Positive Emotional Reactions Research Articles

Hazardous gambling behavior is associated withamplified emotional reactivity togamblingoutcomes.

Emotion dysregulation has been suggested to play a role in gambling-related harm, but past gambling research has typically assessed emotion dysregulation via self-report surveys rather than in a gambling context. Here, we sought to investigate how the severity of participants' hazardous gambling behavior was associated with their emotional reactivity and choice behavior within a simulated slot-machine task. Participants (N = 100) recruited via Prolific completed a behavioral task involving repeated choices between two simulated slot-machines. When chosen, slot-machines could produce one of five outcome types (win/near-win/neutral/near-loss/loss). After each outcome, participants reported their subjective emotional valence. Emotion data were analysed using a beta-autoregressive computational model, allowing us to extract per-participant estimates of trial-by-trial emotional reactivity to different slot-machine outcomes. Correlation analyses revealed that people who engaged in more hazardous gambling behavior (higher PGSI scores) showed greater emotional reactivity to all slot-machine outcome types (all Spearman ρ > |0.31|, all p < 0.01, corrected for multiple comparisons). There were no significant associations between patterns of choice behavior and PGSI scores. Within a simulated slot-machine task, individuals who engaged in more hazardous gambling behavior showed greater emotional reactivity in general (more positive emotional reactions to wins and more negative emotional reactions to unpleasant events such as losses and near-wins). These results are consistent with a model in which emotion dysregulation is a risk factor for gambling-related harm, and serve to validate this model in a more naturalistic setting.

Circulating sex hormones and positive emotion: A new target in understanding risk for affective disorders.

Sex differences in affective disorders suggest the role of circulating sex hormones in risk. Prior research has almost exclusively focused on distal symptom outcomes and negative emotions with mixed results. However, the emerging evidence of an etiological link between positive emotion responsivity and lifetime risk for affective disorders suggests that investigating the relationship between sex hormones and proximal, positive emotional reactivity needs further exploration. The present study investigated the relationship between estradiol and progesterone and implicit and explicit expression of positive emotion, in addition to negative emotion. Sixty-two female undergraduates completed questionnaires, passive drool collection, and idiographic interviews that elicited emotion in response to negative and positive emotion-inducing prompts. Implicit emotion was measured using spontaneous positive and negative word use and explicit emotion was based on ratings of affective experience. ANOVAs, including equivalence testing, revealed that there were no differences between naturally cycling women and hormonal birth control users, and groups were found to be equivalent on most outcome variables. Thus, groups were combined to test specific hormone-emotion associations. Hierarchical regression revealed significant inverse associations between the level of estradiol and both implicit positive word use and explicit reports of positive affect during the negative interview prompt and explicit positive affect in the positive prompt, even when controlling for depression symptoms. No significant main or interaction effects were detected for progesterone. The results of this initial study suggest a modulatory role for estradiol on positive affect which may influence emotion responsivity and have potential impacts on lifetime risk for affective disorders.

Examining Negativity Biases in Facial Emotion Reactions in Young Persons First Presenting with Borderline Personality Disorder

Introduction: Individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD) are thought to experience specific biosocial vulnerabilities that give rise to a maladaptive negativity bias in the perception and expression of emotions. However, while this negative bias has been identified in adults with full threshold BPD or high BPD features, it is unclear whether it is evident earlier in the course of the disorder – that being, young persons with first-presentation BPD meeting three or more BPD features, as defined by early intervention models. Methods: The current study compared patterns of facial responding in individuals aged 15–25 years first presenting to a specialist outpatient service with three or more BPD features (n = 32) to age-matched healthy controls (n = 46). Facial electromyography was used to assess muscle activity associated with positive (zygomaticus major) and negative (corrugator supercilii) expression while participants viewed happy, angry, and neutral facial expressions. Results: The data revealed that negative facial emotional reactivity for the BPD group did not significantly differ from the control group. However, the results for positive emotional reactivity were more nuanced, indicating that while there was not an overall between-group difference, there might be an effect of time suggestive of a slower positive emotional reaction to happy faces by the BPD group. Conclusions: These data provide initial evidence that negatively biased emotional expression, when responding with negative facial expressions to neutral, happy, or angry faces, is not evident in young persons first presenting to a specialist outpatient service for treatment of BPD. However, a bias may be demonstrated by what appears to be a slower positive affective response to happy faces. The implications of these findings are discussed, particularly in relation to factors associated with chronicity of illness that might potentially contribute to the development of a more pronounced negativity bias later in the course of the illness. We encourage further examination of negativity biases in the developmental sequelae of BPD via longitudinal design or cross-sectional designs that include BPD participants across the course of illness, as well as further research to explore the possibility that positive affective reactions in this group might not be grossly blunted but rather delayed.

