4thAnnual

Positive Emotions Pre-Conference oftheSocietyforAffectiveScience

April 27, 2017 Burroughs Room,

Westin Boston Waterfront Boston, MA

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

8:15 - 9:00am CONTINENTAL BREAKFAST

9:00 - 10:35am WELCOME AND SESSION A

Keely Muscatell, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 20 Michael Norton, Harvard University 20 BoKyung Park, Stanford University 8

Brendan Gaesser, University at Albany 6

Yang Wu, Massachusetts Institute of Technology 6 Amie Gordon, University of California, San Francisco 6

10:35 - 10:50am BREAK

10:50 – 12:15pm SESSION B

Gregory Bryant, University of California, Los Angeles 20 Shelly Gable, University of California, Santa Barbara 20 Claudia Haase, Northwestern University 8

Kuan-Hua Chen, University of California, Berkeley 6

Aaron Weidman, University of British Columbia 6 Adrienne Wood, University of Wisconsin 6

12:15 - 1:30pm LUNCH (MARINA BALLROOM) AND POSTER SESSION

(GALLERIA ROOM FROM 1:00-1:30)

1:30 - 2:55pm SESSION C

Jennifer Stellar, University of Toronto 20

Maya Tamir, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem 20 Joel Davies, University of New South Wales 8 Amy Gentzler, West Virginia University 6

Fausto Gonzalez, University of California, Berkeley 6

Suzanne Shdo, University of California, San Francisco 6

2:55 – 3:10pm BREAK

3:10 - 4:00pm KEYNOTE ADDRESS: David DeSteno, Northeastern University

20 20 minute talk 8 8 minute talk 6 6 minute talk

SessionA

1. BeyondAnhedonia:LinksBetweenInflammationandPositiveSocialExperiencesMuscatell,K.

2. InequalitiesinWealthandWell-BeingNorton,M.I.

3. IdealAffectMatchLowersNeuralHurdlestoGivingPark,B.,Blevins,E.,Knutson,B.,&Tsai,J.L.

Whydopeoplegivetoothers?Weproposethatpeoplemaygivemoretothosewhoseemotionalexpressionsmatchhowtheyideallywanttofeel(“idealaffectmatch”).Culturehasbeenshowntoshapeidealaffect,suchthatEuropeanAmericanswanttofeelexcitedandenthusiasticmoreandpeacefulandserenelessthanEastAsians.Weasked101EuropeanAmericansand65KoreanstoplaymultipletrialsofaDictatorGamewithrecipientswhovariedinemotionalexpression(excited,calm),race(White,Asian),andsex(male,female).Consistentwiththeirculture’svaluedaffect,EuropeanAmericansgavemoretorecipientswithanexcitedsmilethanthosewithacalmsmile,whereasKoreansgavemoretorecipientswithacalmsmilethanthosewithanexcitedsmile.Thesefindingsheldregardlessofrecipientraceandsex.WethenusedfMRItotestpossibleaffectiveand/ormentalizingmechanisms(N=36).Increasedactivityinthenucleusaccumbens(NAcc;associatedwithrewardanticipation)precededgiving,butsodiddecreasedactivityintherighttemporo-parietaljunction(rTPJ;associatedwithmentalizing).IdealaffectmatchenhancedgivingselectivelythroughdecreasedrTPJactivity,suggestingthatpeoplemaygivemoretostrangerswhoseemtosharetheiraffectivevalues,andthereforeinvoketrust.Thesefindingsmayhaveimplicationsfortheculturalspecificityofappealsforpositiveemotionalityandpolicyrelatedtothedistributionofresources.

4. FutureSimulationsofProsocialEpisodes:ThePositive,TheNegative,andtheNeutralGaesser,B.

Researchinaffectivepsychologyhasfocusedoninvestigatinghowouremotionalreactionstopeopleinneedshapeourmoraldecisionsofwhetherweshouldhelp.Yethelpingconsistsofmorethanrespondingtoapersoninavacuumbutratheraspecificeventunfoldingintimeandplace,withinwhichthepersonisembedded.Doesthewaythatweexperiencetheepisodicdetailsofahelpingevent,andtheaffectivesignalsthatarisefromthisepisode,alsoinformourwillingnesstohelp?InExperiments1(n=30,lab)&2(n=100,online),manipulatingthespatialrepresentationofimaginedfutureepisodeswasparticularlyeffectiveatincreasingawillingnesstohelpevenwhencontrollingforindividualdifferencesinempathicconcern(IRI)andprosociality(SVO).Pathmodelinganalysessuggestedthatsceneimageryinteractedwiththeoryofmind(enhancingconsiderationsofthethoughtsandfeelingsoftheperson

inneedembeddedinthehelpingepisode)infacilitatingprosocialresponses.InExperiments3(n=30,lab)&4(n=30,lab),manipulatingtheaffectivevalenceassociatedwiththesimulatedhelpingepisodeimpactedprosocialresponses,increasingawillingnesstohelpfollowingepisodesthatelicitedpositive(versusnegativeorneutral)affect.Sceneimageryandtheoryofmindsystematicallycoupledtogetherdependingontheaffectivevalenceofsimulatedepisodes.Consideredtogether,theseexperimentsprovidenewinsightintohowtheaffectivesignalarisingfromepisodicsimulationcanguidemoraldecisionsabouthelpingothersinneed.

