Seeking positive connection: Is inflammation associated with anticipated and experienced shared positive affect with...

Emerging evidence suggests inflammation may enhance social approach toward close others. Yet, little is known about how inflammation relates to positive affective experiences with different social targets. To address this, we examined associations between inflammation and perceptions of anticipated and experienced shared, kind-hearted positive affect (i.e., perceived positivity resonance) with close versus non-close others. Participants (N = 55; 67% female; 43% White; M_age = 20.06) provided blood samples on two consecutive days, once before and once after receiving the annual influenza vaccine, which were assayed for levels of the inflammatory marker interleukin-6. They also completed an in-lab writing task about anticipated positivity resonance in social interactions and completed eight momentary assessments of experienced positivity resonance. A divergence emerged between anticipated and experienced positivity resonance, specifically with non-close others: Higher interleukin-6 levels were associated with greater anticipated, but lower experienced, positivity resonance during interactions with non-close others. However, these effects did not survive correction for multiple comparisons and are considered preliminary. Additionally, higher levels of interleukin-6 were related to significantly greater ease imagining interacting with a close other, and a larger quantity of interactions with different close others. These findings provide preliminary evidence that associations between inflammation and positive emotions during social interactions vary as a function of anticipated versus experienced interactions, and as a function of target (close vs. non-close others). Future work is needed to test whether results replicate and generalize to older adults and those with chronically elevated inflammation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).