DescriptionTwo positive emotions – hope and joy – were examined with regard to whether they affect performance on creative thinking and critical thinking tasks. Previous theory and research on hope and joy, as well as on positive affect, suggested that joy would cause a greater increase in creative thinking and hope would cause a greater increase in critical thinking. These differences were empirically tested by manipulating the emotional state of participants and measuring performance on creative and critical thinking measures. We measured creative fluency with the Alternate Uses Task, creative choice with a “Top 2” selection of alternate uses, critical editing by comparing the “Top 2” to best uses, and critical reading with an SAT-style “passage-based reading”(PBR). Creative fluency was improved by joy when the PBR was administered first, suggesting that emotional state plays a role in creativity but is moderated by additional factors. Participants’ selection of Top 2 responses were not found to be significantly influenced by emotional state, but further research is suggested to improve the validity of this measure. Critical reading was not influenced by emotion. These results build on the existing knowledge of hope and joy and cognitive performance – including some support of a functionalist view of positive emotions.