Positive Emotional Experiences Research Articles

Decoding Age-Related Changes in Emotional Reactivity: The Importance of Distinguishing Positive and Negative Sensations

This study investigated age-related variations in emotional reactivity, focusing on the differentiation between positive and negative emotional sensations. Grounded in Socioemotional Selectivity Theory (SST), we hypothesized that older vs. younger adults would exhibit heightened valence and intensity in their emotional sensations, alongside increased co-occurrence of positive and negative sensations. We presented 100 negative, 100 neutral, and 100 positive images to 67 young adults and 72 older adults. Utilizing unipolar scales enabled a nuanced analysis of emotional reactivity. Our findings revealed that older vs. younger adults overall report: 1) more positive and negative sensations, with a predominance for positive sensations, particularly when faced with positive images; 2) more intense sensations, regardless of the valence of the images; 3) more complex emotional sensations, particularly when faced with negative images. Thus, our findings validated the key principles of SST and can be seen as a manifestation of an adaptive strategy developed in older adults to promote richer, more positive emotional experiences. However, the study’s broader implications are moderated by certain limitations. The experimental sample shows a gender imbalance, with a predominance of females and a lack of racial, ethnic and socio-economic diversity in older adults. In addition, the low- to medium-intensity emotional stimuli reflect only a narrow spectrum of everyday experiences. These constraints underscore the need for future research to encompass greater demographic inclusion and a wider range of emotional stimuli to ensure the applicability of our findings to more complex populations and emotional landscapes.

The curvilinear relationship between perceived stress and spicy food craving in Young females: A non-linear mediation effect of positive emotional experience of spicy food consumption

The curvilinear relationship between perceived stress and spicy food craving in Young females: A non-linear mediation effect of positive emotional experience of spicy food consumption

The interactive effect of integral and incidental emotions on creative metaphor performance

Prior research on the relationship between emotion and creativity has mostly focused on the influence of incidental emotions on creative performance. The present study aimed to explore how incidental and integral emotions interact to influence the generation of creative metaphors from the perspective of the affect priming theory. In the study, we applied video clips to induce participants’ positive or negative incidental emotions while selecting metaphors that ask participants to describe personal emotional experiences with positive or negative valence to manipulate integral emotions. Participants generated several metaphors immediately after watching the video clips. The study found that participants who watched happy (sad) videos generated the most creative metaphors when expressing positive (negative) emotional experiences, which suggests that integral and incidental emotions interact to influence the generation of creative metaphors through the emotion congruency effect. The results are further discussed from the perspective of affect priming theory.

Psychometric properties of the Partner Ambivalence Scale in middle-aged and older adults

Objectives Ambivalent feelings in a partner relationship, characterized by simultaneous positive and negative emotional experiences, can significantly influence individuals’ mental health. Traditionally measured indirectly, this study introduces the Partner Ambivalence Scale (PAS), developed for directly capturing the complexity of ambivalent emotions. This study aimed to analyze the psychometric properties of the PAS, and assess the effects of ambivalent feelings on partner relationship quality and depressive symptomatology. Method 390 individuals (60% women), 40 years or older (M = 60.88, SD = 10.7), and in a partner relationship, participated. Data collected included ambivalent feelings in couples, marital satisfaction, frequency of arguments, and depressive symptoms. Results The exploratory factor analysis of the PAS yielded a one factor structure explaining 59% of the variance of ambivalent feelings. Higher ambivalent feelings were associated with lower marital satisfaction, higher frequency of disagreements, and higher depressive symptoms. Even when controlling for covariates, ambivalent feelings contributed significantly to the explanation of depress on. Conclusion The PAS demonstrates good psychometric properties, making it suitable for use with middle-aged and older adults. Ambivalent feelings toward the partner are significant for understanding partner relationship quality and mental health and may increase vulnerability to depressive symptoms during middle and older age.

Fairness matters for change: A multilevel study on organizational change fairness, proactive motivation, and change-oriented OCB.

