Influence of affective states on comprehension and hazard perception of warning pictorials

• Affective state influenced hazard perception of warning signs but not comprehension.
• People in the positive affect condition perceived greater hazard from warning signs.
• International Affective Picture System (IAPS) was used for affect manipulation.
• Affective state declines over time and have tendency to neutral state.

The purpose of the present study was to examine the effect of positive and negative affective states on comprehension and hazard perception of warning pictorials. The International Affective Picture System (IAPS) was used to manipulate the affective states of sixty male undergraduate and graduate student participants. We used sixteen standard industrial warning pictorials, which were representative of a variety of industries, to assess changes in comprehension and hazard perception. Participants in the positive affect condition perceived greater hazards from the warning signs than those in the neutral affect condition or the negative affect condition. Post-hoc analyses confirmed this finding. We discuss implications for warning pictorials and future research.