5. Whoa!Aww…Ohh…Hee!andMmm:Infants’NuancedDistinctionsabouttheProbableCausesofEmotionalExpressionsWu,Y.,Muentener,P.,&Schulz,L.E.

Caninfantsmapdiversepositiveemotionalexpressionstotheirprobablecauses?Acrosstwostudies(includingonepre-registeredexperiment),weusedapreferential-lookingtasktofindthatinfantsasyoungas12-17months(mean:14.8months)successfullymatchednon-verbalvocalizationselicitedbyfunny,exciting,adorable,sympathetic,anddeliciousimagestotheirprobablecauses(Experiments1and2;N=64).Doinfantsalsopositunobservedcausesofemotionalexpressions?Inbothexploratoryandpre-registeredexperiments,anadultpeekedintoaboxandmadeoneoftwodistinctpositiveemotionalvocalizations(Experiment3:“Aww!”or“Mmm!”;Experiment4:“Aww!”or“Whoa!”;N=118).Infants(mean:15.0months)reachingintotheboxretrievedeitheraprobableorimprobablecauseofthereaction.Infantsweremorelikelytosearchagainonincongruenttrials.Theseresultssuggestthatinfantsmakenuanceddistinctionsamongemotions,andinferprobablecausesofemotionalreactions.

6. SleepandPositiveEmotionsGordon,A.M.,Epel,E.,Coccia,M.,Puterman,E.,&Prather,A.A.

Sleepproblemshavebecomeapublichealthepidemicwithrecentdatasuggestingthatover69%ofUSadultsgetlesssleepthantheyneed.Sleepimpactseveryaspectofourlives,frommoodtomortality.Sleepproblemshavebeenwidelyimplicatedinmooddisorders;however,sleephashistoricallybeenabsentfromstudiesoftypicalaffectiveexperiences,particularlyforpositiveemotions.Threewavesofdailyexperiencedatafrom183middle-agedwomenillustratetheimportanceofconsideringtheroleofsleepinpositiveaffectiveexperiences.Across21daysofdiarydata,sleepinessisastrongerpredictorofpositiveaffectthannegativeaffect.Sleepiness,sleepquality,andobjectively-measuredsleeppredictreducedintensityacrossavarietyofdiscretepositiveemotions.Sleepinessisalsoassociatedwithbeinglessengagedduringpositiveaffectiveexperiencesandhavingpositiveemotionslastforashorteramountoftimeaftertheexperience.Thesefindingshighlighttheimportantroleofsleepinouremotionallivesandtheneedtoconsidersleepasavariableofinterestwhenstudyingpositiveemotions.

SessionB

1. PerceivingLaughterAroundtheWorldBryant,G.A.

2. TheRegulationofPositiveEmotionsinCloseRelationshipsShellyGable

3. PositiveEmotionsinMarriage:Changes,Consequences,andContextsHaase,C.M.,Verstaen,A.,Bloch,L.,Lwi,S.J.,Saslow,L.R.,Svoboda,R.C.,Hittner,E.,&Levenson,R.W.

Intimaterelationshipsarehotbedsofemotions.Pastresearchonemotionincoupleshasoftenfocusedonnegativeemotions,utilizedcross-sectionalstudydesigns,andfocusedonmiddle-classcouples.However,weknowlessaboutpositiveemotionsinmarriageandtheirage-relatedchanges,consequences,andcontextualmoderators.Weanalyzeddatafrom(1)a20-yearlongitudinalstudyofmiddle-agedandolderlong-termmarriedcouples(N=156couples)thatusedobjectivelycodedinterpersonalemotionalbehaviorduringmaritalconflictandperformance-basedmeasuresofinterpersonalempathicaccuracyovertime,and(2)astudyofmarriedcoupleswithlargesocioeconomicdiversityfromtheChicagolandarea(N=27couples)whoreportedontheirpositiveemotionalexperiencesaftermaritalconflictdiscussionsandtheirmaritalsatisfaction.Study1showedthat(a)positiveinterpersonalemotionalbehaviors(specificallyjoy,humor,andvalidation)increasedover13years,consistentwithsocioemotionalselectivitytheory.Moreover,(b)greaterpositiveinterpersonalemotionalbehaviorsatbaselinepredictedincreasesininterpersonalempathicaccuracyover20years,consistentwiththebroaden-and-buildtheoryofpositiveemotions.Study2showedthatpositiveemotionspredictedgreatermaritalsatisfactionforhigh-butnotforlow-SESspouses,highlightingthediminishedbenefitsofpositiveemotionsinlow-SEScontexts.Thesefindingscontributecriticalknowledgeaboutage-relatedchanges,long-termconsequences,andsocioeconomiccontextsofpositiveemotionsincouples.

