Naslov
Regulation of emotional well-being: overcoming the hedonic treadmill

Autori
Larsen, Randy ; Prizmić, Zvjezdana

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Poglavlja u knjigama, znanstveni

Knjiga
The science of subjective well-being

Urednik/ci
Eid, Michael ; Larsen, Randy

Izdavač
Guilford Press

Grad
New York (NY)

Godina
2008

Raspon stranica
258-289

ISBN
978-1-59385-581-9

Ključne riječi
affect regulation styles, negative events, positive events

Sažetak
In this chapter definitions of SWB are reviewed and focused on its emotional core, which is considered to be the ratio of positive to negative affect over time. Evidence showed that the negative affect system produces stronger affective output, per unit input, than the positive affect system, a phenomenon known as negativity bias. Authors suggested that negativity exceeds positivity by a factor of pi (3.14). The fact that negativity is stronger than positivity, combined with the notion of differential adaptation (we adapt faster to good events than to bad events), creates the conditions that drive the hedonic treadmill. However, most people are able to overcome the psychological forces of the hedonic treadmill and maintain at least a modicum of emotional well-being. It was argued that happy persons are especially adept at speeding their emotional recovery from negative events and at slowing their hedonic adaptation to positive events. A number of strategies and behaviors geared toward altering hedonic adaptation rates (speeding adaptation to bad events, slowing adaptation to good events) are reviewed. In most cases it is implied that the behavior can modify the affective state. However, it is also becoming clear that affective states (e.g., positive affect) can promote the specific behaviors. The causal relationships may be bi-directional, in which case strategies for influencing affect may themselves be influenced, in a positive feedback fashion, by the affects they engender. This may be one way to trigger upward spirals toward emotional well-being.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Psihologija

POVEZANOST RADA