Benefits of Positive Emotions PDF

} Broad review by Lyubomirsky, King, and Diener (2005) ◦ Includes correlational (cross-sectional), longitudinal, and experimental studies on positive emotions. ◦ Positive emotions measured in various ways, including happiness, PANAS (more excited positive emotion, as in excited, enthusiastic, determ...

} Broad review by Lyubomirsky, King, and Diener (2005) ◦ Includes correlational (cross-sectional), longitudinal, and experimental studies on positive emotions. ◦ Positive emotions measured in various ways, including happiness, PANAS (more excited positive emotion, as in excited, enthusiastic, determined), mood, various well-being and satisfaction measures. ◦ Overall, findings indicate a broad range of benefits, including in personal relationships, employment, physical health. } } Longitudinal studies indicate that happiness precedes fulfilling and productive work, satisfying relationships, better mental and physical health. All this is self-report based. Positive mood induction leads to being more sociable (initiating conversation with stranger), judging various people (e.g., strangers), activities and belongings more positively. } } } The theory was proposed by Barbara Fredrickson around 2001. It builds on prior research largely conducted by Alice Isen, going back into the 1970s. Starting assumption is that all positive emotions can be considered equivalent. And that all negative emotions can be considered equivalent. As we will see later, this assumption can be severely criticized. } } } The focus is on the impact of immediate or acute positive emotions. Positive emotions are seen to be beneficial. Positive emotions broaden the information processing that people engage in, which can lead to a wider range of action tendencies. Because of this, positive emotions lead to more flexible and creative thinking and problem solving. } The long-term consequences is that the individual accumulates and builds a range of resources, which are psychological, physical, and social. ◦ Psychological resources include a wider range of knowledge, accumulated as a consequence of more expansive consideration of one's environment ◦ Physical resources include better cardiovascular reactivity, in terms of faster returns to baseline after stress. ◦ Social resources would include a more extensive social network from which one can receive support. } Attention: people pay attention to more information in their environment. If attention is a flashlight, the beam is wider with positive emotions. ◦ This is often beneficial, such as for better creativity. However, it can be a problem for some tasks. People seem to pay attention to distractors more, which can interfere with their performance when asked to identify a target. } Attention: People use a more global form of processing as opposed to local processing. ◦ Large T composed of five smaller L's ◦ Large L composed of five smaller T's ◦ Task is to find the T. } In contrast, negative emotions such as fear and anxiety narrow an individual's attentional focus. } } } Visual attention: people in a positive mood show longer fixation to peripheral aspects of images (Wadlinger & Isaacowitz, 2006). University students were presented a range of images from a standard set of emotionally evocative pictures. Positive mood was induced in the experimental group by a bag of candy (after the questionnaires and before the eye tracking). Participants wore an eye tracker. Induced positive mood led to more fixations on peripheral stimuli. Peripheral stimuli were what was on the margins of the photo as opposed to being more centrally located. – The researchers controlled for reported depression, optimism, anxiety, and trait affect (PANAS). } Cognition: ◦ more unusual associations to neutral words ◦ more inclusive categories: – Give items to sort and ask them to put them into categories (e.g., photos of different country scenes, city and urban scenes, with and without people, in different parts of the world, etc.). ◦ more novel problem-solving strategies ◦ better performance creativity tests: – Remote Associates test. Question - Falling Actor Dust – The candle creativity test } Positive mood leads participants to generate a large and varied list of behaviours in which they want to engage (Fredrickson and Branigan, 2005) relative to neutral mood. ◦ After viewing a mood induction film, participants listed all the things they would like to do right now. Meditation Increased positive emotions Increased mindfulness, purpose in life, social support, and fewer symptoms of illness Increased life satisfaction and less depression } High resilient individuals experience more positive emotions in stressful situations. These positive emotions... ◦ contribute to faster cardiovascular recovery from negative emotional arousal in an experimental stress task (Tugade & Fredrickson,2004). ◦ predict lower depression scores and a greater sense of having grown from a crisis (September 11, 2001 attacks on the US); see Fredrickson et al. (2003) } } } Much from work by Harmon-Jones and his colleagues since 2008: There has been a confound between the valence of emotion (whether it is positive or negative) and motivational intensity of the emotion. Positive emotions low in motivational intensity (e.g., contentment) have been compared to negative emotions high in motivational intensity (e.g., fear). The apparent broaden effect of positive emotions relative to negative emotions is actually due to the difference in motivational intensity. The considered positive emotions are low, and the considered negative emotions are high. } Positive emotions have been low in motivational intensity, as in: ◦ Emotion is induced by receiving a gift. ◦ Emotion is induced by watching a film that leads to an amusement or contentment. ◦ Emotion is induced by listening to mood inducing music. ◦ Emotion is induced by remembering a positive life event. } } The general tone is one of low motivational intensity. We are not dealing with emotions such as desire or excitement or enthusiasm. In contrast, showing people pictures of delicious desserts (inducing desire) causes a narrowing of attention. } Body posture while smiling also influences breadth of categorization: ◦ Smiling in a reclining position has a different effect than smiling while leaning forward. – Reclining back: Low approach motivation positive state leads to broader categorization. – Leaning forward: High approach motivation positive state leads to more narrow categorization. } } Sadness, which is low in motivational intensity, leads to broadening of attention relative to neutral mood. Disgust, which is high in withdrawal motivational intensity, leads to narrowing of attention relative to neutral mood. } The broaden and build theory only holds true for positive emotions of low motivational intensity, in comparison to negative emotions of high motivational intensity. ◦ The studies on meditation and resilience remain valid. Positive emotions are part of good/better adjustment. ◦ Whether positive emotions cause broadening (which is what the theory says) is what does not hold up. } The best conclusion seems to be in line with the critique of Harmon-Jones and his colleagues. ◦ The determining factor for attentional scope is the motivational intensity of the emotions.