4. MomentsofSharedPositiveEmotionareAssociatedwithGreaterPhysiologicalSynchronyBetweenHusbandsandWivesDuringaConflictConversationChen,K.-H.,Brown,C.,Rothwell,E.S.,Fredrickson,B.L.,&Levenson,R.W.

InLove2.0,Fredricksondefinesloveasthemomentaryexperienceofpositivityresonancethatoccursduringinterpersonalinteractions.Insuchmoments,interactantsareconnectedviasharedpositiveaffect,mutualcareandconcern,andbiobehavioralsynchrony.Wetestedthehypothesisthatmomentsofsharedpositiveaffectareassociatedwithgreaterphysiologicalsynchronyinasampleof150long-termmarriedcouples.Couplesdiscussedaconflictintheirrelationshipfor15-minutes

while5physiological(4cardiovascular,1electrodermal)measureswererecordedsecond-by-second.Foreachphysiologicalmeasure,wecomputedthesynchronybetweenpartnersin30-secondmovingwindowsusingbetween-subjectcorrelations.Thesecorrelationswerethenaveragedtoproduceasingletimeseriesofmoment-to-momentphysiologicalsynchrony.Couples’emotionalbehaviorswerecodedsecond-by-secondusingtheSpecificAffectCodingSystem.Momentsofsharedpositiveemotionweredefinedassecondsinwhichbothpartnerswerecodedasdisplayingpositiveemotion.Resultsrevealedthatphysiologicalsynchronywassignificantlygreaterinthirtysecondperiodscenteredonmomentsofsharedpositiveemotioncomparedtomomentsofsharednegativeemotionandmomentsofunsharedemotion(i.e.,eitherneutralorunmatchedemotion).Thefindingofgreatersynchronyforsharedpositiveversussharednegativeemotionremainedsignificantaftercontrollingforeitherthemagnitudeorsynchronyofgeneralsomaticactivity,indicatingthattheseresultswerenotduetobodymovements.Thesefindingssupportthenotionthatmomentsofsharedpositiveemotionarecharacterizedbyphysiologysynchrony.

5. HearingHappiness:FluctuationsinMomentaryHappinesscanbeMeasuredWithoutAskingPeopleWeidman,A.C.,&Dunn,E.W.Acentralgoalinthestudyofwell-beingistounderstandthefactorsthatincreasehappiness.Achievingthisgoaloftenrequirestrackingpeople’smomentaryhappinessrepeatedlyacrosstimeandcontext,yetthesetypesofintensiveassessmentscanactivateparticipants’laytheoriesandsuspicions,whichcancompromisethevalidityofhappiness-enhancinginterventionsandexperience-samplingdesigns.Itwouldthereforebevaluableifmomentaryhappinesscouldbeassessedwithoutaskingpeople.Tothatend,wedevelopedamethodforassessinghappinessbyanalyzingacousticpropertiesofpeople’sspeech.Participants(N=502)completedone-minuterecordingsinwhichtheydescribedtheeventsoftheirdayandthecontentofneutralphotographsinaconversationaltoneofvoiceforsixconsecutivedays(N=3,922recordings);atthetimeofeachrecording,participantsalsoreportedwhethertheywerefeeling“morehappy”or“lesshappy”thanusual.AcousticfeatureswerethenextractedfromeachrecordingusingtheGenevaMinimalistAcousticParameterSet(Eyben,Scherer,etal.,2016),andrandomforestanalysis(aformofmachinelearning)with10-foldcross-validationwasusedtoclassifyeachrecordingbasedontheseacousticfeatures.Classificationaccuracywasabove-chance(M=63%,p<.001,κ=.27),andseveralspecificacousticfeaturesemergedasimportantinclassifyingrecordings(e.g.,averageloudness;loudnesspeakspersecond).Thesefindingsrepresentaninitialproofofconceptbysuggestingthatitispossibletocapturepeople’sfluctuationsinmomentaryhappinesswithoutaskingthem,andthereforerepresentafirststepinharnessingmachinelearningtechnologiestoadvancetheassessmentofmomentaryemotion.

6. TowardsaSocialFunctionalAccountofLaughter:

DistinctAcousticFeaturesPredictPerceptionsofReward,Affiliation,andDominanceWood,A.,Martin,J.,&Niedenthal,P.

