An experimental study of affect, cognitive load, and interpersonal functioning at work

This thesis contributes both empirically and theoretically to current research on affect, affect cognition and interpersonal functioning. An integrative analysis of Weiss and Cropanzano's (1996) Affective Events Theory, Forgas's (1995) Affect Infusion Model, and Ashkanasy, Ashton-James and Jordan's (2003) Process Model of Affective Responses suggests that workplace conditions influence individuals' affective states, affective information processing strategies, and ultimately the adaptive success with which they respond to interpersonal encounters. From these theoretical underpinnings it is argued that the depletion of cognitive processing resources that results from cognitive strain at work moderates the processes that mediate the relation between affect and interpersonal response strategies. Following a preliminary empirical analysis of theoretical assumptions and experimental techniques, a main experimental study was used to test the hypothesis that cognitive processing resources moderate the impact of affective states on interpersonal functioning. The results of these experiments suggest that level of cognitive strain does indeed moderate the influence of affect on interpersonal behaviour. These findings have considerable theoretical, research, and practical implications for understanding intra-individual (within-person) variation in the interpersonal functioning of organisational members.