Affect, another well-studied psychological phe-
nomenon, ‘‘shapes the visceral reactions individuals
have to many objects and acts’’ (Braman & Kahan,
2009, p. 98). Affect is important because every
thing, person, and idea is subject to affective pref-
erence formation. Affective preferences are formed
before substantive cognition occurs, and are not
easily altered once they come into being (Zajonc,
1980). Affect leads to both positive and negative
emotional responses to stimuli. For example, if an
organization is primarily composed of egalitarians,
it may have an excessively horizontal management
structure because recommendations for greater
role hierarchy are precluded by the negative emo-
tive responses such suggestions elicit.