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Positive Affect in the Midst of Distress: Implications for Role Functioning
Judith Tedlie Moskowitz1, Dikla Shmueli-Blumberg, Michael Acree
1University of California, San Francisco, Osher Center for Integrative Medicine.
Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology
|November 24, 2012
Summary
Positive emotions can help replenish self-regulation resources depleted by stress, aiding role functioning. While cross-sectional studies show a link, longitudinal data offers less support for this positive affect benefit over time.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Health Psychology
Background:
- Stress can deplete self-regulation resources essential for effective role functioning.
- Positive affect may replenish these resources, offering an adaptive function under stress.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the adaptive function of positive affect in role functioning among individuals experiencing stress.
- To test hypotheses derived from revised Stress and Coping theory and the Broaden-and-Build theory of positive emotion.
Main Methods:
- Three studies examined students, caregivers of ill children, and individuals with recent HIV diagnoses.
- Role functioning was used as an indicator of self-regulation performance.
- Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses were conducted.
Main Results:
- Cross-sectional analyses revealed a significant positive correlation between positive affect and better self-regulation performance, independent of negative affect.
- Longitudinal analyses showed weaker effects, with limited evidence of a reciprocal association between positive affect and role functioning over time.
Conclusions:
- Positive affect shows modest support for its adaptive function in enhancing role functioning under stress, particularly in cross-sectional data.
- Further research is needed to fully understand the longitudinal impact and reciprocal relationship between positive emotions and self-regulation in stressful contexts.
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