Momentary Affect Research Articles

CONSCIENTIOUSNESS, ACTIVITY ENGAGEMENT AND MOMENTARY AFFECT IN OLDEST-OLD ADULTHOOD

Participation in meaningful activities may be particularly important for late life well-being. We examined associations of moment to moment variability in meaningful activity engagement with positive and negative affect in the daily lives of oldest-old adults. Moderating effects of conscientiousness on meaning-affect associations were also examined considering recent theorising that late life declines in conscientiousness could reflect adaptive self-regulatory processes. Participants were 73 adults aged 84 and above from the Australian Longitudinal Study of Aging Daily Life Time-Sampling (ADuLTS) study, who provided self-report data on activity engagement (including ratings of meaning and degree of challenge associated with activities) and affect on five occasions per day over seven days. Within-person variability in meaningful activity engagement was associated with positive and negative affect; however, these associations were conditional upon the extent to which activities were rated as challenging. Specifically, positive affect tended to be lower on occasions when activities were rated as less meaningful, but also more challenging. Similarly, negative affect was rated as lower on occasions when activities were regarded as more meaningful, and at the same time less challenging. Participants who were higher in conscientiousness reported higher overall positive affect, and associations of higher conscientiousness with lower momentary negative affect were evident on occasions when activities were rated as more challenging. Engagement in meaningful activity is associated with higher positive, and lower negative affect in late life, with these associations dependent on the extent to which activities are challenging. Findings are discussed in the context of self-regulatory perspectives on adaptation.

The Association Between Negative and Positive Affect and Alcohol Use: An Ambulatory Study

Negative and positive affect are proposed to play a crucial role in alcohol use and the development of alcohol use disorder. Results from ambulatory studies that measure momentary affect and subsequent alcohol use have been mixed, particularly regarding negative affect. We attempted to identify within-person moderators (i.e., time between assessments, prior blood alcohol content) that might explain mixed results. We examined the association between self-reported affect and an objective measure of alcohol consumption (measured via a transdermal ankle bracelet) in a sample of heavy social drinkers across 7 days of ambulatory assessment. Our results showed that negative affect was negatively related to later drinking, whereas positive affect was positively related to later drinking. The results showed that these effects were stronger for amount consumed when affect was assessed closer rather than farther in time. These findings are important for understanding affect as an antecedent to alcohol use, which may ultimately have implications for the development of alcohol use disorder.

Bidirectional Associations of Momentary Affect with Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviors in Working Adults.

Affective experiences and movement-based behaviors form a system that has been shown to influence exercise adherence and mental health outcomes. Little is known about the naturalistic dynamics of the reciprocal associations in this system. We examined the time intervals at which momentary affect precedes and follows movement-based behaviors in everyday life. A community sample of working adults (n = 111) completed ecological momentary assessments (EMA) asking about current affect states (sad, happy, tired, and interested) six times a day for three consecutive days. Ratings were used to generate scores for momentary affective arousal and valence. Participants also wore an activity monitor. Total activity counts and sedentary duration in the shorter to longer time intervals (5-120 min) before or after EMA were used as indicators of movement-based behaviors. Multilevel modeling showed that current affective arousal predicted higher subsequent activity counts in the longer time intervals (120 min) and less subsequent sedentary behavior in the shorter to longer time intervals (5, 60, and 120 min). For the reversed sequence, neither movement-based behavior predicted subsequent momentary arousal or valence. Affective valence was unrelated to movement-based behaviors in either temporal direction. Some naturally occurring affective experiences (i.e., arousal) might precede, rather than follow, movement-based behaviors. Understanding affective arousal may contribute to improved management of subsequent movement-based behaviors in everyday life.

The combination of multiple affective experiences and their impact on valuation judgments

ABSTRACT People’s affective experiences can be influenced by multiple informational inputs. It remains unclear however how this occurs? In this paper, we investigate the construction of affective experiences dependent on the varying number of previously presented, affectively-charged, informational inputs. In addition, because affect is often used as a cue in judgment and decision-making, we probe whether the resulting affective experience is mapped onto people’s valuation judgments (how much people are willing-to-pay for target rewards and experiences). In three studies, we show that people’s overall affective experience is constructed by averaging the affect of the previously presented, affectively-charged inputs. Subsequently, we find that people rely on the resulting affective experience as a cue for their judgments, as willingness-to-pay valuations were predicted by the combined affective experience. We measured integral, expected, as well as momentary affect – using both self-report and physiological measures. We discuss the potential for studying further how multiple inputs change affect as well as the implications for judgment and decision making.

