse effect would have negative consequences on the environment, a sudden withdrawal of the source of emotion increased the certainty that pro - ecological actions should be undertaken. In the second condition, the subjects were expected to express their own opinions about climate warming. In this case the emotional see - saw reduced the above certainty. Experiment 2 proved that the emotional see - saw increased the acceptance of persuasive arguments only when they came from a high reliability source. peerReviewed publishedVersion