Individual differences in cognition of affective information: Affective traits and style of interpreting affective content of ambiguous figures

The present study examined the association between personality characteristics and cognitive tendency, analyzing the variables of individuals' affective traits, affective states, and style of interpreting affective information in 169 university students. The affective traits were measured on 5 discrete affects (joy, interest, sadness, anger, and fear). The affective states were assessed just before the experiment on interpretation of ambiguous human figures. Then, the participants rated the affective condition of the figures. Results indicated that the students interpreted the figures' affective condition according to their own affective traits. They were more likely to project onto the figures what they themselves often felt. In regard to specific affects (sadness and anger, fear and sadness, fear and anger), the traits and the styles of interpreting affective information were related respectively. These associations could he found after removing the effect of the individuals' affective states. These results imply that specific affective traits may influence individuals' cognition styles in affective information, independent of affective states.