Recentworkhasidentifiedthephysicalfeaturesofsmilesthataccomplishthreetasksfundamentaltohumansocialliving:rewardingdesirablebehavior,establishingandmaintainingsocialbonds,andexpressingdominance.Thecurrentworkextendsthissocialfunctionalaccounttolaughter.Participants(N=156)ratedthedegreetowhichreward,affiliation,ordominance(between-subjects)wasconveyedby50laughtersamplesacquiredfromacommercialsoundeffectswebsite.Wereduced12acousticvariablesviaprincipal-componentsanalysisandrelatedthefourextractedcomponentstothesubjectiveratingsusingmultivariateregression.Theseanalysessuggestthatlaughscommunicatingrewardandaffiliationhavegreatervoicing,harmonicity,intensity,andminimumpitches,butaffiliationlaughsareuniqueintheirlowercentersofgravity,reducedmouthopening,andincreasednasality.Perceptionsofdominancewereuniquelyassociatedwithlowermeanandmaximumpitches,andreducedpitchvariability.Thisworkservesasafirststeptowardsidentifyingthepropertiesoflaughterthatsignaldominance,affiliation,andreward,extendingbeyondthetraditionaltrue-falsedichotomythatispredominantinthelaughterliterature.Consideringlaughterandsmilesastoolsthatsolvesimilarproblemsinherenttosociallivingwilllikelyallowforabetterunderstandingoftheoriginsandfunctionsofboth.

SessionC

1. TheDarkSideofAweStellar,J.

2. TheSecrettoHappiness:FeelingGoodvs.FeelingRight?Tamir,M.

3. “I’mProudofYou”:EmpiricalSupportforThreeFunctionsofVicariousPrideDavies,J.,&Williams,L.A.Pridehasattractedsubstantialinterestfromaffectivescientists,especiallyoverthelast10years.However,mostconceptualizationsofthisemotionareoverlynarrowinthattheyfailtoacknowledgepridefeltwhenothersachieveasuccess(i.e.,vicariouspride).Todate,noresearchhassystematicallyinvestigatedthenatureandfunctionsofvicariouspride.Fillingthisgap,twoexperiments(autobiographicalrecall,N=172;hypotheticalvignette,N=260)andafieldstudyatauniversitygraduationceremony(N=115)establishedconsistentsupportforthreetheoretically-derivedfunctionsofvicariouspride:motivatingpersonalgoal

pursuit(bs=.24-.48),promptingsupportfortheachievingother’sgoalpursuit(bs=.42-.51),andencouragingrelationshipmaintenancewiththeachievingother(bs=.42-.54).Theseeffectsemergedwhencontrollingforgeneralizedpositiveaffect,supportingtheargumentthatvicariouspridecarriesuniqueeffectsonthesefunctions.Further,experimentalmanipulationsfocusedonkeytheoreticalantecedents(i.e.,achievementofanother,interpersonalclosenesswiththeachievingother)andwererobustininducingvicariouspride(bs=.44,.59).Theindirecteffectsoftheexperimentalmanipulationsonthethreefunctionsviaself-reportedvicariouspridewerenon-zeroacrossallfunctionsandacrossbothexperiments(bs=.14-.29).Thesefindingsarethefirsttoestablishempiricalsupportforthesefunctionsofvicariousprideanddemonstratethatthisemotioncanbeinducedaswellascapturedinnaturalisticsettings.Assuch,thisresearchpavesthepathforcontinuedresearchintotheintrapersonalandinterpersonalfunctionsofthisemotion.

4. KidsJustWanttoHaveFun:ExaminingHedonicMotivesinYouthGentzler,A.L.,Huta,V.,DeLong,K.,Moran,K.,Ford,B.Q.,&Mauss,I.B.Whilehedonicoutcomes(pleasure,enjoyment)areconsideredapositive,centralcomponentofwell-being,itmaybecostlytoexcessivelypursuethem,especiallyincomparisontootherwaysofpursuingwell-being(i.e.,eudaimonia-longer-termgoalsofachievingandlivinglifetoone’spotential).Consistentwithdual-systemsmodels(e.g.,Steinberg,2008),greaterhedonicmotivesorpursuingpleasurealsomaybeespeciallycostlyinyouthwhenself-controlcapacitiesarestilldeveloping(e.g.,Steinberg&Duckworth,2015).Weexaminedhedonicandeudaimonicmotivesinthreesamplesofyouth(767-12yearolds,15212-18yearolds,and14214-18yearolds)inrelationtobroaderpositive(e.g.,self-control,empathy)andnegativeoutcomes(depressivesymptoms,substanceuse).Assessmentswerechild-,adolescent-,orparent-reportedsurveys.Theresultsshowedthat,ashypothesized,hedonicmotiveswererelatedtosomepositiveoutcomes(lessdepressivesymptomsinchildren),butalsosomenegativeoutcomes(e.g.,marijuanauseamongadolescents).Incontrast,eudaimonicmotiveswereonlyrelatedtopositiveoutcomes(e.g.,higherself-competence,empathy).Wealsotestedformoderatedeffectsbecausehighereudaimonicmotivescouldbeprotectiveagainsthigherlevelsofhedonicmotives.Somemoderatedeffectswerefound,suggestingthathedonicmotivesweremoreoftenassociatedwithnegativeoutcomeswheneudaimonicmotiveswerelow(e.g.,predictinglowerself-controlinchildrenorself-regulationinadolescents).Overall,thisresearchoffersnovelandnuancedevidenceonwhenandforwhomhedonicmotivesmaybeproblematicinyouth.

