Unit-III: Positive Emotions, Wellbeing

and Resilience

3.1 What are positive

emotions? The Broaden and
Build Theory of Positive
Emotions.

Positive emotions is an emotional reaction to express a positive affect,

such as happiness when one attains a goal, relief when one avoids a
danger, or contentment when one feels satisfaction with the present
situation.

Seligman (2002) classifies positive emotions into three categories: those

associated with the past, the present and the future. Positive
emotions associated with the future include optimism, hope,
confidence, faith and trust.

Similarly, the main positive emotions associated with the past are
Satisfaction, contentment, fulfilment, pride and serenity.

 Professor Barbara Fredrickson (2002) at the University of Michigan has

extended the idea that positive emotions lead to non-zero-sum games.
 She developed the broaden- and-build theory of positive emotions
to explain how positive affective experiences not only signal personal well-
being but also contribute to personal growth and development.
BROADEN AND BUILD THEORY OF
POSITIVE EMOTIONS.

 [1] Broaden-and-build theory describes how positive

emotions open up our thinking and actions to new
responsibilities. And how this expansion can help build physical,
psychological, and social resources that promote well-being.
 The Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions, proposed
by psychologist Barbara Fredrickson, suggests that positive
emotions serve to broaden an individual's momentary thought-
action repertoire, which in turn can lead to the building of
enduring personal resources.
 Broadening: Positive emotions broaden an individual's
mindset and behavioral options. When experiencing positive
emotions like joy, interest, or love, people are more likely to
engage in exploratory behaviors, to seek out new experiences,
and to approach situations with an open mind. This broadening
effect can lead to increased creativity, resilience, and cognitive
flexibility.
 Building: Over time, the broadened mindset and increased
behavioral repertoire fostered by positive emotions can lead to
the building of enduring personal resources. These resources
may include physical, intellectual, social, and psychological
assets. For example, individuals who experience frequent
positive emotions may develop stronger social connections,
enhanced coping skills, and greater psychological resilience.
 The theory suggests that while negative emotions narrow an
individual's focus, triggering specific action tendencies geared
towards immediate survival (e.g., fight or flight responses),
positive emotions broaden an individual's focus, promoting
exploration and growth. Over time, this broadening effect can
 build lasting personal resources that contribute to overall well-
being and resilience.
 Fredrickson's research has shown that experiencing a broad
range of positive emotions is associated with numerous
benefits, including better physical health, improved
relationships, and greater overall life satisfaction. Additionally,
positive emotions can help buffer against the detrimental
effects of stress and adversity, allowing individuals to bounce
back more quickly from challenging situations.

 [2] The Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions

suggests that positive emotions, such as joy and
contentment, broaden our momentary thought-action
repertoires, leading to personal growth and well-being.
 Unlike negative emotions, which narrow our focus, positive
emotions open us up to new possibilities and actions. For
example, joy may inspire social and intellectual
engagement, while contentment encourages reflection and
positive worldview.
 These emotions can lead to enduring personal resources,
like increased social support and problem-solving abilities,
contributing to personal transformation.
 Methods to induce positive emotions include watching
arousing films, receiving unexpected gifts, or engaging in
positive social interactions, all of which have been shown to
positively impact perception, cognition, and social
interaction.
A person’s emotional life might predict
longevity on the basis of:
1. First, prior research supports the connection between emotions and
health. Negative emotions suppress the immune system and other
aspects of physiological functioning. Thereby, increase the risk of disease.
Positive emotions seem to enhance these same processes and thus
reduce the risk of disease.
2. Emotional expressiveness, such as whether we have a positive and
cheerful outlook or a negative. Also, more guarded outlook tends to be
fairly consistent over a person’s lifetime, from childhood through
adulthood.
3. Finally. temperament is known to influence how well a person copes with
the stress and challenges of life. People with cheerful temperaments and
positive outlooks fare better than those with less cheerful and more
negative outlooks.
 Longevity may be related to a variety of factors including heredity,
gender, socioeconomic status, nutrition, social support, medical
care, and personality and behavioral characteristics.

POSITIVE EMOTIONS ENHANCE

RESILIENCE
 Resilience is the ability to bounce back from stressful events and regain
composure and a sense of well-being.
 Positive emotions may increase our resilience and ability to cope by
offsetting the effects of negative emotions caused by stressful
experiences.
 Fredrickson and her colleagues examined the relationship between
resilience and positive emotions by measuring students’ self-reported
resilience using a scale that assesses how strong and confident people
feel when facing challenge and stress.
 However, Resilient individuals seem (knowingly or unknowingly) to use
positive emotions to offset negative emotions.
 Thus, their tendency to cultivate positive emotions in times of stress may
be one source of their resilience and effective coping.
3.3 Positive emotions &
well-being, flow
experiences, savoring.
Positive emotions & well-being- Happiness
and Positive Behavior

 Positive emotion is an emotional reaction to express a

positive affect. Such as happiness when one attains a goal,
relief when avoid a danger.
 Happiness and positive behavior are intertwined with well-
being, encompassing contentment, good physical and
mental health, and overall life satisfaction.
 The broaden-and-build theory underscores the role of
positive emotions in fostering flexibility, creativity, and
resilience in facing challenges.
 Happy individuals tend to exhibit traits such as tolerance,
compassion, and altruism, contributing to enriched social
interactions and a broader perspective on the world around
them.

Flow Experiences
Think of an activity or experience in which you become totally
absorbed and lose yourself in the moment. At the same time, you
are highly effective in experiencing your skill. And don’t have to
think about what you are doing. In fact, once you start to think
and analyse, the whole experience ends and you are back to your
everyday state of mind. Ordinary people described this same kind
of experience that many referred to as “flow “.

Flow is a state of mind in which a person becomes fully

immersed in an activity and lose yourself in the moment.

 Flow represents a state of complete immersion and

absorption in an activity, where individuals lose themselves
in the moment and experience peak performance.
 Activities such as rock climbing, dancing, or playing music
evoke flow, characterized by intrinsic enjoyment and
effortless skill.
 In contrast to the everyday "8-5 mind" focused on tasks and
analysis, flow involves a transcendent state beyond normal
consciousness, associated with reduced stress and enhanced
enjoyment.

Savoring
 Most of us have experienced the difference between
hurriedly eating a hamburger at a fast-food restaurant and a
relaxed candle light dinner where each bite of food and each
sip of wine is consumed slowly in order to appreciate and
enjoy the sensual pleasure it offers.
 Bryant and Verhoff argue that savoring a good meal offers
a more general model of savoring good moments in life and
increasing the intensity and frequency of our positive
experiences.

 However, they assumed that savoring is that “people have

capacities to attend to, appreciate and enhance the positive
experiences in their lives”.

 Bryant and Verhoff believe that three preconditions must be

met for savoring to occur.
Bryant and Verhoff believe that three preconditions must
be met for savoring to occur:
1. a sense of immediacy
2. setting aside social and self-esteem
concerns
3. mindful focus on the present
experience.
By fully immersing oneself in the moment, devoid of
distractions and worries, individuals can amplify their
positive emotions and enrich their well-being.

In conclusion, cultivating
positive emotions, embracing
flow experiences, and
practicing savoring techniques
are pathways to enhancing
well-being and achieving
optimal functioning in various
aspects of life. These
strategies offer individuals
opportunities to harness the
power of positivity and elevate
their overall quality of life.