The success of organizational change often hinges on the perception of fairness within a change unit. This group-level organizational change fairness is crucial for enhancing proactive motivation states and fostering positive change-oriented organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Rooted in the proactive motivation model, this study establishes a comprehensive multilevel framework to investigate the influence of group-level organizational change fairness on employees' change-oriented OCB. It explores the mediating role of three proactive motivational states and the moderating impact of perceived change impact. Analyzing data collected from 597 employees within 107 teams across 43 Chinese companies, our findings indicate that group-level perceived organizational change fairness significantly predicts employees' change-oriented OCB through organizational change self-efficacy, involvement, and positive emotional experiences. Furthermore, the study reveals that group-level perceived change impact moderates the relationship between group-level fairness perception and both change self-efficacy and positive emotional experiences, with stronger associations observed under conditions of low perceived change impact. These insights notably advance our understanding of the cross-level determinants influencing change-oriented OCB through perceived fairness and proactive motivation. Managers should focus on developing fairness perceptions to stimulate OCB by fostering employees' proactive motivation states, particularly during low-impact organizational changes. Our findings provide valuable implications for organizational change management practices.

Daily effects of a brief compassion-focused intervention for self-compassion.

Interventions for increasing self-compassion are typically assessed through retrospective reports, which may not accurately capture everyday self-compassionate behaviour. Our study addresses this using experience sampling to evaluate a brief compassion-focused intervention's effects on needs for self-compassion, awareness of opportunities for self-compassion, self-compassionate behaviour and emotional responses to one's distress in daily life. Results indicated that the intervention was associated with less likelihood of reporting needs and opportunities for self-compassion but with no difference in self-compassionate actions or emotional experience. When participants acted self-compassionately, they reported more positive emotional experiences after needing self-compassion. This underscores the disparity between retrospective and ecological assessments, emphasizing the need for interventions to be evaluated in real-life contexts.

Qualitative Study on Active Exercise Experience in Patients with Coronary Heart Disease after PCI Surgery

Objective: To explore the positive exercise experience of patients with coronary heart disease after PCI surgery. Methods: purposive sampling was used to conduct semi-structured interviews with 15 patients with coronary heart disease after PCI in a tertiary hospital in Baise City from March to May 2024. The data was analyzed using the Colaizzi seven step method. Results: Three themes were extracted as a result. Knowledge is the foundation of active movement, including the transmission of external advantageous resources and actively absorbing new information; Belief is the driving force behind sports, including stimulating enthusiasm for sports, promoting sports consciousness, and enhancing sports confidence; Behavior is the foundation of exercise, including personalized formulation of exercise prescriptions, improvement of exercise compliance, and positive incentives for exercise experience. Conclusion: Patients with coronary heart disease after PCI can form positive emotional experiences during exercise, internalize internal and external advantageous resources into exercise beliefs, and stimulate exercise behavior. Nurses should be guided by the knowledge, belief, and action model to improve patients' mastery of motor knowledge, perceive positive incentives for exercise, and form sustained exercise behavior.

Positive emotional experiences and professional identity formation in novice preschool teachers in Taiwan

ABSTRACT This study explored the nexus between professional identity and the emotional experiences arising from comprehending children’s perspectives among seven Taiwanese novice preschool teachers. Thematic analysis was applied to assess drawings, photos, and individual interviews from the teachers. The study found that when novice preschool teachers comprehend children's perspectives on learning, teachers, and caring, it leads to positive emotional experiences. These experiences, in turn, shape their professional identities, enabling them to evolve as learners, scaffolders, role models, and creators of a nurturing environment. Furthermore, it emphasized the significance of these positive emotional experiences in affecting the novice preschool teachers ‘professional identity development and well-being. The study offered recommendation on how school contexts can support novice teachers in fostering positive emotions, and on how teacher education can shape teachers’ professional identity through awareness of positive emotional experiences.

Mapping perceived sentiments in university campuses with varied landscape metrics and climatic conditions.

