Emotional See-Saw Effect

When walking back to your car, you notice a ticket on the mirror. Feeling alarmed, you run up to the car and realize it is just an advertisement and feel immediate relief. You have your hand on your chest, and an intern approaches you to ask for money donations for a non-profit organization. Because your mind is rapidly switching from fear to relief, there is a higher chance of responding impulsively without carefully evaluating what someone is requesting. 

Psychologists call this phenomenon the Emotional See-Saw Effect. This effect occurs when there is a sudden shift in one strong emotion to an opposite or calmer emotion, temporarily disrupting one’s mind and ability to think clearly. This effect was coined by psychologists Dariusz Doliński and Richard Nawrat in 1998. They designed an experiment that tested how a sudden shift of emotions affected human behavior, catching ordinary people off-guard in scenarios they came up with to see if the disruption would increase compliance with a separate request. 

It is important to understand the Emotional See-Saw Effect because it can help us recognize the moments when our judgement may be vulnerable to being more easily influenced or swayed. After sudden shifts of emotion, we may be more likely to agree to a purchase, follow a suggestion, or overlook crucial details. If we pause before responding, we can improve how we respond based on what we actually want, rather than the emotional moment.