positive emotions’ effect on buffering and creativity: an experimental design katrina ong dean...
TRANSCRIPT
Positive Emotions’ Effect on Buffering and
Creativity:An Experimental Design
Katrina OngDean Craig Smith & Professor Leslie Kirby’s Lab
Positive Emotions
• Negative emotions specific action tendency vs. positive emotions multiple action tendencies (Fredrickson 1998; Fredrickson, 2001)
• Positive emotions (and specifically optimistic disposition) are correlated with increased health outcomes specifically with cardiac health (Agarwal, et al., 1995; Kubzansky et al., 2001; Scheier et al., 1999)
• Positive emotions can buffer against depression after stressful events (Tugade, et al., 2004; Seligman, et al., 1999)
Buffering & Creativity
The Undoing Hypothesis (Fredrickson,et al.,2000) as part of the Broaden and Build Theory (Fredrickson, 2001)
Buffering: When a positive emotion is first induced it may be able to prevent the effects of a negative emotion
Previous Attempts by the Lab & Pilots
• Bauman’s (2011) study• Mood Induction (Differential Positive Emotions)• Stressor (Singing at the Commons)
• Pilot 1 (Behavioral Mood Induction)
• Pilot 2 (Writing Prompts)
• Pilot 3 (J-task as a Stressor)
Methods
• Main Study: 83 Vanderbilt student participants (74% female)• Instruments: REDcap, DEAL, LIWC, Physio• Conditions: Positive or Neutral for Mood Induction
based
on random assignment1) Baseline DEAL and Physio
2) Mood Induction Writing Prompt
3) Manipulation Check DEAL
4) Stressor J-Word Task (number of words, number of word roots,
and avg. word length collected)
5) DEAL + Other questionnaires
Hypotheses
1) When using baseline and post-mood induction scores as covariates, the participants in the positive condition would emotionally respond significantly less to the stressor task.
2) Participants in the positive condition would show increased creativity in the stressor task as measured by word count, number of word roots, and average word length.
Results
Baseline Post-Induction Post-Stressor0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
46.0264
56.1611
42.826
48.6459
42.640837.6684
Positive Affect vs. Time of Appraisal
Positive
Neutral
Time of Appraisal
Po
siti
ve A
ffec
t
ResultsWhat would
buffering look like?
Baseline Post-Induction Post-Stressor0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Negative Affect v. Time of Appraisal
Positive Neutral
Time of AppraisalN
egat
ive
Aff
ect
(0-1
00)
Baseline Post-Induction Post-Stressor0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
18.5462
12.6329
29.4126
12.0619 11.7602
26.5354
Negative Affect v. Time of Appraisal
Positive Neutral
Time of Appraisal
Results Behavioral Outcomes
• Participants in the positive condition (M=17.68) listed significantly more words than those in the neutral condition (M=14.98), F(1,77)=4.497, p<.05.
Positive Neutral5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Number of Words Listed v. Condition
Condition
Nu
mb
er o
f J-
wo
rds
list
ed
Conclusions & Discussion• Found evidence to support Broaden and
Build theory that positive emotions lead to increased creativity and cognitive flexibility• Use more sensitive measures to creativity in
the future
• No evidence of buffering even with a strong positive mood induction and mild stressor• Buffering may not be related to the emotional
state of happiness and optimism but rather trait values like an optimistic disposition and/or emotion focused coping
THANK YOU
Craig Smith
Bonnie Williamson
Nora KlineAlena Perszyck
Jennifer Yih
Sloane SparksKellie Kuzmuk
Leslie Kirby
Thesis Committee: Craig Smith, Meg Saylor, and Rachel Aaron