The Highs and Lows of Love: Romantic Relationship Quality Moderates Whether Spending Time With One's Partner Predicts Gains or Losses in Well-Being.

Previous research suggests both relationship status and relationship quality correlate with well-being. The present study extended these findings in three ways. First, we benchmarked individuals with various-quality relationships against uncoupled people to determine whether even low-quality relationships are associated with greater well-being than being unpartnered. Second, research suggests global well-being (e.g., life satisfaction) and experiential well-being (e.g., momentary affect) oftentimes have different predictors. Thus, we tested whether individuals report greater experiential well-being while with their partners. Finally, we examined whether daily time invested into one's relationship predicted well-being. Results indicated that being in a romantic relationship, interacting with one's partner, and investing greater time into the relationship all predicted greater well-being. However, these effects were moderated by relationship quality, such that being in even relatively neutral relationships and interacting therein were associated with lower well-being than being unpartnered.

Happy Moms, Happier Dads: Gendered Caregiving and Parents' Affect.

Parenting is emotionally demanding and highly gendered. We use data from the American Time Use Survey to examine mothers' and fathers' momentary affect during childcare activities. We observe a gender imbalance in the emotional rewards of childcare: fathers report more happiness, less stress, and less tiredness than mothers. We introduce the "care context"-defined as the type of childcare activity, when and where it takes place, who is present, and how much care is involved-as an explanation for these gender differences in parents' affect. The analysis reveals that most dimensions of the care context vary between mothers and fathers. We also find that the care context fully accounts for differences in mothers' and fathers' happiness, partially explains differences in stress, and does little to explain differences in tiredness. Thus, the gender imbalance in the emotional rewards of childcare is partially due to parents' highly gendered engagement with their children.

Ecological momentary assessment of drinking in young adults: An investigation into social context, affect and motives

IntroductionDaily assessment studies have examined how day specific factors, such as affect, social context, and drinking motives, alongside dispositional drinking motives, predict young adults' drinking. However, these studies did not examine how the interplay between drinking motives (dispositional and day specific) and multiple features of the drinking situation predict drinking with respect to either the initial decision to drink or the quantity of alcohol consumed. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) via smartphone technology, enables us to address this gap by evaluating to what extent dispositional drinking motives and day specific factors are associated with: a) the initiation of drinking episodes and; b) the quantity of alcohol consumed. MethodsParticipants were 83 young adults (63 female) aged 18 to 30 (M = 21.42, SD = 3.09) who resided in Australia and participated in an EMA study for 21 days via their smartphone. On a daily basis, participants received three random-interval prompts that measured momentary affect, drinking motives, social context (e.g., people present in the social context and if these individuals are drinking), and alcohol use. ResultsA multilevel hurdle analysis found that young adults were more likely to both initiate a drinking episode and consume a higher quantity of alcohol if they were surrounded by other people who were drinking and were motivated to drink to conform to the reference group. ConclusionsThis study is the first of its kind to demonstrate that different drinking behaviors (i.e., initiation and quantity of alcohol consumed) are associated with a similar set of predictors. Drinking-based interventions that address these risk factors could effectively reduce risky drinking as it would intervene on both the decision to initiate alcohol use, and the decision to continue drinking.

Development of a Novel Method of Emotion Differentiation That Uses Open-Ended Descriptions of Momentary Affective States.

Emotion differentiation (ED) has been conceptualized as a trait that facilitates emotion regulation and increases well-being. Yet basic questions remain unanswered about how best to assess it and whether favorable outcomes can be observed only during times of stress. The goal of the present research was to develop a novel behavioral (specificity) index of ED. We conducted two daily diary studies (N = 111-190) in which we included different measures of ED, well-being, and emotion regulation. The different ED measures were largely unrelated to each other. In both studies, the specificity index of ED showed a positive association with daily well-being, but in Study 2, this association held only on days with a negative event. Results regarding ED and the use of emotion-regulation strategies were inconsistent across strategies and studies. Possible reasons for these mixed results (e.g., sample selection, context sensitivity of regulation strategies) are discussed.