Measuring Emotional Reactivity: Reliability and Validity of the Turkish Versions of the Perth Emotional Reactivity Scale (PERS) and its Short Form (PERS-S)

Objective: Individual differences in emotional reactivity are generally investigated using psychophysiological measures and self-report scales. This study aimed to adapt the Perth Emotional Reactivity Scale (PERS) and its short form (PERS-S), which assess individual differences in emotional reactivity to positive and negative emotions with three subscales (activation, intensity, and duration), into Turkish. Method: Participants (N=393, 73% female; for usable data) completed the PERS and other related measures including positive and negative affect, emotion dysregulation, and psychological distress symptoms. Results: Confirmatory factor analyses supported the 6-factor structure of both the PERS and PERS-S. Results also showed that the Turkish versions of the scales can be used as 6- or 2-factor scales, depending on the research interest (PERS: χ2/df = 4.15, CFI=0.9, NFI= 0.9, RMSEA= 0.09 [0.085 - 0.094]; PERS-S= χ2/df = 3.19, CFI=0.96, NFI=0.94, RMSEA= 0.075 [0.067 - 0.083]). The positive and negative emotional reactivity subscales showed satisfactory internal consistencies (all ’s &gt; .63) and two-week test-retest reliability levels (all r’s &gt; .62) and were correlated with emotion dysregulation, psychopathology, and positive/negative affect. Conclusion: The Turkish versions of PERS and PERS-S are reliable and valid tools for measuring individual differences in emotional reactivity.

Testing family-of-origin sensitization: Parent-adolescent conflict, emotional reactivity, and adolescent internalizing psychopathology.

Building on the sensitization hypothesis, the present work aimed to examine how parent-adolescent conflict might be associated with heightened emotional reactivity to peer conflicts, which in turn shape the development of adolescent internalizing psychopathology. Participants were 108 Taiwanese adolescents between the ages of 18 and 19 (Mage = 18.53, SDage = 0.39; 64% female) who completed baseline assessments, 14-day daily surveys, and 6-month follow-up assessments. Emotional reactivity was measured by calculating the daily association between peer conflict and positive and negative emotions. Results indicated that greater baseline parent-adolescent conflict was associated with higher negative emotional reactivity to peer conflicts, which then predicted increased depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms 6 months later. Moreover, greater positive emotional reactivity to peer conflicts (i.e., more declines in positive emotions in response to peer conflicts) predicted increased depressive symptoms. Thus, the findings of the current study support and extend the sensitization hypothesis and suggest that parent-adolescent conflict may contribute to family-of-origin sensitization in non-familial, interpersonal contexts. The results have key implications for understanding adolescent developmental psychopathology associated with family conflicts and emotional reactivity.

