Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Undoing Effect of Positive Emotions

  • Published:
Motivation and Emotion Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Positive emotions are hypothesized to undo the cardiovascular aftereffects of negative emotions. Study 1 tests this undoing effect. Participants (n = 170) experiencing anxiety-induced cardiovascular reactivity viewed a film that elicited (a) contentment, (b) amusement, (c) neutrality, or (d) sadness. Contentment-eliciting and amusing films produced faster cardiovascular recovery than neutral or sad films did. Participants in Study 2 (n = 185) viewed these same films following a neutral state. Results disconfirm the alternative explanation that the undoing effect reflects a simple replacement process. Findings are contextualized by Fredrickson's broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions (B. L. Fredrickson, 1998).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Anderson, N. B., McNeilly, M., & Myers, H. (1993). A biopsychosocial model of race differences in vascular reactivity. In J. Blascovich & E. S. Katkin (Eds.), Cardiovascular reactivity to psychological stress and disease (pp. 83–108). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aron, A., Norman, C. C., Aron, E. N., McKenna, C., & Heyman, R. E. (2000). Couple's shared participation in novel and arousing activities and experienced relationship quality. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 78, 273–284.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ashby, F. G., Isen, A. M., & Turken, A. U. (1999). A neuropsychological theory of positive affect and its influence on cognition. Psychological Review, 106, 529–550.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aspinwall, L. G. (1998). Rethinking the role of positive affect in self-regulation. Motivation and Emotion, 22, 1–32.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baron, R. A. (1976). The reduction of human aggression: A field study of the influence of incompatible reactions. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 6, 260–274.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blascovich, J., & Katkin, E. S. (Eds.). (1993). Cardiovascular reactivity to psychological stress and disease. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Boulton, M. J., & Smith, P. K. (1992). The social nature of play fighting and play chasing: Mechanisms and strategies underlying cooperation and compromise. In J. H. Barkow, L. Cosmides, & J. Tooby (Eds.), The adapted mind: Evolutionary psychology and the generation of culture (pp. 429–444). New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cunningham, M. R. (1988). What do you do when you're happy or blue? Mood, expectancies, and behavioral interest. Motivation and Emotion, 12, 309–331.

    Google Scholar 

  • Diener, E., & Larsen, R. J. (1993). The experience of emotional well-being. In M. Lewis & J. M. Haviland (Eds.), Handbook of emotions (pp. 405–415). New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dienstbeir, R. A. (1989). Arousal and physiological toughness: Implications for mental and physical health. Psychological Review, 96, 84–100.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eisenberg, N., Fabes, R. A., & Losoya, S. (1997). Emotional responding: Regulation, social correlates, and socialization. In P. Salovey & D. J. Sluyter (Eds.), Emotional development and emotional intelligence: Educational implications (pp. 129–163). New York: Basicbooks.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ekman, P., Friesen, W. V., & Ancoli, S. (1980). Facial signs of emotional experience. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 39, 1124–1134.

    Google Scholar 

  • Estrada, C. A., Isen, A. M., & Young, M. J. (1997). Positive affect facilitates integration of information and decreases anchoring in reasoning among physicians. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 72, 117–135.

    Google Scholar 

  • Folkman, S. (1997). Positive psychological states and coping with severe stress. Social Science Medicine, 45, 1207–1221.

    Google Scholar 

  • Folkman, S., & Moskowitz, J. T. (2000). Positive affect and the other side of coping. American Psychologist, 55, 647–654.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fredrickson, B. L. (1998). What good are positive emotions? Review of General Psychology, 2, 300–319.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fredrickson, B. L. (2000). Cultivating positive emotions to optimize health and well-being. Prevention and Treatment. Available on the World Wide Web: http://journals.apa.org/prevention.

  • Fredrickson, B. L. (in press-a). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broadenand-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist.