5. TurningTriedandTrueIntoNovelandNew:Other-FocusedConstrualsLeadtoDishabituationfortheSelfGonzalez,F.J.,Jung,M.H.,&Critcher,C.R.

Peoplebecomehabituatedtomusic,food,art,andevencloseotherswithrepeatedexposure(Epstein,Temple,Roemmich,&Bouton,2009;Schellenberg,Peretz,&Vieillard,2008;Redden,2008;Galak,Redden,&Kruger,2009).Whilehabituationseemsinevitableafterrepeatedexposureanddiminishesemotionalexperiences,evidencesuggeststhatsocialprocessesmayplayaroleindeterminingresponsestotherepeatedexposureofastimulus(Campbell,O’Brien,VanBoven,Schwarz,&Ubel,2014).Wepredictedthatother-focusedconstrualswouldleadtodishabituationacrossdifferentstimulusdomains,butthatthisdishabituationwoulddependinpartonthehabituationoftheotherperson.Wefirstshowthatinformationaboutanotherperson’snovelexperiencereducesone’sownhabitationtowardanegativeorpositiveemotionalstimulusevenafterrepeatedexposuretothatstimulus(Study1,N=366;Study2,N=305).Thiseffectoccurredevenwhenthinkingabouttheperspectiveofanotherpersonwhowasnotexperiencingsimultaneously(Study3,N=819).Likewise,theeffectwasstrongerwhenconsideringanotherpersonexperiencingthesamevs.differentcontent(Study4,N=1,742).InStudy5(N=245)wetestedandfoundtheeffectwassensitivetoinformationaboutanotherperson’slikingofthestimulus.Wediscussimplicationsforwell-being,andsuggestthatthissocialpathtodishabituationcanpromotetheexperienceofpositiveemotions.

6. FeelingGood?HeightenedPositiveEmotionalExperienceinFrontotemporalDementiaSpectrumDisordersShdo,S.M.,Datta,S.Sible,I.J.,Holley,S.R.,Miller,B.L.,Rosen,H.J.,&Sturm,V.E.

Recentresearchdemonstratesthatpositiveemotionsmaybepreserved,orevenenhanced,inpatientswithfrontotemporaldementia(FTD).WeinvestigatedpositiveemotionalreactivityintwoFTDsubtypes,behavioralvariantFTD(bvFTD),anFTDsubtypethatdisruptssocialbehaviorandemotion,andsemanticvariantprimaryprogressiveaphasia(svPPA),aleft-hemispherepredominantsubtypethatprimarilyaffectslanguage.Participants(32bvFTD,15svPPA,and28healthycontrols)watched90-secondblocksofphotographsthatelicitedadiscretepositiveemotion:awe,amusement,ornurturantlove.Patientsreportedontheirsubjectiveemotionalexperienceaftereachtrial.Facialbehaviorwaslatercodedfromvideorecordings,andtotalDuchennesmileswerequantified.Theresultsindicatedamaineffectofdiagnosisinself-reportedpositiveemotionalexperienceduringtheawe(p<.05)andnurturantlove(p<.05)trials.PosthocpairwisecomparisonsrevealedgreaterpositiveemotionalexperienceinsvPPAcomparedtohealthycontrolsduringthenurturantlove(p=.05)andawe(p<.05)trials.Regressionanalyses(controllingforageandsex)foundasignificantdiagnosisXpositiveemotionalexperienceinteractionwhenpredictingDuchennesmiles(p<.05).AlthoughhigherpositiveemotionalexperienceduringthenurturantlovetrialwasassociatedgreaterDuchennesmilesinhealthycontrols,thisrelationshipwasnotpresentinsvPPA.TheseresultssuggestthatcertainpositiveemotionsmaybemorevulnerabletodysregulationinsvPPA,adisorderthatprimarilytargetsleft-hemispheresystems,andthatbreakdowninemotionsystemsthatlinkbehaviorwithexperiencemaybecompromisedinthisdisease.

KeynoteAddress

1. Compassion,Empathy,andResilience:ThreadingtheNeedleDeSteno,D.

PosterSession

1. You’reGettingWarmer:TheImpressionManagementBenefitsofHumorousSelf-Disclosure

Bitterly,T.B.,&Schweitzer,M.E.Acrossfourexperimentsandonepilotstudy(totalN=1454),weidentifyhumorasapowerfulimpressionmanagementtool.Specifically,wefindthathumorenablesindividualstoelevatetheirperceivedwarmthwhendisclosingpositiveinformation(i.e.,self-promotion)andwhendisclosingnegativeinformation.Inadditiontosignalingtopic-relatedinformation,humorousdisclosuressignalsocialskill,andboostperceptionsofbothwarmthandcompetence.Weanalyzeinterviewswithuniversitycareerservicesdepartmentstoexploreexpertadviceregardingtheuseofhumorasaself-presentationstrategy.Weusein-personandsurveystudiestoestablishthecausallinkbetweentheuseofhumorandimpressionformation.Wediscussimplicationsofourfindingsforinterpersonalperceptionandimpressionmanagement.