Assessing the Effectiveness of Tourism Promotional Videos: Creativity, Emotional Impact, Perceived Quality, and Attitude Towards the Destination

Tourism promotional videos (TPVs) are widely used by destination management organizations (DMOs) in promotional campaigns. With the aim of opening new research perspectives in the field of tourism promotion, this article proposes a model for evaluating the effectiveness of TPVs—the Emovie model—conceptually anchored in studies on transformational and symbolic advertising. The model describes the interrelationship of four constructs: artistic value, positive emotional impact, perceived quality of the video, and perceived quality of the destination. The model was tested in three empirical studies carried out in parallel and using the same methodological procedures for quantitative analysis, applied to three samples totaling 674 individuals. The results show that the creativity and originality of TPVs elicit positive emotional reactions, resulting in favorable attitudes towards the message and the destination. This study is particularly important because it provides DMOs with a tool for evaluating the effectiveness of their promotional videos.

Computational Power and Subjective Quality of AI-Generated Outputs: The Case of Aesthetic Judgement and Positive Emotions in AI-Generated Art

As AI technology advances, important questions arise about how the computational power behind these models affects human perception of AI-generated contents. Furthermore, the significant energy consumption of resource-heavy AI models brings growing environmental concerns as the demand for computational resources continues to rise. This research examines the influence of computational power in AI-generated art on human aesthetic perception and emotional response. A group of 100 participants evaluated several artworks either produced by humans or created by an AI operating at three distinct levels of quality, corresponding to varying computational demands. The results showed that participants preferred AI-generated artworks created with greater computational effort, indicating higher likability and more positive emotional reactions. However, the improvements in perception and emotion were modest and exhibited diminishing returns as computational power increased. The study addresses ethical concerns, including the environmental impact of the large computational resources generative AI requires and its implications for sustainable AI development.

PADANAN PINTAR: TOWARDS A GAME-BASED APPROACH FOR REGULATING SENSORY AND EMOTIONAL OVERLOAD IN CHILDREN WITH ASD

This research aimed to develop an interactive game application to help children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) manage sensory and emotional overload, which often leads to behavioural issues like tantrums. The game was designed by gaining a deeper understanding of ASD through interviews and observations. Key game requirements were identified to create an optimal experience for this specific audience. The result was the development of Padanan Pintar, a mobile application aimed at reducing sensory overload while promoting emotional regulation in children with ASD. Additionally, the game has the potential to improve cognitive skills by maintaining control over emotional and behavioural responses. User testing with autistic children showed positive engagement, emotional reactions, and behavioural outcomes. These results suggest that the game effectively provides a calming effect, minimizes sensory overload, and encourages relaxation.

METHODS OF PEDAGOGICAL CORRECTION: ADVANCED FOREIGN EXPERIENCE

Introduction. In the organization of pedagogical correction, general and special methods are selected based on the goals of correction. It would be wrong to divide the methods into good or bad methods. The effectiveness of educational influence depends on several factors and the fulfilment of pedagogical requirements, the logic of choosing and using methods, and the sequence of their practical application. By logically approaching the choice of correction methods, it is necessary to take into account the content of the problem, the purpose of correction, the characterological characteristics of students, the existing material and technical base, and the social environment of objects of correctional influence. Methods. Analysis of foreign scientific literature, dissertations and articles on methods of pedagogical correction of students and their practical application. Results. The methods used in the implementation of pedagogical correction measures in secondary general education schools in developed foreign countries, first of all, help students to understand themselves as individuals, control and manage their behaviour, and eliminate the sources of existing negative stereotypes in their behaviour and behaviour. aimed at developing reflection aimed at identifying and taking measures to increase the types of positive emotional reactions. Pedagogical correction methods are based on reflection on the organization of the self-management process by assessing the situation and identifying the source of negative emotions using algorithms for working with negative emotions in emotogenic situations. Conclusion. Orientation of correctional activities to the development of reflection, which helps to identify the sources of negative stereotypes in the student's behaviour and to take measures to increase the types of positive emotional reactions, the formation of the qualities of activity, enthusiasm and curiosity, and the development of the ability to analyze and evaluate one's behaviour and compare it with the planned goal will help.

Parental Sexual Socialization, Sexual Subjectivity, and Emotional Responses to Sexual Experiences among Adolescent Girls.

