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Updated: Jun 16, 2026

Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood

Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood

Published on: February 11, 2017

Positive affect and psychobiological processes.

Samantha Dockray¹, Andrew Steptoe

¹University College London, London, UK. s.dockray@ucl.ac.uk

Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews

|January 26, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Positive affect, or positive mood, is linked to better health. Biological processes, like lower cortisol and improved cardiovascular function, may explain how positive emotions benefit physical health.

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Area of Science:

Psychoneuroimmunology
Health Psychology

Background:

Positive affect is associated with favorable health outcomes.
Biological processes are likely mediators of positive mood's effects on physical health.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the psychobiological correlates of positive affect.
To understand how positive affect influences neuroendocrine, autonomic, and immune systems.

Main Methods:

Review of converging evidence on positive affect and biological systems.
Examination of studies on cortisol, cardiovascular function, and immune response.

Main Results:

Positive affect is associated with lower cortisol levels (total output and awakening response).
Positive mood benefits cardiovascular function (heart rate, blood pressure) and immune system activity.
These effects are independent of negative affect, suggesting unique biological correlates.

Conclusions:

Positive affect has distinct psychobiological correlates.
These biological mechanisms may contribute to the health-protective effects of positive emotions.