  • Fredrickson, B. L. (in press-b). Positive emotions. In C. R. Synder & S. J. Lopez (Eds.), Handbook of positive psychology. New York: Oxford University Press.

  • Fredrickson, B. L., & Kahneman, D. (1993). Duration neglect in retrospective evaluations of affective episodes. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65, 45–55.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fredrickson, B. L., & Levenson, R. W. (1998). Positive emotions speed recovery from the cardiovascular sequelae of negative emotions. Cognition and Emotion, 12, 191–220.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fredrickson, B. L., & Mancuso, R. A. (1996). [Testing a direct buffering effect of positive emotions]. Unpublished raw data.

  • Fredrickson, B. L., Maynard, K. E., Helms, M. J., Haney, T. L., Siegler, I. C., & Barefoot, J. C. (2000). Hostility predicts magnitude and duration of blood pressure response to anger. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 23, 229–243.

    Google Scholar 

  • Frijda, N. H. (1986). The emotions. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gottman, J. M., & Levenson, R. W. (1985). A valid measure for obtaining self-report of affect. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 53, 151–160.

    Google Scholar 

  • Isen, A. M. (1990). The influence of positive and negative affect on cognitive organization: Some implications for development. In N. Stein, B. Leventhal, & T. Trabasso (Eds.), Psychological and biological approaches to emotion (pp. 75–94). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Isen, A. M., & Daubman, K. A. (1984). The influence of affect on categorization. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 47, 1206–1217.

    Google Scholar 

  • Isen, A. M., Daubman, K. A., & Nowicki, G. P. (1987). Positive affect facilitates creative problem solving. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52, 1122–1131.

    Google Scholar 

  • Isen, A. M., Johnson, M. M. S., Mertz, E., & Robinson, G. F. (1985). The influence of positive affect on the unusualness of word associations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 48, 1413–1426.

    Google Scholar 

  • Isen, A. M., & Means, B. (1983). The influence of positive affect on decision-making strategy. Social Cognition, 2, 18–31.

    Google Scholar 

  • Isen, A. M., Rosenzweig, A. S., & Young, M. J. (1991). The influence of positive affect on clinical problem solving. Medical Decision Making, 11, 221–227.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kahn, B. E., & Isen, A. M. (1993). The influence of positive affect on variety-seeking among safe, enjoyable products. Journal of Consumer Research, 20, 257–270.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaplan, J. R., Manuck, S. B., Williams, J. K., & Strawn, W. (1993). Psychosocial influences on atherosclerosis: Evidence for effects and mechanisms in nonhuman primates. In J. Blascovich & E. Katkin (Eds.), Cardiovascular reactivity to psychological stress and disease (pp. 3–26). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

    Google Scholar 

  • Keltner, D., & Bonanno, G. A. (1997). A study of laughter and dissociation: Distinct correlates of laughter and smiling during bereavement. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73, 687–702.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lazarus, R. S. (1991). Emotion and adaptation. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, P. C. (1983). Play as a means for developing relationships. In R. A. Hinde (Ed.), Primate social relationships (pp. 82–89). Oxford: Blackwell.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leslie, A. M. (1987). Pretense and representation: The origins of “theory of mind.” Psychological Review, 94, 412–426.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levenson, R. W. (1988). Emotion and the autonomic nervous system: A prospectus for research on autonomic specificity. In H. L. Wagner (Ed.), Social psychophysiology and emotion: Theory and clinical applications (pp. 17–42). London: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levenson, R. W. (1994). Human emotion: A functional view. In P. Ekman & R. Davidson (Eds.), The nature of emotion: Fundamental questions (pp. 123–126). New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levenson, R. W., Ekman, P., & Friesen, W. V. (1990). Voluntary facial action generates emotion-specific autonomic nervous system activity. Psychophysiology, 27, 363–384.