This study explored girls' sexual subjectivity as a pathway through which parental socialization influenced their emotions about past sexual experiences. A national online survey of 397 adolescent girls (Mage = 16.8 years) from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds (33.0% Black, 25.7% Latina, 28.0% non-Hispanic White) assessed (1) parental messaging emphasizing relational, sex-positive, gendered sex role, abstinence-only, and sex-is-taboo discourses; (2) girls' sexual subjectivity including sexual body esteem, entitlement to sexual pleasure, and perceived sexual control; and (3) positive and negative emotional reactions to sexual experiences. Sexual subjectivity fully mediated the positive effect of relational messaging on positive emotional reactions and the negative effect on negative emotional reactions. Additionally, sexual subjectivity partially mediated the positive effect of gendered sex role messaging on negative emotional reactions. This study draws critical attention to placing the psychological aspects of girls' sense of their own sexuality and the emotional components of their sexual experience at the forefront of understanding the influence of parental sexual socialization on the sexual experiences of adolescent girls.

Adolescent Emotional Reactivity in Family and School Contexts: Prospective Links to Adolescent Psychopathology.

Emotional reactivity has been linked to adolescent psychopathology and mental health problems. However, limited research has investigated the distinct associations between emotional reactivity in multiple interpersonal contexts and the development of adolescent psychopathology. The current study examined emotional reactivity to interparental conflict, parent-adolescent conflict, and school problems as predictors of adolescent internalizing problems, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms six months later. The sample included 139 adolescents (54% girls; Mage = 13.30, SDage = 0.73) and their parents who completed 10-day daily reports and 6-month follow-up assessments in Taiwan. Results showed that negative emotional reactivity to interparental conflict was associated with increased internalizing problems, depressive symptoms, and anxiety symptoms, after controlling for emotional reactivity to parent-adolescent conflict and school problems, outcomes at baseline, mean negative emotions, and sex. Furthermore, the associations between both positive and negative emotional reactivity to interparental conflict and adolescent anxiety symptoms was stronger for girls than boys. Findings suggested that heightened emotional reactivity to interparental conflict is a risk factor for predicting adolescent psychopathology, especially for girls' anxiety symptoms. Results highlight the importance of emotional reactivity across multiple interpersonal contexts in adolescence.

Emotional Reactions of Professionals to Challenging Behaviors in People with Intellectual and Developmental Disability.

Professionals working with people with intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) can be exposed to challenging behaviors (CBs), which may result in professionals exhibiting emotional reactions that can impact their practices. This study examined these reactions and analyzed how they are influenced by the individual characteristics of people with IDD (gender, age, and level of IDD) and the variables related to CB (type of behavior and its frequency and behavioral function). A total of 125 professionals assessed 293 people with IDD who exhibited CBs. The professionals were asked to complete the Behavior Problems Inventory-Short Form, the Emotional Reactions to Challenging Behavior Scale, and the Questions About Behavior Function measure. It was revealed that positive emotional reactions predominated over negative ones. Significant results were found regarding the level of disability and the age of people with IDD. Emotional reactions were related to the severity of CBs, especially self-injurious and aggressive/destructive behavior, as well as certain behavioral functions. The severity of CBs and the age of people with IDD emerge as key predictors of the emotional reactions of professionals. In short, these reactions vary according to different variables, highlighting the importance of interventions that address professionals' emotional needs.

The authenticity dilemma: towards a theory on the conditions and effects of authentic learning

A highly authentic learning setting is likely to trigger positive motivational and emotional reactions due to its emphasis on promoting the acquisition of knowledge that is connected and transferable to real-world phenomena outside the learning environment. However, a high level of authenticity is usually accompanied by a high level of complexity due to the complexity inherent in the real world. This complexity can be overwhelming for learners and can hamper or even prevent cognitive learning outcomes. Consequently, to help learners cope with this complexity, they need some kind of instructional support. By building a high level of support into the learning setting in order to promote cognitive learning outcomes, the level of authenticity and thereby the effects of authenticity on motivational outcomes may, however, in turn be reduced. In the present conceptual paper, we refer to this tension between authenticity and complexity, on the one hand, and instructional support, on the other hand, as the “authenticity dilemma”. Based on existing empirical evidence from previous studies, we (1) outline this dilemma, (2) discuss ways to reconceptualize it, and (3) derive implications regarding the conditions and effects of authentic learning. Finally, we discuss the findings of the studies included in the special issue “Perspectives on Authentic Learning” through the lens of the authenticity dilemma.

