The Influence of Negative Emotion as Affective State on Conceptual Models Comprehension

Comprehension of procedural models presents an essential skill for IS professionals. Although the literature on factors that influence model comprehension is extensive, it is surprising that so far, empirical research about the impact that affective states on model understanding is mainly missing. The purpose of this study is to determine if an affective state of model viewers can have an impact on the understanding of conceptual models. To this end, we develop hypotheses on the effects of emotions, based on Attentional Control Theory and Affective Events Theory. In order to test our hypotheses, we plan to carry out a controlled experiment.