| Feedback is becoming increasingly recognized as a crucial aspect of the psychotherapy process. The present study employed both an information processing theoretical framework and methodology to examine the comprehension, or cognitive processing, of personally relevant feedback. Specifically, it was proposed that comprehension can be understood as a function of the "depth" to which the feedback is processed, where depth refers to the degree of cognitive analysis that the feedback receives. It was suggested that although there are a variety of cognitive processing levels, in order for feedback to be understood and integrated, it must be processed to relatively deep levels.;Results indicated that the negative mood manipulation increased the deep processing of unfavorable feedback on both of the information processing measures. The positive mood manipulation did not have a similar effect. It was suggested that this result was obtained because the negative mood manipulation both motivated subjects to attend to the feedback and primed their cognitive networks to be receptive to this unfavorable information.;In addition, a three-way interaction between sex, mood, and feedback favorability was obtained on both the acceptance and accuracy rating measures. These results were apparently due to the males being more responsive to the mood manipulation than the females.;Results were discussed in terms of the combination of effort and priming that appear to be necessary for deep processing. Also discussed was the relationship between feedback acceptance measures and sex differences. Suggestions for future research were provided.;In order to examine the influence of mood and feedback favorability on depth of processing, two dependent variables that are frequently used in information processing research were employed. These measures consisted of feedback recall and reaction times to a secondary task during feedback processing. Forty-eight males and 48 females received either a positive, negative, or no mood manipulation and were then presented with either favorable or unfavorable feedback that they believed pertained to them. Additionally, subjects rated their acceptance of the feedback and how accurate they thought it was. |
