The Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions

1. The Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions Fredrickson (2004)

2. Outline • Broaden-and-build theory: positive emotions broaden an individuals momentary thought-action repertoire • E.g. joy sparks the urge to play • Consequences of broadened mind sets; promote discovery of novel and creative actions, ideas and social bonds individual personal resources • E.g. physical, intellectual, psychological and social resources • Produce optimal functioning over the long term

3. History of positive emotion research • Emphasis has been on negative emotions • Emotions are confused with related states • E.g. sensory pleasure & positive mood • Emotions require cognitive appraisal & are about a personally meaningful circumstance • Positive emotions have been identified as facilitating approach behaviour • Evolutionarily adaptive

4. Broaden-and-build theory • An alternative model for positive emotions that better captures their unique effects • “positive emotions appears to broaden peoples’ momentary thought-action repertoires and build their enduring personal resources” (Fredrickson,1998,2001) • Specific action tendencies: the outcome of a psychological process, calling to mind an urge to act in a particular way • E.g. in a life threatening situation • Work well to describe negative emotions, however, positive emotions seldom occur in life threatening situations, instead they have a complementary effect

5. Broaden-and Build Theory • “broadened mindsets carry indirect and long-term adaptive benefits because broadening builds enduring personal resources” • E.g. Juvenile play – builds enduring social and physical resources, social bonds, attachments & intellectual resources by increasing creativity

6. Broaden-and Build Theory • Personal resources accrued during states of positive emotions are durable they outlast the transient emotional states that led to their acquisition • Experiencing positive emotions then allows people to transform themselves by becoming more creative, knowledgeable, resilient, socially integrated & healthy

7. Current Research Findings • Positive emotions… • Broaden thought-action repertoires • Positive emotions widen the array of thoughts & actions • Undo lingering negative emotions • Joy/contentment undo effects of negative emotions

8. Current Research Findings • Fuel psychological resiliency -resilient individuals “bounce back” from situations. • Build personal resources -positive emotions augment enduring coping responses, • Fuel psychological and physical well-being -positive meaning and emotions are reciprocal building emotional well-being.

9. Complex Dynamics triggered by positive emotions • Traditional perspectives suggest positive emotions mark health. (e.g. Diener 2000) • The broaden- and build theory suggests positive emotions also produce health and well-being. • In short positive emotions fuel human flourishing. • How much positivity is needed to flourish? • Losada’s mathematical model: the ratio of positivity to negativity. • Later developed Fredrickson and Losada identified the positivity ratio at which the dynamical structure bifurcates between the a limit cycle of languishing and the complex dynamics of flourishing.

10. Conclusion • Positive emotions are an essential topic within the science of well-being, they… • Produce health, well-being and fuel human flourishing • Broaden people’s attention and thinking • Undo lingering resilience • Build consequential personal resources • Trigger upward spirals towards greater well-being in the future • The broaden-and-build theory conveys how positive emotions move people forward and lift them to the higher ground of optimal well-being.