Positive Emotions’ Effect on Buffering and

Creativity:An Experimental Design

Katrina OngDean Craig Smith & Professor Leslie Kirby’s Lab

Positive Emotions

• Negative emotions specific action tendency vs. positive emotions multiple action tendencies (Fredrickson 1998; Fredrickson, 2001)

• Positive emotions (and specifically optimistic disposition) are correlated with increased health outcomes specifically with cardiac health (Agarwal, et al., 1995; Kubzansky et al., 2001; Scheier et al., 1999)

• Positive emotions can buffer against depression after stressful events (Tugade, et al., 2004; Seligman, et al., 1999)

Buffering & Creativity

The Undoing Hypothesis (Fredrickson,et al.,2000) as part of the Broaden and Build Theory (Fredrickson, 2001)

Buffering: When a positive emotion is first induced it may be able to prevent the effects of a negative emotion

Previous Attempts by the Lab & Pilots

• Bauman’s (2011) study• Mood Induction (Differential Positive Emotions)• Stressor (Singing at the Commons)

• Pilot 1 (Behavioral Mood Induction)

• Pilot 2 (Writing Prompts)

• Pilot 3 (J-task as a Stressor)

Methods

• Main Study: 83 Vanderbilt student participants (74% female)• Instruments: REDcap, DEAL, LIWC, Physio• Conditions: Positive or Neutral for Mood Induction

based

on random assignment1) Baseline DEAL and Physio

2) Mood Induction Writing Prompt

3) Manipulation Check DEAL

4) Stressor J-Word Task (number of words, number of word roots,

and avg. word length collected)

5) DEAL + Other questionnaires

Hypotheses

1) When using baseline and post-mood induction scores as covariates, the participants in the positive condition would emotionally respond significantly less to the stressor task.

2) Participants in the positive condition would show increased creativity in the stressor task as measured by word count, number of word roots, and average word length.

Results

Baseline Post-Induction Post-Stressor0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

46.0264

56.1611

42.826

48.6459

42.640837.6684

Positive Affect vs. Time of Appraisal

Positive

Neutral

Time of Appraisal

Po

siti

ve A

ffec

t

ResultsWhat would

buffering look like?

Baseline Post-Induction Post-Stressor0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Negative Affect v. Time of Appraisal

Positive Neutral

Time of AppraisalN

egat

ive

Aff

ect

(0-1

00)

Baseline Post-Induction Post-Stressor0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

18.5462

12.6329

29.4126

12.0619 11.7602

26.5354

Negative Affect v. Time of Appraisal

Positive Neutral

Time of Appraisal

Results Behavioral Outcomes

• Participants in the positive condition (M=17.68) listed significantly more words than those in the neutral condition (M=14.98), F(1,77)=4.497, p<.05.

Positive Neutral5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Number of Words Listed v. Condition

Condition

Nu

mb

er o

f J-

wo

rds

list

ed

Conclusions & Discussion• Found evidence to support Broaden and

Build theory that positive emotions lead to increased creativity and cognitive flexibility• Use more sensitive measures to creativity in

the future

• No evidence of buffering even with a strong positive mood induction and mild stressor• Buffering may not be related to the emotional

state of happiness and optimism but rather trait values like an optimistic disposition and/or emotion focused coping

THANK YOU

Craig Smith

Bonnie Williamson

Nora KlineAlena Perszyck

Jennifer Yih

Sloane SparksKellie Kuzmuk

Leslie Kirby

Thesis Committee: Craig Smith, Meg Saylor, and Rachel Aaron