    Google Scholar 

  • Levenson, R. W., & Gottman, J. M. (1983). Marital interaction: Physiological linkage and affective exchange. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 45, 587–597.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lyubomirsky, S., & Tucker, K. L. (1998). Implications of individual differences in subjective happiness for perceiving, interpreting, and thinking about life events. Motivation and Emotion, 22, 155–186.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mandler, G. (1984). Mind and body: Psychology of emotions and stress. New York: Norton.

    Google Scholar 

  • Martin, R. A., Kuiper, N. A., Olinger, J., & Dance, K. A. (1993). Humor, coping with stress, self-concept, and psychological well-being. Humor, 6, 89–104.

    Google Scholar 

  • Matthews, K. A., & Stoney, C. M. (1988). Influences of sex and age on cardiovascular responses during stress. Psychosomatic Medicine, 50, 46–56.

    Google Scholar 

  • Newlin, D., & Levenson, R. W. (1979). Pre-ejection period: Measuring beta-adrenergic influences upon the heart. Psychophysiology, 16, 546–553.

    Google Scholar 

  • Panksepp, J. (1998). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorders, psychostimulants, and intolerance of childhood playfulness: A tragedy in the making? Current Directions in Psychological Science, 7, 91–98.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pratto, F., & John, O. P. (1991). Automatic vigilance: The attention-grabbing power of negative social information. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 61, 380–391.

    Google Scholar 

  • Reed, M. B., & Aspinwall, L. G. (1998). Self-affirmation reduces biased processing of health-risk information. Motivation and Emotion, 22, 99–132.

    Google Scholar 

  • Salovey, P., Bedell, B. T., Detweiler, J. B., & Mayer, J. D. (2000). Current directions in emotional intelligence research. In M. Lewis & J. M. Haviland-Jones (Eds.), Handbook of emotions (2nd ed., pp. 504–520). New York: Guilford Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schuler, J. L. H., & O'Brien, W. H. (1997). Cardiovascular recovery from stress and hypertension risk factors: A meta-analytic review. Psychophysiology, 34, 649–659.

    Google Scholar 

  • Simon, H. A. (1967). Motivational and emotional controls of cognition. Psychological Review, 74, 29–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Solomon, R. L. (1980). The opponent-process theory of acquired motivation: The costs of pleasure and benefits of pain. American Psychologist, 35, 691–712.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stein, N. L., Folkman, S., Trabasso, T., & Richards, T. A. (1997). Appraisal and goal processes as predictors of psychological well-being in bereaved caregivers. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 72, 872–884.

    Google Scholar 

  • Suarez, E. C., & Williams, R. B. (1989). Situational determinants of cardiovascular and emotional reactivity in high and low hostile men. Psychosomatic Medicine, 51, 401–418.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tomkins, S. S. (1995). Exploring affect: The selected writings of Silvan S. Tomkins. In E. V. Demos (Ed.), New York: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trope, Y., & Pomerantz, E. M. (1998). Resolving conflicts among self-evaluative motives: Positive experiences as a resource for overcoming defensiveness. Motivation and Emotion, 22, 53–72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, R. B., Barefoot, J. C., & Shekelle, R. B. (1985). The health consequences of hostility. In M. A. Chesney & R. H. Rosenman (Eds.), Anger and hostility in cardiovascular and behavioral disorders (pp. 173–185). Washington, DC: Hemisphere.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wolpe, J. (1958). Psychotherapy by reciprocal inhibition. Stanford: Stanford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Women's Studies Program, and Research Center for Group Dynamics, University of Michigan, Michigan

    Barbara L. Fredrickson

  2. Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Michigan

    Roberta A. Mancuso, Christine Branigan & Michele M. Tugade

Authors
  1. Barbara L. Fredrickson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Roberta A. Mancuso
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Christine Branigan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Michele M. Tugade
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Fredrickson, B.L., Mancuso, R.A., Branigan, C. et al. The Undoing Effect of Positive Emotions. Motivation and Emotion 24, 237–258 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010796329158

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1010796329158

Keywords

Search

Navigation