Real-time predictors and consequences of binge eating among adults with type 1 diabetes

BackgroundObjective binge eating (OBE) is common among individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and may have negative consequences for glycemic control. Recent studies have suggested that diabetes distress (i.e., emotional distress specific to diabetes and living with the burden of management) is a distinct emotional experience among individuals with diabetes. Preliminary studies have found diabetes distress is associated with eating disorder symptoms and poor glycemic control. The aim of the current study was to examine real-time emotional precursors and consequences of OBE in adults with T1D (i.e., general negative affect, specific emotional states and diabetes distress) using ecological momentary assessment methods. We also explore the impact of OBE on 2-h postprandial glycemic control relative to non-OBE eating episodes.MethodsAdults with T1D (N = 83) completed 3-days of ecological momentary assessment assessing mood and eating behavior using a telephone-based survey system. Participants were prompted to rate momentary affect, including level diabetes distress, at random intervals and reported on eating episodes. Participants also wore continuous glucose monitors allowing for ongoing assessment of glycemic control. Multi-level modeling was used to examine between- and within-person effects of momentary increases in emotions prior to eating on the likelihood of OBE and the impact of OBE on postprandial blood glucose. Generalized linear mixed models examined whether change in post-meal affect differed between OBE and non-OBE episodes.ResultsParticipants were predominately middle-aged (Mean = 42; SD = 12.43) Caucasian (87%) females (88%) reporting clinically significant eating disorder symptoms (76%). Nearly half of the sample (43%) reported OBE during the 3-day study period. The between-person effect for negative affect was significant (OR = 1.93, p < .05), indicating a 93% increased risk of OBE among individuals with higher negative affect compared to individuals with average negative affect. Between-person effects were also significant for guilt, frustration and diabetes distress (OR = 1.48–1.77, ps < .05). Analyses indicated that mean change in post-meal negative affect was significantly greater for OBE relative to non-OBE episodes (B = 0.44, p < .001). Blood glucose at 120 min postprandial was also higher for OBE than for non-OBE episodes (p = .03).ConclusionsFindings indicate that individuals who tend to experience negative affect and diabetes distress before eating are at increased risk of OBE at the upcoming meal. Results also suggest that engaging in binge eating may result in greater subsequent negative affect, including diabetes distress, and lead to elevated postprandial blood glucose levels. These findings add to a growing literature suggesting diabetes distress is related to eating disordered behaviors among individuals with T1D.

Momentary affect, stress coping, and food intake in mother-child dyads.

Momentary affect and stress in mothers and their children may be an important predictor of food intake in the natural environment. This study hypothesized that there would be parallel actor and partner effects such that mothers' and children's negative affect (NA), positive affect (PA), and ability to cope with stress would be associated with their own and the other dyad member's unhealthy and healthy food intake in a similar pattern. Participants included 202 mother-child dyads (child age range = 8-12 years) who responded to randomly prompted ecological momentary assessment surveys via smartphone up to 7 times per day over 8 days, excluding time at school. At each prompt, mothers and children reported on their current NA, PA, and ability to cope with stress and foods consumed in the past 2 hr. Mothers' momentary ability to cope with stress predicted their own and their child's pastries/sweets intake and their own fries/chips intake, and children's momentary ability to cope with stress predicted their own pastries/sweets intake. Mothers and children who reported higher NA on average consumed more pastries/sweets, and children with higher NA on average consumed more fast food. Finally, mothers' momentary PA predicted their own fruit/vegetable consumption. Findings provided evidence that the affect and ability to cope with stress of children and mothers predicted subsequent food intake. Given both actor and partner effects, the results show that targeting momentary mothers' and children's ability to cope with stress may have the greatest effect on reducing unhealthy food intake. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Disability, Psychological Well-Being, and Social Interaction in Later Life in China.

Many studies show that disability predicts lower social participation and poorer psychological well-being. However, few have examined how disability, social interaction, and psychological well-being interrelate with one another. We use diary data from World Health Organization's Study on Global AGEing and Adult Health, 2007-2010 ( N = 8,771) and mediation analysis to examine the links between disability, daily social interaction, and the momentary and global well-being of older adults in China. We find suggestive support for the hypothesis that psychological well-being predicts social interaction in the context of disablement, but little evidence for the converse. Specifically, in a cross-sectional analysis, disability predicts lower levels of momentary affect, happiness, and life satisfaction, which are linked to spending more time alone and participating in fewer activities with grandchildren, friends, and coworkers. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that a less active social life is explained by poor functional performance and compromised psychological vibrancy.

