Positive Emotions’ Effect on Buffering and Creativity: An Experimental Design Katrina Ong Dean Craig Smith & Professor Leslie Kirby’s Lab

Positive Emotions Negative emotions specific action tendency vs. positive emotions multiple action tendencies (Fredrickson 1998; Fredrickson, 2001) Positive emotions (and specifically optimistic disposition) are correlated with increased health outcomes specifically with cardiac health (Agarwal, et al., 1995; Kubzansky et al., 2001; Scheier et al., 1999) Positive emotions can buffer against depression after stressful events (Tugade, et al., 2004; Seligman, et al., 1999)

Buffering & Creativity The Undoing Hypothesis (Fredrickson,et al.,2000) as part of the Broaden and Build Theory (Fredrickson, 2001) Buffering: When a positive emotion is first induced it may be able to prevent the effects of a negative emotion

Previous Attempts by the Lab & Pilots Bauman’s (2011) study Mood Induction (Differential Positive Emotions) Stressor (Singing at the Commons) Pilot 1 (Behavioral Mood Induction) Pilot 2 (Writing Prompts) Pilot 3 (J-task as a Stressor)

Methods Main Study: 83 Vanderbilt student participants (74% female) Instruments: REDcap, DEAL, LIWC, Physio Conditions: Positive or Neutral for Mood Induction based on random assignment 1) Baseline DEAL and Physio 2) Mood Induction Writing Prompt 3) Manipulation Check DEAL 4) Stressor J-Word Task (number of words, number of word roots, and avg. word length collected) 5) DEAL + Other questionnaires

Hypotheses 1)When using baseline and post-mood induction scores as covariates, the participants in the positive condition would emotionally respond significantly less to the stressor task. 2)Participants in the positive condition would show increased creativity in the stressor task as measured by word count, number of word roots, and average word length.

Results

What would buffering look like?

Results Behavioral Outcomes Participants in the positive condition ( M= 17.68) listed significantly more words than those in the neutral condition ( M= 14.98), F (1,77)=4.497, p <.05.

Conclusions & Discussion Found evidence to support Broaden and Build theory that positive emotions lead to increased creativity and cognitive flexibility Use more sensitive measures to creativity in the future No evidence of buffering even with a strong positive mood induction and mild stressor Buffering may not be related to the emotional state of happiness and optimism but rather trait values like an optimistic disposition and/or emotion focused coping

THANK YOU Craig Smith Bonnie Williamson Nora Kline Alena Perszyck Jennifer Yih Sloane Sparks Kellie Kuzmuk Leslie Kirby Thesis Committee: Craig Smith, Meg Saylor, and Rachel Aaron