2. DiscontentDetectsItsInverse:UnhappyPeopleQuicklyPromoteHappyFacesintoAwareness

Raila,H.,Chen,Y.C.,&Scholl,B.J.Recentworkhasbeguntoexplorehowbasiccognitivephenomenadifferacrosshappyvs.unhappypeople.Perhapsthemostfundamentalsuchphenomenonisvisualawareness,orconsciousperception.Fartoomuchinformationcomesinthroughoureyestofullyprocess,andonlyasubsetofthatinformationcanbepromotedintoconsciousexperience.Mighthappyvs.unhappypeople,eveniftheysharethesameenvironment,becomeconsciouslyawareofdifferentcomponentsofitmorereadily?Weshowedpeople(n=30)emotionalfaces(happy,sad,fearful,andneutral)thatwererenderedinvisibleusingcontinuousflashsuppression(CFS)andmeasuredhowquicklysuchfacesbrokethroughsuppressionandintoawareness.TraitpositivitywasassessedbytheSubjectiveHappinessScale(SHS),theSatisfactionwithLifeScale(SWLS),andtheDispositionalPositiveEmotionsScale(DPES).Allthreetraithappinessmeasureswerenegativelycorrelatedwithdetectionspeedofhappyfaces.Thatis,happyfaces(comparedtoneutralfaces)brokethroughCFSsuppressionandintoawarenessfasterforunhappypeople(ps<.022),andthispatternwasspecifictohappyfaces(andnottofearfulorsadfaces).Peoplewhoaredispositionallylesshappymaybebiasedtoautomaticallyprocesspositiveinformationattheunconsciouslevel,anddoingsomaysubsequentlypromotesuchinformationmorequicklyintotheirconsciousexperience.Theseresultssupportthefascinatingpossibilitythatlesshappypeoplemayexperienceadifferentworldduetohowreadilytheybecomeawareofcertaintypesofinformation.[note:HannahRailawillpresentthisworkattheStressandHealthFlashTalksessiononSaturday8:30-9:30am]

3. TheCapacitytoSavorintheMomentDistinctlyMediatestheRelationshipBetweenLowPositiveAffectandDepression

Kahrilas,I.J.,Bryant,F.B.,Kais,L.A.,Domokos,F.,&Silton,R.L.Depressionispredominantlycharacterizedbylowlevelsofpositiveaffect(PA)andhighlevelsofnegativeaffect(NA).Depressionisalsoassociatedwithareductionintheperceivedabilitytosavorpast,present,andfutureevents.Thepresentstudyevaluateswhetheraffectanddepressionareassociatedviaareductioninspecificbeliefsaboutsavoringcapabilities.Emergingadults(N=738)completedonlinequestionnaires.TheSavoringBeliefsInventory(SBI;Bryant,2003)wasadministeredtoassessbeliefsabouttheabilitytoenjoypast,present,andfuturepositiveevents.PAandNAwereassessedwiththeMoodandAnxietySymptomsQuestionnaire(Clark&Watson,1991).Twoparallelmediationanalyseswereconductedtoevaluatewhethertemporaldomainsofsavoringbeliefs(i.e.,past,present,future)mediatetherelationbetweenaffect(PAandNA)anddepression.TherelationbetweenPAanddepression(beta=-.07)wasmediatedbytheabilitytoenjoypositiveeventsinthemoment(CI-.11to-.04).PAwaspositivelyrelatedtosavoringinthemoment(beta=.41),andincreasedsavoringwasrelatedtodecreaseddepressionsymptoms(beta=-.18).Theothertemporaldomainsofsavoringwerenotsignificantmediators.TherelationbetweenNAanddepressionwasnotsignificantlymediatedbysavoring.LowPAmayrepresentadistinct,modifiableriskfactorfordepression.InterventionsthatincreasethecapabilitytosavorpositiveeventsinthemomentmaymitigatedepressionoutcomesforindividualswhoexperiencelowPA.

4. DoPositiveEmotionsPredictLifeSatisfaction?

Fagley,N.S.,Waire,J.,&May,S.Lifesatisfactionisaconsciousassessmentofthequalityofone’slife.Itrepresentsthecognitivecomponentofsubjectivewellbeing.Howdoemotionsrelatetothisappraisal?Basedonresponsestoanonlinesurveyof345universitystudents,weexaminedwhether5emotionscouldcontributesignificantvarianceinlifesatisfaction,asmeasuredbytheSatisfactionwithLifeScale(Dieneretal.,1985).Theemotionsweexaminedwereawe,gratitude,pride,love,andappreciation.Awe,pride,andloveweremeasuredusingtheDispositionalPositiveEmotionScales(Shiota,Keltner,&John,2006).GratitudewasmeasuredusingtheGQ-6(McCullough,Emmons,&Tsang,2002).AppreciationwasmeasuredusingtheAppreciationScale(Adler&Fagley,2005).Wealsocontrolledforsocialdesirability,positiveaffectivity(thetendencytofeelpositiveemotionsingeneral),andtheBig5personalityfactors(opennesstoexperience,conscientiousness,extraversion,agreeableness,andneuroticism).Ahierarchicalmultipleregressionanalysisrevealedthattogether,the5emotionsaccountedforsignificantvarianceinlifesatisfaction(R-sqchange=.142,p<.001),beyondthecontrolvariables.Fourofthefiveemotionsmade