Everyday solitude, affective experiences, and well-being in old age: the role of culture versus immigration

Objectives: Being alone is often equated with loneliness. Yet, recent findings suggest that the objective state of being alone (i.e. solitude) can have both positive and negative connotations. The present research aimed to examine (1) affective experience in daily solitude; and (2) the association between everyday affect in solitude and well-being. Weexamined the distinct roles of culture and immigration in moderating these associations.Method: Using up to 35 daily life assessments of momentary affect, solitude, and emotional well-being in two samples (Canada and China), the study compared older adults who aged in place (local Caucasians in Vancouver, Canada and local Hong Kong Chinese in Hong Kong, China) and older adults of different cultural heritages who immigrated to Canada (immigrated Caucasians and immigrated East Asians).Results: We found that older adults of East Asian heritage experienced more positive and less negative affect when alone than did Caucasians. Reporting positive affect in solitude was more positively associated with well-being in older adults who had immigrated to Canada as compared to those who had aged in place.Conclusions:These findings speak to the unique effects of culture and immigration on the affective correlates of solitude and their associations with well-being in old age.

All's well that ends well? A test of the peak‐end rule in couples’ conflict discussions

AbstractDespite its importance for well‐being, surprisingly little is known about what determines how couples feel after a conflict. Using the peak‐end rule, we examined whether partners’ post‐conflict affect was mainly predicted by their most aversive or pleasant emotional experience (peaks) during the conflict, or by the emotional tone at the end of the interaction. One hundred and one couples engaged in a conflict interaction and afterwards evaluated their momentary affect during the interaction. Post‐conflict affect (in terms of positive and negative feelings, and perceived partner responsiveness) was assessed immediately after the conflict, after a subsequent positive discussion, and upon returning to daily life (here, rumination about the relationship was assessed as well). Our results showed that the negative and positive peaks, but not the end emotion, predicted immediate and partly extended post‐conflict affect in individuals. This finding has clinical implications for the mediation of couple conflict.

Everyday social interactions and intra-individual variability in affect: A systematic review and meta-analysis of ecological momentary assessment studies

Intra-individual variability in affect has been associated with aspects of individuals’ lives, such as everyday social interactions. Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) has been tailored to assess the dynamics of everyday events and feelings and in recent decades there has been a burgeoning of EMA research on the intra-individual links between social interactions and momentary affect in daily life. This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to identify within-person relationships between social interactions with positive affect (PA) and negative affect (NA). Both quantitative and qualitative features of social interaction (i.e., uniqueness of the partner, interpersonal perceptions of an interaction) predict within-person variance in PA and NA. The results of meta-analysis indicated small-sized associations between quantitative features of social interactions with PA and NA, and moderate-sized associations between qualitative features of social interactions with PA and NA, which were only somewhat moderated by methodological factors. We conclude that EMA is a promising method of investigating intra-individual variability in affect unfolding in everyday social environments and offer suggestions for substantiating the within-person perspective to both researchers and clinicians.

Reconsidering the experience machine: Self-reported versus objective measures of physical activity to increase positive affect.

This article tests the utility of self-report and objective assessment of physical activity to predict increased positive affect. Participants wore Fitbit activity trackers and responded to single-item assessments of momentary affect and self-reported physical activity following an experience sampling method protocol. A test of the within-person mediation indicated that, on average, 63 percent of the relationship between objective physical activity and affect was accounted for by self-reported physical activity. This research adds to the body of literature demonstrating the benefits of physical activity and discusses the utility of perceived over actual assessments of physical activity in naturalistic settings.

Self-control motivationally reconsidered: “Acting” self-controlled is different to “being good” at self-control

Self-control is typically conceptualized as an inherent human skill, focusing on the imperative control of thoughts, feelings, and behavior. In the present research, we scrutinize this understanding by differentiating between an ability self-concept of self-control strength and experiential acts of self-control. Moreover, by taking a motivational perspective, we analyze how much of a role intrapsychic conflict plays in both conceptions of self-control, and with regard to psychological well-being. In cross-sectional Study 1 (N = 228), we compared a typicality measure of experiential acts of imperative self-control with the widely used Self-Control Scale (Tangney et al. in J Pers 72:271–322, 2004). Findings confirm that “being good” at self-control does not correspond to “acting” self-controlled, and that both measures show opposing relationships to intrapsychic conflict, as well as to well-being. In Study 2 (N = 114), we corroborated these findings by using an experience-sampling approach. Multilevel analyses showed that between-person differences (Level 2) in self-control strength were generally unrelated to experiential acts of self-control in everyday life. By contrast, we found a positive Level 2 effect for acting self-controlled. With regard to momentary affect, both between- and within differences (Level 1) in acting self-controlled served as substantial predictors, in addition to momentary self-determination. Other context-dependent effects (i.e., studying vs. leisure time) further emphasize the need to consider motivational interpretations of self-control (strength).