Consumer reactions to direct-to-consumer advertising: the model of goal-directed behavior, moral identity, and self-discrepancy regulation

ABSTRACT We use the model of goal-directed behavior to investigate consumer reactions to direct-to-consumer drug ads and ascertain the self-regulatory roles of moral identity and the self-concept. Four hundred and four university students, who are prime targets for smart-drugs, were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups, and side-effects were manipulated. Findings show that, as consumer moral identity increases, positive emotional and attitudinal reactions decline and have diminishing effects on desires and decisions to buy smart-drugs. Likewise, as the correspondence of self-concept and desires increases, the effects of desire on decisions increase.

It is not just ‘the opposite of jealousy’: a Buddhist perspective on the emotion of compersion in consensually non-monogamous relationships

Compersion is an affective state commonly discussed in the context of consensually non-monogamous relationships. It is typically described as a positive emotional reaction to one’s partner’s enjoying time and/or intimacy with another person, sort of ‘the opposite of jealousy’. Recent years have seen an increased interest in this seemingly startling emotion. Part of what makes understanding compersion so difficult is the mononormative expectations of our culture. We suggest that a non-Western, in particular Buddhist, perspective might be more helpful to understand that love and/or intimacy need not be an affair between two people only. We approach compersion through a Buddhist lens based on the ‘four immeasurables’, i.e. non-egocentric states that Buddhists take to promote well-being, and their ‘near enemies’, i.e. states which are easily conflated with them, but egocentric and harmful. Our goal is not to formulate a definition of compersion, nor to raise a normative bar for anyone who feels compersion, but to describe important facets of it that stand out more clearly against a Buddhist background than they might otherwise do. Such an approach not only enriches our understanding of compersion but contributes to people’s flourishing in all kinds of relationships and shows that non-monogamous relationships might be compatible with some forms of Buddhist practice.

Chemosensory analysis of emotional wines: Merging of explicit and implicit methods to measure emotions aroused by red wines

Wine is a cultural product capable of arousing emotions. Measuring emotions and figuring out how much they could influence preferences or purchase decisions of consumers is a new trend in sensory and consumer research. However, the complexity of feelings makes the measure of emotions extremely challenging. Thus, a comprehensive understanding of emotions related to sensory stimuli in wine tasting is still missing. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the emotional power of tasting red wines using a multidisciplinary approach, combining sensory analysis performed by trained panelists, implicit and explicit measurements of emotions and chemical analysis of the wines tasted. Various red wines, renowned for their high polyphenol content and expected to exhibit rich texture, mouthfeel, and aging potential, have been utilized to this extent. The results obtained showed that the emotions measured were well-correlated with quantitative and hedonic attributes obtained using classic sensory analysis. Some aromatic molecules can be identified as markers capable of eliciting positive and negative emotional reactions. While increasing literature in the topic is recently available, our study appears to be the first highlighting the presence of autonomic nervous system (ANS) differences verified by means of electrocardiogram (ECG) features, related to explicit and complete sensory patterns, in response to sensory stimuli related to emotional wine, with higher sympathetic values at extrema and vagal increase in the presence of neutral sensory compounds.

Empathetic and Emotive Design Heuristics.

The design of user interfaces and systems that promote positive emotional interaction and reaction from end users is becoming a critical area in the design of applications and systems for use by the general population. In this paper we describe our work in the creation of a set of empathetic design heuristics that were developed from examination of the literature in this area within the context of healthcare user interface design. The heuristics and their potential application are explored.