A sustainable university campus should accommodate students to experience positive emotions, which can be evoked by sustainable landscape with green and blue spaces (GBS). This effect is location-dependent because local vegetative type is climate-determinative, but evidence is not sufficient for sentiments of people experiencing campus landscapes. Forty-seven university campuses were selected along a latitudinal gradient in mainland China, and 100 subjects were chosen per campus (50 indoor and 50 outdoor). Photos of the subjects' faces on Sina Weibo were collected. Facial expressions were assigned happy, sad, and neutral scores (n = 4,334). The average temperature (AveT) and blue space area (BlueA) showed negative relationships with latitude, thereby generating neutral emotion scores for subjects at indoor and outdoor locations. The ratio of green space area to host campus was the only landscape metric that depressed the presentation of happiness and enhanced sadness levels. Large water bodies should be built on campuses to induce calmness, and a high ratio of green spaces should be avoided. Mapping results show that campuses in eastern regions (Beijing and Liaoning) tend to elicit positive sentiments more frequently.

Factors associated with Finnish, German and UK consumers' intentions to test, buy and recommend reusable fast-moving consumer goods packaging

This study investigates factors connected with consumers' intentions to test, buy and recommend reusable packaging for Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCGs) by extending the Theory of Planned Behavior model with positive and negative emotions as facilitators of intentions and all behavioral determinants (i.e. attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control). In addition, the connection of five perceived value dimensions (functional, emotional, social, price, environmental sustainability) and attitudes is explored. A conceptual model and relevant hypotheses were tested with consumers from Finland, Germany, and the UK (total N = 2400) through Partial Least Squares - Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). Main results show that positive emotions have a key role in consumers' assessment of reusable FMCG packaging: They have a direct and strong influence on intentions and also influence perceived behavioral control and subjective norms. Additionally, none of the examined perceived values had a significant connection with consumers' attitudes. Consumers' adoption of reusable FMCG packaging solutions can be encouraged through positive emotional experiences related to packaging reuse. Behavioral change and marketing strategies can support consumers' experiences by considering affect (e.g., positive emotions), cognition (e.g., perceived behavioral control), and social expectations (e.g., subjective norms) as influential factors.

The Impact of AI Usage on University Students' Willingness for Autonomous Learning.

As artificial intelligence (AI) technology becomes increasingly integrated into education, understanding the theoretical mechanisms that drive university students to adopt new learning behaviors through these tools is essential. This study extends the Expectation-Confirmation Model (ECM) by incorporating both cognitive and affective variables to examine students' current AI usage and their future expectations. The model includes intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, focusing on three key factors: positive emotions, digital efficacy, and willingness for autonomous learning. A survey of 721 valid responses revealed that positive emotions, digital efficacy, and satisfaction significantly influence continued AI usage, with positive emotions being particularly critical. Digital efficacy and perceived usefulness also impact satisfaction, but long-term usage intentions are more effectively driven by positive emotions. Furthermore, digital efficacy strongly affects the willingness for autonomous learning. Therefore, higher education institutions should promote AI technology, enhance students' expectation-confirmation levels, and emphasize positive emotional experiences during AI use. Adopting a "human-machine symbiosis" model can foster active learning, personalized learning pathways, and the development of students' digital efficacy and innovation capabilities.

Gifted, high achieving, and accelerated Learners' mental health through the lens of positive psychology

The study of mental health among gifted and accelerated learners has continued to evolve since the publication of a chapter focused on their subjective well-being. This article provides an updated review of mental health research focusing on gifted learners, specifically through understanding flourishing is routed in their experiences of positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment (PERMA theory). We explore literature published between 2017 and 2024 addressing PERMA as it relates to gifted, high-achieving, and accelerated youth. Recommendations for future research and practice are provided.

Language teachers’ emotions in online classrooms: Relations among teachers’ appraisals of classroom events, emotional responses, and instructional practices

Drawing upon Frenzel’s (2014) framework of appraisals, the current study explored language teachers’ emotional experiences and their antecedents in the online teaching context. Moreover, the interrelations between teachers’ emotions and their instructional practices were also investigated. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with eleven language teachers from a top-tier international university in China. Our findings revealed that positive appraisals of online classroom events, including goal attainment, the capacity in and responsibility of effectively delivering lessons online, and the importance teachers attached to online teaching, tended to result in positive emotional experiences, which consequently led to motivational stimulations in more creative and productive instructional practices. By contrast, teachers who had negative appraisals of online teaching events tended to experience more unpleasant emotions and emotional vulnerability, which would possibly impede effective instructional practices and steer their teaching towards more traditional teaching methods. Our study contributes to the understanding of the relations among teachers’ appraisals of classroom events, emotional experiences, and instructional practices in online language classrooms. Implications for how to prepare teachers emotionally for online teaching are also discussed.

