1. Positive Subject Emotions and Experience
Session 1
Introducing the Broaden and Build Theory of Positive Emotions

3. Overview of module
Exploring the nature of positive subjective emotions and experience
Detailed exploration of Barbara Fredrickson’s Broaden and Build Theory of Positive Emotions
The module will explore how this theory sits within and contributes to positive psychology generally and concepts of ‘flourishing’ and well-being
Assessment is by reflective journal and presentation (much like semester 1 modules)

4. Overview of today How many ‘distinct’ emotions?
The role of positive emotions
Broaden and Build Theory of Positive Emotions
Barbara Fredrickson

5. What good are positive emotions? (Fredrickson, 1998)
Highlights how theory and research has favoured negative emotions
Argues existing models of (negative) emotions do not address positive emotions
Proposes a new model for understanding positive emotions
Fredrickson, B. L. (1998). What good are positive emotions? Review of General Psychology, 2,

6. How many ‘distinct’ emotions?

7. Why are positive emotions overlooked?
Fewer in number than negative emotions?
e.g. 4 ‘negative’ for every 1 ‘positive’
Less easy to differentiate than negative emotions?
Facially and in autonomic responses
May be because ‘threats’ outnumber opportunities?

8. Theories of emotion Existing models of emotions…
Focus is on negative emotions (e.g., anger; fear)
Emotions become embodied into action
to promote quick, life-preserving action
Emotions are associated with ‘urges to act’
‘specific action tendencies’
Anger… urge to attack; fear… urge to escape

9. What about positive emotions?
Do positive emotions have adaptive value?
Fredrickson proposed that emotions may create ‘thought-action tendencies’
Positive emotions broaden the repertoire of thought-action tendencies
“novel, creative and unscripted paths of thought and action.” (p. 304)
Negative emotions narrow the repertoire

10. What about positive emotions?
Do positive emotions have adaptive value?
Fredrickson proposed that emotions may create ‘thought-action tendencies’
Positive emotions broaden the repertoire of thought-action tendencies
“novel, creative and unscripted paths of thought and action.” (p. 304)
Negative emotions narrow the repertoire

11. What about positive emotions?
Do positive emotions have adaptive value?
Fredrickson proposed that emotions may create ‘thought-action tendencies’
Positive emotions broaden the repertoire of thought-action tendencies
“novel, creative and unscripted paths of thought and action.” (p. 304)
Negative emotions narrow the repertoire

12. How many positive emotions?
Joy
Gratitude
Serenity
Interest
Hope
Pride
Amusement
Inspiration
Awe
Love

13. Focus on Four Positive Emotions
Joy
Interest
Contentment
Love
Proposes these are distinct and recognisable across cultures
Joy
Often used interchangeably with happiness
Sometimes involves progress towards goals.
“..aimless, unasked-for readiness to engage in whatever interaction presents itself..”
Creates the urge to play, physically, socially, artistically or imaginatively, unscripted.
Involves exploration and invention.
Promotes skill acquisition.
(p305)
Interest
Used interchangeably with curiosity, intrigue, excitement, wonder.
Conceptually similar to ‘challenge’ and intrinsic motivation.
Promotes exploration, increasing knowledge and experience; also the openness to new ideas and experiences.
Contentment
Used interchangeably with tranquillity or serenity. Conceptually similar to mild or receptive joy. (p306)
Promotes a savouring of current life experiences, recent successes, and experience a ‘oneness’ with the world around.
Integrate experiences into self-concept.
Love
Acknowledged as not a single emotion.
Different forms of love: e.g. romantic, companionate, caregiver, attachment.
Love experiences may involve / be made up of the other positive emotions.
Love is proposed to build and solidify an individual’s social resources.

