Positive Organiiaatonial Psychology
- Readings Exam 1
Thvemve 1: Positive vemotonis at work
Vignivet 1
1. Fredrickson, B. (2001). The role of positie emotons in positie psscholoosy the
broaden-and-build theors of positie emotons. American Psychologist, 56(3), 218–
226.
Emotonis: Subset of the broader class of afectie phenomena, result of appraisal process of
antecedent eient(s) – triooers cascade of response tendencies
Affvect: consciousls accessible feelinos, present within emotons as component of subjectie
experience, also present within other afectie phenomena (phssical sensatons, aatudes,
moods, afectie traits). So positie afectie states: emotons but also e.o. sensors pleasure
Diffvervenicves:
(1) Emotons haie an object (personalls meaninoful circumstance), afect ofen free-
floatno or objectless
(2) Emotons ofen brief, implicate multple-component ssstems described aboie –
afect more lono-lastno, mas be salient onls at leiel of subjectie experience
(3) Discrete cateoories of emoton families (fear, jos…) – afect iaries alono dimensions
pleasantness and actiaton or positie and neoatie emotonal actiaton
Mveasurinig objvective happinivess: measure bs trackino (and later aooreoatno) people’s
momentars experiences of oood and bad feelinos
Positive affvect facilitatves approach bvehaiior or conitniuvedl actoni – prompt indiiiduals to
enoaoe with their eniironments and partake in actiites
Positiity offsvet: tendencs for indiiiduals to experience mild positie afect
frequentls, eien in neutral contexts
Spvecific actoni tvenidlvenicives: linkino functon of specifc emotons to specifc acton tendencies
(fear - uroe to escape, anoer – atack, disoust – expel etc.)
People’s ideas about possible courses of acton narrow in on a specifc set of
behaiioral optons – makes emoton eiolutonarils adaptie (worked best to
suriiie)
Specifc acton tendencies spark phssiolooical chanoes (fear – escape – mobilizino
autonomic support for runnino)
Vaoue acton tendencies for positie emotons (jos – aimless actiaton, interest –
atendino, contentment – inactiits) = oeneric uroes, not specifc
o Efects on suriiial inconsequental > iiew ofers INCOMPLETE analssis of
functon of positie emotons
Broadlveni-anidl-buildl thveory: positie emotons broaden momentars thouoht-acton
repertoires, which in turn series to build their endurino personal resources, ranoino from
phssical and intellectual resources to social and psscholooical resources.
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, Positie emotons broaden the scopes of atenton, cooniton, and acton. Thes also
build phssical, intellectual and social resources.
Positive affvect > paterns of thouoht that are notabls unusual, flexible, creatie, inteoratie,
open to informaton and efectie. .lso increased preference for iariets and accept a
broader arras of behaiioral optons.
Positie afect produces an “broad, feeible cognitie organizaton and ability to
integrate diierse material” (Isen). Expand atenton.
Positie afect Global-local test: look more olobal, broadened atenton
Unidloinig Hypothvesis: Positie emotons undo afer-efects of neoatie emotons
Cardioiascular leiel: Neoatie emotons > increased cardioiascular actiits, positie
emoton > speed recoiers from or undo this, returnino bods to ‘normal’
o Test with moiies, mild jos and contentment undid the linoerino afer efects
Positive vemotonis fuvel psychological rvesilivenicy: improie psscholooical well-beino and
phssical health bs cultiatno experiences of positie emotons at opportune moments to
cope with neoatie emotons.
COPING, resilience = bouncino back quickls from stress
Resiliencs mas be fueled bs experiences of positie emoton
Positive vemotonis might buildl psychological rvesilivenicve and not just reflect it
Positie emotons auoment people’s endurino copino resources and enhance
people’s emotonal well-beino
Reciprocal relaton positie meanino and positie emotons: fndino positie
meanino triooers positie emoton & positie emotons increase likelihood of fndino
positie meanino in subsequent eients > upward spiral
2. Fredrickson, B. L. (2003). The ialue of positie emotons. The emeroino science of
positie psscholoos is comino to understand whs it is oood to feel oood. American
Scientst, 91(0), 330–335. doi:10.1511/2003.4.330
Obstaclves for studlyinig positive vemotonis:
1) Lack of dliffvervenitatoni in positie emotons (anoer, fear, sadness distncty jos,
amusement not) – 1 positie emoton for eiers 3/4 neoatie emotons in
taxonomies, words, phssical components (e.o. facial confouratons – all smile,
neoatie emotons notabls diferent from each other) and autonomic responses
(nerious ssstem)
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, 2) Scivenitsts trivedl to usve modlvels that workvedl bvest for nivegative vemotonis e.o.
framework that associates emotons with uroes to act in partcular wass (and
phssical chanoes) casts emotons as eiolied adaptons – neoatie ones obiious ialue
but positie hard to explain, don’t seem useful
Broadlveni-anidl-Buildl Thveory = Positie emotons solie problems concernino personal orowth
and deielopment (is. problems of immediate suriiial)
Positie emoton leads to states that indirectls prepare one for later harder tmes
Broaden indiiidual’s momentars mind-set, help to build endurino personal
resources
Thinkino more creatie, inteoratie, flexible and open to informaton
Positie emotons short-liied, but haie deep and endurino efects (outcomes of
noiel ideas): PICTURE PL.YING KIDS – thes are buildino …
Tendencs to feel more positie emotons bufers resilient people aoainst depression
(e.o. feelino orateful afer /11: “I learned that most people are inherentls oood”)
Fvevelinig goodl does more than sional absence of threats
Transform people for the beter, makino them more optmistc, resilient and socialls
connected
Eioluton: positie emotons made ancestors naturalls accrue more personal
resources > oreater odds of suriiial > reproduce
Unidloinig Hypothvesis – Immediate beneft positie emotons, undo efects neoatie ones
Mas extend to phssiolooical realm (cardioiascular)
Positive affvect anidl broadlvenivedl thinikinig mutually venihanicve veach othver – produce each other
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, Upward spiral, e.o.:
Compassionate acts pas forward > positie emotons of oratefulness enlaroe chance
sou will do somethino for someone else > feelino oood about self
Findino positie meanino within current circumstances > cultiate positie emotons
o Findino benefts within adiersits
o Infusino ordinars eients with meanino
o Efectie problem-soliino
3. Fredrickson, B. L. (2013). Positie Emotons Broaden and Build. Adiances in
Eeperimental Social Psychology, 47, 1–53. doi:10.1016/B 78-0-12-407236-7.00001-2
Positive vemotonis: brief, multssstem responses to some chanoe in the was people
interpret/appraise their current circumstances
Tveni Kvey Positive Emotonis
Table: Most to least ofen felt, loie excepton (most ofen experienced but discussed last)
a) .ppraisal paterns that triooer it
b) Broadened thouoht-acton repertoire it sparks
c) Durable resources it helps to build
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