Informing Workplace Sedentary Behavior Interventions Through Momentary Affective States And Email-based Prompts.

PURPOSE: The study aimed to (a) examine the effect of momentary affective states on workplace sedentary behavior (WSB); and (b) test the proximal effects of email-based prompts on WSB. METHODS: Office workers with sit-stand desks were recruited in a two-part 20-workday study. In part A, participants completed ecological momentary assessments (EMA; at 3 random times/day) of affective states. Each EMA response was matched with behavioral outcomes (i.e., time spent sedentary, standing, or moving proceeding each EMA response). Part B involved a micro-randomized prompt-based trial. Prompt delivery was randomized to be sent (ST) or not sent (NST) to all participants (probability of 0.5), at eight decision points per day between 9am and 5pm. Half of the prompts encouraged standing and the other half encouraged moving. An activPAL device was used continuously through the 20 days to measure WSB. Multilevel models were used to examine the associations of workplace behaviors and affective states. General estimating equations were used to examine the likelihood of a response to a prompt (i.e., transition from sitting to standing/moving) over the proceeding 5 and 30 min intervals. All models were adjusted for age, gender, race, and job type. RESULTS: Participants (N = 18; 56% females) who completed part A contributed 493 EMA responses (27.4±13.3 EMA responses/participant). When examining momentary relationships, individuals sat less (b[SE]= -3.9[1.8], p=.02) and stood more (b[SE]= 3.5[1.6], p=.02) in the hour following higher than usual energy and sat less (b[SE]= -2.8[1.4], p=.04) and moved more (b[SE]= 1.2[0.4], p<.01) following higher than usual intentions to stand/ move. Among participants (N = 15; 67% female; age = 50.9 ± 9.5yrs) who completed part B, 1147 decision points occurred when seated. Participants were 42% more likely to transition from sitting to standing within 5 mins when a prompt was sent (OR[95%CI] = 1.4[1.1, 1.8], p<.01). Stand prompts were 25% more likely to elicit a transition (OR[95%CI] = 1.6[1.2, 2.0], p<.01) than move prompts (OR[95%CI] = 1.3[1.0, 1.7], p<.05). CONCLUSIONS: Prompts may be an effective complementary strategy to encourage sit-stand desks use. Information regarding context (i.e., affective states and intentions) may complement these findings in developing just-in-time interventions.

Is Perceived Growth Associated with Momentary Indicators of Health and Well-Being in People with Asthma or Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Perceived growth (PG) refers to perceptions of positive changes that unfold over time after experiencing trauma. Higher PG is often associated with positive long-term health, but the processes through which PG may influence health are unclear. The present study examines two potential pathways among individuals living with asthma or RA: (1) by promoting momentary indicators of health and well-being in everyday life, and (2) by buffering against stress. In a micro-longitudinal design, 128 participants with asthma (n = 97) or rheumatoid arthritis (n = 31) reported perceived growth using the Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG) Inventory and subsequently completed ecological momentary assessments (EMAs) for one week. Participants were signaled five times a day to report on health-related indicators, including affect, disease interference, social interactions, and stress. Multilevel modeling revealed that higher PTG was associated with significantly less negative affect and greater positive affect in everyday life. There were no significant associations between PTG and momentary disease interference, pleasantness of social interactions, or stress, nor evidence that PTG buffered against effects of stress on health-related outcomes. This research highlights the utility of examining PG in everyday life. Results suggest that closer examination of momentary affect as a process by which PG may facilitate positive health outcomes is warranted.

Correction: Exploring the Relationship between Experiential Avoidance, Coping Functions and the Recency and Frequency of Self-Harm.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0159854.].

The Big Five, everyday contexts and activities, and affective experience

Prior research shows that personality traits predict time spent with different people and frequency of engagement in different activities. Further, personality traits, company, and activity are related to the experience of affect. However, little research has examined personality, context, and affect together in the same study. In the current study, 78 people described their Big Five traits and took part in a 1-week experience sampling study using mobile phones as a means for data collection. Participants indicated their current company, activity, and momentary affect along the dimensions of energetic arousal (EA), tense arousal (TA), and hedonic tone (HT). Poisson regressions revealed that traits predicted higher frequencies of trait-consistent contexts: for example, extraversion was related to more frequently being with various types of company. Results predicting contexts from multilevel logistic regressions were sparser. Multilevel models revealed that traits and contexts had main effects on affect, yet there were relatively few interactions of traits X contexts predicting affect. We discuss more specific implications of these findings.