Enhancing User Experience on Social Media Platforms: A Flow Theory-Based Approach

In recent years, social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter have seen rapid growth and are favored by users of all ages. However, in the age of information overload, the quality of interactions on social media platforms varies significantly, leading to negative feelings among users and affecting their overall experience and loyalty. This study takes the Flow theory as its starting point and investigates the needs of social media users at various stages of the flow experience. We propose modifications to the flow theory model with the aim of enhancing user experience and satisfaction. Firstly, based on literature review, we identify micro-level issues of the product, propose hypotheses, and construct validation experiments in the context of social media. The experiment collects Electrodermal Activity (EDA) and heart rate variability (HRV) data of 31 participants using a multi-channel physiological instrument and collects their emotional experience data using the Pleasure-Arousal-Dominance (PAD) scale. Results indicate that a combined textual-graphical interface layout is superior to other layouts in positively inducing flow and emotional experiences. Positive content tonality is more effective at eliciting positive flow and emotional experiences than negative or neutral content. Video presentations have a stronger sense of immersion and emotional expression, making them more conducive to inducing flow experiences and positive emotional feedback. This study, grounded in user psychology, provides a theoretical framework based on flow and emotional experiences for social media product design, quantitatively examining the positive psychological activities of users when using social media.

Young children's perceptions and experiences of school readiness during the transition from preschool to primary school in China

AbstractSchool readiness has a profound educational value for children's positive adjustment to primary school and holistic development. However, little research sufficiently addresses how young children view multifaceted components of learning, such as cognitive, affective and behavioural experiences on school readiness. A timely understanding of children's perceptions and experiences is crucial to shed light on how to promote transition and improve children's school readiness. This study investigated the perceptions and experiences of 41 children in China (5–6 years of age, 23 girls) regarding their school readiness based on Mosaic approach methods. The results indicated that young children have their own unique perceptions, emotional and behavioural experiences of school readiness. The perceptions of school readiness include four aspects of material supplies, subjects knowledge, interests and specialties and behavioural habits, which has similarities to that of adults in aspects of academic knowledge and social rules. Nevertheless, findings revealed young children view interests and strengths as important part of school readiness, reflecting their personal preferences and abilities. The emotional experiences could be considered positive or negative, with positive emotional experiences expressing children's curiosity and expectation, fulfilment and pleasure, and negative emotional experiences expressing academic burden, rules pressure and social worries, which need to be addressed. Young children's behavioural experiences with school readiness present two patterns of passive acceptance and active participation, they are eager to participate in activities and have a strong desire to explore and learn. Our findings extend beyond existing conception of school readiness, and give greater weight to children's interests and strengths, positive experiences and active participation. It is important to focus on children's intrinsic interests and strengths, accept children's ideas and choices, care for their emotional state and provide positive support.

Understanding Psychological Well-being and Resilience among College Nursing Students

Psychological well-being is defined as enhancing positive states and reducing negative states (Ryff, 1989; Ryff & Keyes, 1995). According to Ryff (1989), psychological well-being encompasses an individual's quality of life to other social units. It is characterized by two prominent varieties. The first refers to the extent to which people experience positive emotions and feelings of happiness. Sometimes this aspect of psychological well-being is referred to as subjective well-being (Diener, 2000). This type of psychological well-being is “Hedonic”, which is normally used to refer to the subjective feelings of happiness (Robertson & Cooper, 1999). It comprises two components, an affective component (high positive affect and low negative affect) and a cognitive component (satisfaction with life) (Robertson & Cooper, 1999). It is proposed that an individual experiences happiness when positive affect and satisfaction with life are both high (Carruthers & Hood, 2004).

Substance use disorder risk assessment: positive emotional experiences with first time use and substance use disorder risk.

