A Role for Neuropsychology in Understanding the Facilitating Influence of Positive Affect on Social Behavior and Cognitive Processes

Abstract

Abstract A growing body of research indicates that mild positive affect (happy feelings), induced in subtle, common ways that can occur frequently in everyday life, facilitates a broad range of important social behaviors and thought processes. For example, work from approximately the past decade shows that positive affect leads to greater creativity (e.g., Isen, Daubman, & Nowicki, 1987; see Isen, 1999a, for review); improved negotiation processes and outcomes (Carnevale & Isen, 1986); and more thorough, open-minded, flexible thinking and problem solving (e.g., Estrada, Isen, & Young, 1997; Isen, Rosenzweig, & Young, 1991). And this is in addition to earlier work showing that positive affect promotes generosity and social responsibility in interpersonal interactions (see, e.g., Isen, 1987, for re- view).