What Good are Positive Emotions? Barbara L. Fredrickson, Ph.D. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill www.PositiveEmotions.org

Specific Action Tendencies Fear . . . . . . . . . . . escape Anger . . . . . . . . . . attack Disgust . . . . . . . . . expel Guilt . . . . . . . . . . . make amends Shame . . . . . . . . . disappear Sadness . . . . . . . . withdraw

Specific Action Tendencies Contentment . . . inaction Joy . . . . . . . . . . free activation Affection . . . . . . approach Relief . . . . . . . . cessation of vigilance

Specific Action Tendencies Thought–Action Specific Action Tendencies X X

Breadth of Momentary Thought-Action Repertoire Negative Emotions Narrow Positive Emotions Broaden

Positive Emotions Broaden Thought-Action Repertoires Joy . . . . . . . . . . . . play Interest . . . . . . . . . explore Contentment . . . . . savor & integrate Love . . . . . . . . . . . all of the above

Positive Emotions Build Durable Personal Resources Physical resources Social resources Intellectual resources Psychological resources

The Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions Fredrickson (1998). Review of General Psychology, 2, 300-319. Fredrickson (2001). American Psychologist, 56, 218-226. Fredrickson (2003). American Scientist, 91, 330-335.

The Broaden Hypothesis Positive emotions broaden people’s attention and thinking.

Empirical Strategy Between-Ps Manipulation: Dependent Measure: Contentment Joy Neutral Anger Fear Dependent Measure: Global-Local Visual Processing

Global-Local Visual Processing

Global Preference Fredrickson & Branigan (2005). Cognition and Emotion, 19, 313-332.

The Undo Hypothesis If negative emotions narrow and positive emotions broaden … then positive emotions should be efficient antidotes for the lingering aftereffects of negative emotions.

Empirical Strategy Context: Speech Anxiety Between-Ps Manipulation: Contentment Joy Neutral Sadness Dependent Measure: Duration of Cardiovascular Reactivity

Responses to Speech Preparation Heart Rate** Finger Pulse Amplitude** Pulse Transit to Finger** Pulse Transit to Ear** Diastolic Blood Pressure** Systolic Blood Pressure** ** p < .001

Duration of Cardiovascular Reactivity Fredrickson et al., (2000). Motivation and Emotion, 24, 237-258.

The Resilience Hypothesis Positive emotions are an active ingredient within trait resilience. Fredrickson et al., (2003). Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 365-376. Tugade & Fredrickson (2004) Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 86, 320-333.

Empirical Strategy Assessed early in 2001: Trait Resilience Psychological Resources Assessed after September 11th: Depression Negative and Positive Emotions

Resilience Predicts Depression after 9/11 . . . Psychological Resilience b = -.24* Depressive Symptoms * p < .05. Fredrickson et al., (2003). Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 365-376.

. . . through Positive Emotions b = .59*** b = -.45** Psychological Resilience b = .02 Depressive Symptoms *** p < .001; ** p < .01. Fredrickson et al., (2003). Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 365-376.

Resilience Predicts Growth after 9/11 . . . Increases in Psychological Resources Psychological Resilience b = .27* * p < .05. Fredrickson et al., (2003). Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 365-376.

. . . through Positive Emotions b = .59*** b = .48** Increases in Psychological Resources Psychological Resilience b = 0.01 *** p < .001; ** p < .01. Fredrickson et al., (2003). Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84, 365-376.

The Build Hypothesis Over time, positive emotions build consequential personal resources and increase well-being.

Empirical Strategy Context: Diary Study, 28 days Daily Measures: Positive and Negative Emotions Pre- and Post-Measures: Trait Resilience Subjective Well-being

Positive Emotions uniquely linked to growth Increases in Resilience Increases in SWB Daily Positive Emotions r = .31*** r = .34*** Daily Negative Emotions r = -.16 r = -.14 ***p < .001. Fredrickson et al., (2006). In preparation.

Positive Emotions Increase SWB by Building Resources Changes in Resilience b = .31** b = 38*** Daily Positive Emotions b = .20 Changes in SWB *** p < .001; ** p < .01. Fredrickson et al., (2006). In preparation.

The Flourish Hypothesis Positive affect is an active ingredient within human flourishing.

How much positive affect is needed to flourish?

Empirical Strategy (Losada, 1999) Observed 60 business teams High Performance (n = 15) Medium Performance (n = 26) Low Performance (n = 19) Coded all speech acts Positive-Negative Inquiry-Advocacy Self-Other Created a nonlinear dynamics model of observed interactions

Dynamics of Losada’s Business Teams Emotional Space Inquiry / Advocacy Fredrickson & Losada (2005). American Psychologist, 60, 678-686.

Empirical Strategy Context: Diary Study, 28 days Between-Ps Classification: Flourishing Languishing Dependent Measure: Ratio of Positive to Negative Emotions

The Losada Line Pos : Neg = 2.9 : 1 Fredrickson & Losada (2005). American Psychologist, 60, 678-686.

What happens at higher levels of positive affect?

Pos : Neg = 100 : 1 Emotional Space Inquiry / Advocacy Fredrickson & Losada (2005). American Psychologist, 60, 678-686.

How much positive affect is needed to flourish? Pos : Neg > 2.9 : 1 Pos : Neg < 11.6 : 1

Positive Affect Transforms People

What Good Are Positive Emotions? Broaden attention and thinking Undo lingering negative emotions Fuel psychological resilience Build consequential personal resources Seed human flourishing