14. J o y Interest Contentment Love
Tranquillity or serenity. Conceptually similar to mild or receptive joy. A savouring of current life experiences, recent successes
e.g. . romantic, companionate, caregiver, attachment. Not a single emotion.
curiosity, intrigue, excitement, wonder
“..aimless, unasked-for readiness to engage in whatever interaction presents itself..”
J o y
Interest
Contentment
Love

15. ‘Broaden and Build’ Theory
…function as reserves that can be drawn upon later
…builds enduring personal and social resources
Positive emotions broaden thinking and action
Fredrickson proposes positive emotions:
broaden an individual’s ‘thought-action repertoire’
build the individual’s personal resources
Physical
Intellectual
Social

17. Review of empirical evidence
Positive Emotions
Broaden the Scope of Attention
Broaden the Scope of Cognition
Broaden the Scope of Action
Build Physical Resources
Build Intellectual Resources
Build Social Resources

18. Positive emotions broaden the scope of attention?
Positive states linked with broadened attentional focus
Even high arousal states (e.g. elation; mania)
Experiments using ‘global-local visual processing paradigms’
Optimism and SWB linked with global bias
Anxiety and depression linked with local bias
Although need for comparisons with ‘neutral’ states

19. Positive emotions broaden the scope of cognition?
Experimental work of Alice Isen (e.g., Isen, 1987)
Does not assume positive and negative affect are polar opposites
Positive affect induced in different ways
Positive emotions associated with
more unusual cognitive associations
more inclusive cognitive categories
increased creative thinking
Research suggests positive affect
“…leads people to see relatedness and interconnections among thoughts and ideas and to process material in a more integrated and flexible fashion’. (p. 308)
Mower, atomic and foreigh… a word that relates to each of these? Answer: Power.

20. Positive emotions broaden the scope of action?
Studies that measure behaviour
candle task
Variety-seeking in adults
Few studies, but preliminary support that
“…positive affective states prompt unusual and more varied actions rather than typical, or consistent actions” (p. 309)

21. Positive emotions broaden thinking and action?
Attention
Experiments using ‘global-local visual processing paradigms’
Optimism and SWB linked with global bias
Anxiety and depression linked with local bias
Cognition
Positive emotions associated with
more unusual cognitive associations
more inclusive cognitive categories
increased creative thinking
Action
Positive emotions
prompt more unusual and more varied actions

22. Positive emotions build physical resources?
A little speculative
Draws on evolutionary approach and studies of animal behaviour
Benefits of physical play
Develops skills for hunting, avoiding predators
Similarities between forms of play in young and behaviour of adult species

23. Positive emotions build intellectual resources?
Attachment theory (Bowlby, 1969)
Importance of early love relationship between infant and caregiver
Secure foundation from which to explore
‘securely attached’ children more effective in problem solvers
Interest important motivator for learning
Experimental support?
Inducing positive affect through recalling happy memory improves test performance

24. Positive emotions build social resources?
Shared experience of positive emotions build ‘enduring alliances’
Positive emotion can increase likelihood of helping others
Can lead to reciprocation and a continuing co-operative relationship

25. The Broaden and Build Theory
Which, then, functions as reserves that can be drawn upon later
Which builds enduring personal and social resources
Positive emotions broaden modes of thinking and action

26. Some implications of the Broaden and Build Theory
What is the evolutionary advantage of positive emotions?
Positive emotions may undo effects of negative emotions?
Health benefits of positive emotions?
Methodological issues?
Which, then, functions as reserves that can be drawn upon later
Which builds enduring personal and social resources
Positive emotions broaden modes of thinking and action
What is the evolutionary advantage of positive emotions?
Resource building

27. ‘Happy’ nuns (Danner, Snowdon, & Friesen, 2001)
Longitudinal study of Catholic Sisters
Autobiographical accounts by 180 older nuns in their ‘youth’ (between ages 18-32)
Coded in terms of emotional content (positive, negative or neutral)
Compared upper most ‘positive’ with least ‘positive’
90% of most positive nuns alive at 85
Only 34% of least positive alive at 85
54% of most positive still going at 94
Only 11% of least positive alive at 94

28. References and suggested reading
Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and Loss: Vol. 1: Attachment. New York: Basic Books.
Danner, D. D., Snowdon, D. A., & Friesen, W. V. (2001). Positive emotions in early life and longevity: Findings from the nun study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 80,
Fredrickson, B. (1998). What good are positive emotions? Review of General Psychology, 2,
Fredrickson, B. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology. American Psychologist, 56,
Fredrickson, B. (2009). Positivity. New York: Crown Books.
Fredrickson, B. & Joiner, T. (2002). Positive emotions trigger upward spirals toward emotional well-being. Psychological Science, 13,
Isen, A. M. (1987). Positive affect, cognitive processes, and social behavior. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 20,

29. www.positivityratio.com www.positivityresonance.com