Associations between emotional reactivity to stress and adolescent substance use: Differences by sex and valence.

Although stress is often related to substance use, it remains unclear whether substance use is related to individual differences in how adolescents respond to stress. Therefore the present study examined associations between substance use and daily emotional reactivity to stress within a year across adolescence. Adolescents (N=330; Mage=16.40, SD=0.74 at study entry; n=186 female; n=138 Latine; n=101 European American; n=72 Asian American; n=19 identifying as another ethnicity including African American and Middle Eastern) completed a longitudinal study, including three assessments between the 10th grade and 3-years post-high school. At each assessment, participants reported frequency of alcohol and cannabis use and the number of substances they had ever used. They also completed 15 daily checklists, in which they reported the number of daily arguments and their daily emotion. Multilevel models suggested that more frequent alcohol and cannabis use were related to attenuated positive emotional reactivity to daily stress (i.e., smaller declines in positive emotion on days when they experienced more arguments) for both male and female adolescents. Associations for negative emotional reactivity to stress varied by sex; more frequent alcohol use and use of more substances in one's lifetime were related to greater anxious emotional reactivity to stress among female adolescents, whereas more frequent alcohol and cannabis use and higher lifetime substance use were related to attenuated depressive emotional reactivity to stress among male adolescents. Taken together, substance use was related to emotional reactivity to daily stress within the same year during adolescence, although associations differed by valence and adolescent sex.

See it, share it: what makes social media content viral in the higher education context? The power of positive affective content

PurposeThis research examines how universities enhance the virality of their social media messages among students. Specifically, we explore whether and how positive affective content in universities’ social media posts can influence sharing behavior. We also investigate the mediating roles of perceived effort and positive emotional reaction, as well as the moderating effect of visual content (i.e. photos).Design/methodology/approachDrawing upon the emotions as social information model, we conducted (1) an online experiment (N = 222) and (2) text analysis of 1,269,798 Twitter posts extracted from the accounts of 94 UK universities over 11 years (2010–2020) to test our hypotheses.FindingsThe findings show that social media posts containing positive affective content encourage sharing behavior and the relationship is mediated by both perceived effort and positive emotional reaction. An additional finding suggests that the use of visual content (photos) strengthens the relationship between positive affective content and sharing behaviors through an interaction effect.Originality/valueThis study contributes to the scant research focusing on positive affective content in the higher education context. The findings shed light on how universities could create social media communications that engage current and prospective students.

Patient experiences of receiving a diagnosis of hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome.

Hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS) presents with a wide range of clinical symptoms and comorbidities that impact quality of life. The diagnosis is challenging and often delayed due to the heterogeneity of the disease and lack of diagnostic biomarkers, which adds to the disease burden by affecting patients' psychosocial adaptation and overall well-being. Previous studies have revealed that healthcare professionals and the public have a limited understanding and familiarity with the condition, which leads to disapproval and skepticism that greatly impact patients' social spheres and welfare. While physical manifestations have been widely discussed, the psychosocial impact and the importance of receiving a diagnosis have not been fully studied in the current literature. This survey study investigated the impact of diagnosis in hEDS patients, selected from the University of Miami's hEDS registry. Survey questions were formulated based on clinical expertise and literature review. Descriptive statistics, Mann-Whitney test, and Spearman's correlation were used for data analysis. The median age at symptom presentation was 10 years, with a median gap of 4 years before the initial medical evaluation. On average, it took 10 years to receive a diagnosis of hEDS. Nearly all participants (95.2%) expressed receiving a diagnosis as "important" or "highly important," with 81.9% agreeing that it helped them cope with their condition better, 76.8% could better manage their symptoms, and felt more in control of their long-term care. Participants mostly had a positive emotional reaction and experienced an improvement in the support they were receiving from their caregivers and healthcare providers after receiving a diagnosis of hEDS. This study demonstrates that receiving a diagnosis could positively impact the patient's support, quality of care, and overall well-being.