Don't worry, be happy? Neuroticism, trait-consistent affect regulation, and performance

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Affective Science
• Personality Psychology

Background:

• People regulate emotions to enhance well-being or achieve instrumental success.
• Trait-consistency can motivate individuals to experience unpleasant affect for instrumental gain.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if individuals high in neuroticism prefer experiencing unpleasant affect (worry) when it serves performance goals.
• To examine the conditions under which unpleasant affect is instrumentally chosen.

Main Methods:

• Four studies utilized self-reported preferences and behavioral choices in experimental settings.
• Participants' neuroticism levels were assessed.
• Task demands (demanding vs. undemanding) were manipulated.

Main Results:

• Individuals high in neuroticism were more likely than those low in neuroticism to choose increased worry.
• This preference for worry was observed when anticipating demanding tasks, but not undemanding ones.
• Short-term unpleasant affect preferences may benefit performance.

Conclusions:

• Neuroticism is associated with a willingness to experience negative affect for instrumental purposes.
• Task demands moderate the choice to experience unpleasant emotions.
• Unpleasant affect, when instrumentally chosen, can potentially enhance performance.