Substance Use Disorder (SUD) screening tools used in current practice are designed to identify SUD once patients have begun regular dangerous drug use. While these screening tools are valuable, prevention and avoidance of SUD would save countless lives. The climbing number of deaths due to drug overdose make screening for and prevention of SUD imperative. This study addresses this care gap. The aim was to develop a simple screening tool for patients who may be prone to develop Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) and/or SUD prior to addiction. It was hypothesized that participants with initially positive emotional experiences would be correlated with a future SUD diagnosis. The study involved a self-administered survey using a cross-sectional design and was carried out over one-month in the spring of 2021. Those patients who presented to the MAT clinic (SUD group) were seen in a separate area than the patients presenting for urgent care (Comparison group). Participants (N=259) were voluntarily recruited from MAT and Urgent care: Patients receiving acute care were assigned to the Comparison (N = 126, 50.8% female, 5.7% non-white, 27.2% age < 34) and those receiving treatment for SUD were assigned to the MAT group (N =133, 40.8% female, 4.8% non-white, 36.8% ≤34). The survey questioned demographics (4 items), risk factors for AUD/SUD (6items), information about first alcohol/opioid experiences (16 items), and factors for seeking AUD/SUD treatment and recovery (2 items). Feelings were categorized as positive (e.g., euphoria, happiness, self-confident), neutral (e.g., nothing, normal), or negative (e.g., depressed, sad, sick). The MAT group felt more positive feelings with first usage of alcohol and opioids compared to the comparison group (p<.001). With first usage of opioids specifically, MAT (0.13 ± 0.04) and comparison (0.29 ± 0.07) groups differed (p <.001). Over half (55.3%), of the MAT participants reported feeling self-confident with first use of alcohol while only 29.7% of the comparison reported this (p<.001). Over three-fifths (63.7%) of the MAT group reported feeling of euphoria with the first usage of opioids compared to one-tenth (9.8%) in the comparison group (p<.001). This retrospective cross-sectional report shows the first affective responses to substances may predict risk for future SUD and could be a prevention screening tool. Asking patients about positive feelings with first usage of alcohol/opioids could be a simple screening tool employed for prevention.

What makes us feel good? A data-driven investigation of positive emotion experience.

What makes us feel good? A data-driven investigation of positive emotion experience.

Exploring the relationship between hybrid founder social identities and entrepreneurs’ psychological resilience

ABSTRACT This study explores the link between entrepreneurs’ hybrid founder social identity and psychological resilience, applying social identity theory and broaden-and-build theory. Psychological resilience is crucial for entrepreneurial success, given the challenging environments in which entrepreneurs operate. Yet, research on individual-level antecedents of entrepreneurs’ psychological resilience is limited. Entrepreneurs today strive to address social and ecological issues without sacrificing financial gain, making hybrid identity types—combining “opportunistic” (Darwinian) and “altruistic” (Communitarian or Missionary) elements—increasingly relevant. Analyzing survey data from 886 entrepreneurs, we find that entrepreneurs with specific hybrid identities (Darwinian-Communitarian or Darwinian-Missionary combinations) exhibit greater psychological resilience. We attribute this to their expanded ability to draw meanings and experience positive emotions from diverse sources, providing them with a broader psychological foundation to rely on in challenging times. This work enhances our understanding of entrepreneurs’ antecedents of psychological resilience and offers insights into the complexities of hybrid founder identities.

Collective free improvisation in the Flemish general music classroom: Probing student’s lived experience through flow

The aim of this study is to explore the lived experience of students ( N = 1,282) in general education engaging in collective free improvisation (CFI). Fourteen music teachers implemented a CFI lesson in 69 classes in Flanders (Belgium). Lived experience was measured using a Dutch version of the Flow State Scale for Occupational Tasks. This scale reflects the degree of Sense of Control, Positive Emotional Experience and Absorption by Concentrating. In addition, teachers’ reflections were mapped by means of an online survey. Overall scores on the 3 dimensions of the Flow scale averaged greater than or equal to 5 (7-point Likert scale). Results show a difference in total flow between students who already played an instrument and those who did not. Students who play an instrument score significantly higher on the factor ‘Sense of Control’. Conversely, the flow scores on the factors ‘Absorption by Concentration’ and ‘Positive Emotional Experience’ do not differ between instrumentalists and non-instrumentalists. Given the relatively high flow scores, we conclude that this type of musical engagement can be used for instrumentalists as well as non-instrumentalists. Although CFI was a new experience for the teachers, they indicated to continue using it in the future.