significantuniquecontributions:pride(p<.001),love(p=.001),appreciation(p=.002),andgratitude(p=.005).Itisworthnotingthatthesecontributionsaresignificantaftervarianceattributabletosocialdesirability,positiveaffectivity,theBig5personalityfactorsandtheotheremotionswerepartialledout.Theseresultsreinforcetheideathatindividualpositiveemotionscontributetokeyvariableslikelifesatisfaction,beyondthegeneraltendencytofeelpositiveemotion.

5. ThoseWhoStruggleSavor:TheImpactofExperiencedHardshiponChocolateEnjoyment

Abbaszadeh,Y.,Lim,D.,&DeSteno,D.Althoughnegativeexperiencesareoftenpairedwithundeniablenegativeoutcomes,theymayalsoofferadaptivelearningandgrowthopportunities(Tedeschi&Calhoun,2004).Croft,Dunn,&Quoidbach(2014)findthatapasthistoryofhardshippredictshigherlevelsofthepositiveemotionregulationstrategysavoring,whichinvolvesenhancingandprolongingapositiveexperiencethroughone’sownconsciousefforts(Nelis,Quoidbach,Hansenne,&Mikolajczak,2011).Wepredictedthatsavoringcanbeaugmentedinindividualswhohaveexperiencedadversitywhentheseindividualsarefeelinggrateful.Totestthisprediction,weutilizeda2(gratefulorcontrol)x2(loworhighadversityseverity)between-subjectsdesignoffifty-fiveundergraduatesfromalarge,EastCoastUniversity.Weexperimentallyinducedstategratitudeandsubsequentlyassessedchocolateenjoymentandadversityusingself-reportquestionnaires.AnanalysisofvariancerevealedasignificantinteractionsuchthatthosewhoexperiencedsignificantpasthardshipreportedgreaterchocolateenjoymentwhenfeelinggratefultowardsanostensibleparticipantF(1,54)=5.18p=.027.Furthermore,amediansplitcategorizingparticipants’pastadversitylevelsintohighandlowseveritygroupsfoundthatparticipantsinthehighseveritygroupreportedgreaterenjoymentofchocolatewhenfeelinggratefultowardsanostensibleparticipantF(1,22)=6.46p=.019.Therewasnoeffectforthelowseveritygroup.Ourworkbuildsontheworkofotherscholarsontherelationshipbetweenadversity,adaptivestrategies,andpersonalgrowth.Futureresearchmaywanttoutilizelarger,morediversecommunitysamplestoincreasegeneralizabilityoffindings.

6. FeelingevenBetter:EmotionRegulationDiffersinNegativeversusMildlyPositiveAffectiveStateLeNguyen,K.D.,Sheeran,P.,&Fredrickson,B.F.Mostresearchinemotionregulationhasfocusedontheprocessesofgettingfromnegativeaffectivestatestoabaselinestate,whichtendstobemildlypositive(Diener,2015).Littleattentionhasbeenpaidtohowpeopleupregulatepositiveemotionsfromabaselinestate.Weconductanexploratorystudyexaminingwhetherpeopleemploydifferentregulationstrategiestoimprovetheiraffectwhentheyareinnegativeaffectivestatesversusmildlypositivestates.MTurkparticipants(N=543)were

randomlyassignedtolistingstrategiestofeelmorepositivewhentheyfeelbad(ornegative)versusokay(ormildlypositive).Peoplereportedhighermotivationtoimprovetheiraffectwhenfeelingbadthanokayandlistedmorestrategies(ps<.001).Fischerexacttestsrevealthatalargerproportionofparticipantsinthenegativeaffectconditionreportedusingbehaviorstrategiessuchasrelaxation,socialbehavior,watchingTVorvideo,religiousactivities(ps<.05).Withincognitivestrategies,thenegativegroupmentionedstrategiessuchaspositivereappraisal,cognitivedistraction,andsolutionfindingmore,whereasthemildlypositivegroupmentionedgratitude(countingblessings)more(ps<.05).Thenegativegroupwasmorelikelytolistexpressingnegativeemotionsandtakingdeepbreathstofeelbetter,whereasthemildlypositivegroupwasmorelikelytolistexpressingpositiveemotions(ps<.05).Futureprojectsshouldattempttoelucidatetheunderlyingmechanismsandwellbeingconsequencesofhowpeopleregulateemotionsatvariousaffectivestates.

