▁ 2 0 0 1 ). " ▁ ▁Psych olog ists ▁Pet ty ▁& ▁Ca cio ppo ▁found ▁that ▁there ▁are ▁two ▁ways ▁of ▁processing ▁persu as ive ▁messages : ▁( 1 ) ▁to ▁focus ▁on ▁the ▁content ▁and ▁quality ▁of ▁the ▁message ▁( central ▁processing ), ▁or ▁( 2 ) ▁to ▁focus ▁instead ▁on ▁external ▁c ues ▁( such ▁as ▁the ▁source ▁of ▁the ▁message ) ▁and ▁to ▁dis reg ard ▁its ▁content ▁( per i pher al ▁processing ). ▁" When ▁participants ▁use ▁the ▁central / system atic ▁route ▁of ▁respond ing ▁to ▁message ▁content , ▁they ▁tend ▁to ▁be ▁persu aded ▁more ▁by ▁strong ▁arguments , ▁and ▁less ▁by ▁weak ▁arguments . ▁However , ▁the ▁strength ▁of ▁the ▁argument ▁matters ▁less ▁when ▁the ▁peri pher al ▁route ▁is ▁chosen . ▁In ▁that ▁case , ▁other ▁" per i pher al " ▁factors , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁cred ibility ▁of ▁the ▁source ▁of ▁the ▁message ▁or ▁the ▁intention ▁of ▁the ▁communic ator ▁become ▁important ▁in ▁the ▁persu as ive ▁process ." ▁ ▁Pet ty ▁and ▁Ca cio ppo ▁suggest ▁that ▁negative ▁affect ▁should ▁lead ▁to ▁more ▁central ▁processing ▁and ▁positive ▁affect ▁to ▁more ▁peri pher al ▁processing . ▁That ▁is , ▁" In ▁happy ▁m ood s , ▁people ▁tend ▁to ▁be ▁persu aded ▁equally ▁by ▁strong ▁and ▁weak ▁arguments , ▁whereas ▁in ▁sad ▁m ood s , ▁people ▁are ▁persu aded ▁only ▁by ▁strong ▁arguments ▁and ▁reject ▁weak ▁arguments ." ▁Sa id ▁otherwise , ▁positive ▁m ood s ▁increase ▁the