Miserable but Validated: The Role of Belonging and Mood in Media Preference
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Prior research has shown both a preference for belief-congruent information and affectively positive information. In the present research, we assessed how these preferences may conflict when belief-congruent media is also necessarily negative. Recent theories suggest the desire for validating information is tied to hedonic belonging needs and should impart a stronger influence on information searching than mood maintenance. Across 3 studies ( N = 1038) we demonstrated that people consistently prefer validating information, even when the information is negative in valence. In Study 1 and 2 participants demonstrated the preference for validating information despite anticipating their own selection would decrease their mood. This tendency was stronger for people with more extreme beliefs. In Study 3 we found that acute ostracism in a Cyberball paradigm increased bias toward validating news above and beyond inclusion and negative mood induction. Findings suggest a unique role of social rejection in guiding information seeking behaviour beyond eliciting negative emotions.
Source: Belonging.
Authors: James G. Hillman, Devin I. Fowlie, Tara K. MacDonald
Institutions: Queen's University, Queens University
Language: English
Subfield: Social Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Estimated APC paid: $3,400
OpenAlex ID: W7171789255