7. TheDose-ResponseEffectofPositiveRoundingin

HealthcareWorkSettings:AssociationswithHealthcareWorkerBurnout,BurnoutClimate,andWork-LifeBalance

Adair,K.C.,Frankel,A.,Leonard,M.,&Sexton,J.B.Isthedeliberatecelebrationofsuccessesandrecognitionofindividualsthatexcelinpatient-centeredcarelinkedtothewell-beingofhealthcareworkers?Seniorleaderrounding(SLR),inwhichleadersvisitwork-settingstoresolvepatientsafetyrelateddeficits,hasbeenassociatedwithbettersafetycultureandlowerratesofburnout(Sextonetal.,2014).Positiverounding(PR),whichanewvariantofseniorleaderrounding,involvesleadersspecificallyacknowledgingwhatisgoingwellinunitsandrecognizingworkerswhogoaboveandbeyond.Inthecurrentstudyweevaluatedtheassociationsbetweenhealthcareworkerwell-beingandtheextenttowhichtheyhadbeenexposedtoPR.Ahealthcare-system-widesurveyof10,496workers(78%responserate)includedmeasuresofburnout(emotionalexhaustion),burnoutclimate,andwork-lifebalance,aswellitemsonwhetherornotrespondentsexperiencedPRorSLR.WorkerswhoreportedexperiencingPR(62%)reportedsignificantlylowerratesofpersonalburnout,burnoutclimate,andhigherratesofwork-lifebalance,comparedtoworkerswhodidnot.Multipleregressionanalysesshowedthatbothregularseniorleadersafetyroundingandpositiveroundinguniquelypredictallthreeoftheseoutcomes.PRisassociatedwithhigherhealthcareworkerwell-beingoutcomesanduniquelycontributestotheseoutcomes,comparedtoSLR.ThesefindingssuggestthatPRmeritsconsiderationasapotentialinterventiontoreduceburnout,andunderscorestheimportanceofpositiveemotionsinpromotingwell-beinginburnout-proneprofessions.

8. GratitudeExpressionsintheWorkplaceIncreasePerceivedWarmthandCompetenceoftheExpresserOcampo,J.M.,Gu,Y.,Chen,M.,Bergstrom,T.,Algoe,S.B.,&Oveis,C.

Gratitudeisaninherentlysocialemotion.Pastresearchhaslargelyfocusedongratitudewithinintimaterelationships;however,peoplespendmuchoftheirtimeinloosersocialnetworkswheregratitudeexpressionmayplayauniqueroleinhowrecipientsandobserversperceiveoneanother.Intwostudiesofonesuchsocialnetwork—theworkplace—weinvestigatedhowgratitudeexpressionsinfluencehowtheexpresserisperceivedbytheirco-workersonthedimensionsofwarmthandcompetence.InStudy1,n=400AmazonMechanicalTurkparticipantswhopassedascreenforemploymentwererandomlyassignedtorecalleitheragratitudeorcontrolexpressionfromeitherahigh-orlow-powerco-worker.Onlymaineffectsofgratitudeweredetected,suchthatgratitudeexpresserswereperceivedaswarmerandmorecompetentthancontrolexpressers,regardlessofpower.InStudy2,n=163membersofalargeorganizationratedtheemotionalexpressionsoftheirco-workersaswellasthewarmthandcompetenceofthoseco-workers.Gratitudeexpressionspositivelypredictedwarmthandcompetenceratingsoftheexpressersacrosslevelsofpowerandabove-and-beyondoverallpositiveemotionexpression.Thesetwostudiesextendtheliteratureongratitudetosocialnetworksliketheworkplace,wheregratitudeexpressionplaysapositiveroleinthesocialperceptionofexpressers.

9. BloodPressureandPositiveEmotionsGheorma,L.,&Algoe,S.B.

Basedonrobustassociationsbetweenrelationshipsandphysicalhealthaswellaslongevity,researchershavelongbeeninterestedinthemoreeverydayinterpersonalprocessesthroughwhichrelationshipsmayinfluencehealth.Pastresearchonrelationshipsandbloodpressureisnascent,mostlyfocusedonnegativephenomena,andtheresultsaremixed.Thus,numerousavenuesremainopenforexploration.InthecurrentinvestigationweexploreassociationsbetweenbloodpressureandPOSITIVEemotionalprocessing,inpositivelyvalencedsocialinteractionsbetweenromanticcouples.Todothisweusedatafromtwostudiesinvolvingatotalof263couplesinromanticrelationships.Restingbloodpressurewastakenpriortoalaboratoryinteraction.Intheseinteractions,onecouplememberexpressedgratitudetotheotherandthenreportedonhisorheremotionalexperience.Wetestassociationsbetweenrestingbloodpressureandthe

emotionsexperiencedintheseinteractions.Discussionfocusesontheextenttowhichexpressedandexperiencedpositiveemotionswithinaromanticrelationshipmaybeintertwinedwithhealthoutcomes.

ThankyoutoIPPAforagenerousdonationtosupporttheSASPositiveEmotions

Pre-Conference!!

www.ippanetwork.org

2017PositiveEmotionsPre-ConferenceChairs

ChristopherOveis

UniversityofCalifornia,SanDiego

SaraAlgoeUniversityofNorthCarolina,ChapelHill

JenniferStellarUniversityofToronto