Introducing the broaden and build theory of positive emotions

1. Positive Subject Emotions
and Experience
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, 300-319.

6. How many ‘distinct’ emotions?

7. Why are positive emotions
overlooked?
• Fewer in number than
negative emotions?
– e.g. 4 ‘negative’ forevery
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

14. •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 • 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 linkedwith
local bias
– Although need for comparisonswith
‘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)
•
•

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

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?

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,
804-813.
Fredrickson, B. (1998). What good are positiveemotions?
Review of General Psychology, 2, 300-319.
Fredrickson, B. (2001). The role of positive emotions in
positive psychology. American Psychologist, 56, 218-226.
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, 172-175.
Isen, A. M. (1987). Positive affect, cognitive processes, and
social behavior. Advances in Experimental Social
Psychology, 20, 203-253.

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