I like that you feel my pain, but I love that you feel my joy: Empathy for a partner’s negative versus positive emotions independently affect relationship quality

2017 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 834-854 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael R. Andreychik
Keyword(s):  
Relationship Quality ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Causal Effects ◽  
Relationship Functioning ◽  
Emotional Experiences ◽  
Recent Scholarship ◽  
Do So

Given the myriad ways in which close relationships impact human well-being, it is important to understand the factors that contribute to healthy relationship functioning. One such factor is the extent to which partners empathize with each other’s emotional experiences. To date however, research examining empathy’s relevance for social relationships has focused overwhelmingly on empathy for others’ specifically negative emotions. Building on recent scholarship demonstrating the separability of empathy for others’ negative versus positive emotions, the present work argues that both of these empathic capacities contribute to relationship quality and that they do so via different pathways. A first study showed that whereas perceptions of a partner’s negative empathy and positive empathy were each independently associated with relationship quality, this association was substantially stronger for positive empathy. A second, experimental study demonstrated independent causal effects of negative empathy and positive empathy and showed that these effects were mediated by different mechanisms. These results suggest that although having a partner who empathizes with one’s negative emotions is good for relationships, having a partner who (also) empathizes with one’s positive emotions may carry even greater benefits.

Positive Emotion in Borderline Personality Disorder

2019 ◽  
pp. 332-352
Author(s):  
Jill M. Hooley ◽  
Sara R. Masland
Keyword(s):  
Borderline Personality Disorder ◽  
Personality Disorder ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Negative Mood ◽  
Severe Form ◽  
Borderline Personality ◽  
Negative Emotionality ◽  
Personality Pathology ◽  
Emotional Experiences

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a severe form of personality pathology characterized by high levels of negative emotionality. Because negative emotions are so central to the clinical presentation of BPD, the issue of how people with this disorder process and experience positive emotional experiences is relatively unexplored. This chapter provides an overview of what is currently known about positive emotions and BPD. Although the literature is characterized by many inconsistencies, our review suggests that people with BPD do indeed experience positive emotions. However, their recall of positive emotional experiences appears to be reduced, perhaps because such experiences are more transient, less stable, and more likely to be quickly replaced by negative emotions. Problems with the identification and accurate differentiation of positive emotions may also play a role. Such difficulties may conspire to create a psychological world for people with BPD that is characterized by a focus on negative mood and negative emotional experiences. In addition to focusing on negative affect, we suggest that it might also be clinically beneficial to make problems with positive affect a specific clinical target.

scholarly journals The Experience of Empathy in Everyday Life

2021 ◽  
pp. 095679762199520
Author(s):  
Gregory John Depow ◽  
Zoë Francis ◽  
Michael Inzlicht
Keyword(s):  
Prosocial Behavior ◽  
Everyday Life ◽  
Perspective Taking ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Daily Life ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Negatively Associated ◽  
The Everyday ◽  
Trait Empathy

We used experience sampling to examine perceptions of empathy in the everyday lives of a group of 246 U.S. adults who were quota sampled to represent the population on key demographics. Participants reported an average of about nine opportunities to empathize per day; these experiences were positively associated with prosocial behavior, a relationship not found with trait measures. Although much of the literature focuses on the distress of strangers, in everyday life, people mostly empathize with very close others, and they empathize with positive emotions 3 times as frequently as with negative emotions. Although trait empathy was negatively associated only with well-being, empathy in daily life was generally associated with increased well-being. Theoretically distinct components of empathy—emotion sharing, perspective taking, and compassion—typically co-occur in everyday empathy experiences. Finally, empathy in everyday life was higher for women and the religious but not significantly lower for conservatives and the wealthy.

scholarly journals Temporal dependency of emotional states at work and its relationship with dynamic performance

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelina De Longis ◽  
Guido Alessandri
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Behavior ◽  
Psychological Functioning ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Dynamic Performance ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Emotional States ◽  
Emotion Dynamics ◽  
Affective Experiences ◽  
And Performance

Emotion dynamics, how people’s emotions fluctuate across time, represent a key source of information about people’s psychological functioning and well-being. Investigating emotion dynamics in the workplace is particularly relevant, as affective experiences are intimately connected to organizational behavior and effectiveness. In this study, we examined the moderating role of emotional inertia in the dynamic association between both positive and negative emotions and self-rated job performance among a sample of 120 Italian workers (average age 41.4, SD = 14), which were prompted six times per day, for five working days. Emotional inertia refers to the extent that emotional states are self-predictive or carry on over time and is measured in terms of the autocorrelation of emotional states across time. Although inertia has been linked to several indicators of maladjustment, little is known about its correlates in terms of organizational behavior. Findings revealed that workers reporting high levels of positive emotions and high inertia rated their performance lower than workers high in positive emotions, but low in inertia. In contrast, the relation between negative emotions and performance was not significant for either high levels of inertia or low levels of inertia. Taken together, these results suggest the relevance of investigating the temporal dependency of emotional states at work.

Ethnic identity commitment and socioemotional well-being among Latinx-origin college students: The influence of maternal and peer relationships

2021 ◽  
pp. 026540752110520
Author(s):  
Zeinab A. Hachem ◽  
Rosa I. Toro
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Ethnic Identity ◽  
Relationship Quality ◽  
Peer Relationships ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Immigrant Generation ◽  
Generation Status ◽  
Identity Commitment ◽  
The Impact

Purpose: Considerable research has noted the association between ethnic identity commitment, which refers to a positive affirmation, sense of belonging and heightened level of engagement to one’s ethnic group, and indices of well-being, but less is known in terms of factors that can explain this link. Research Design: The current study explored the relationship between ethnic identity commitment and indices of well-being, the mediating role of social relationships, and the moderating roles of gender and immigrant generation status. Study Sample: A sample of 707 Latinx college students (79% female, 21% male,  M age = 19.08 years,  SD age = 1.17,  Range: 17.00–25.00) reported on ethnic identity commitment, maternal and peer relationship quality, self-esteem, depressive symptoms, and anxiety. Results: Results suggested that ethnic identity commitment was positively associated with socioemotional well-being. Although both types of relationships were significant mediators on their own, maternal relationship quality had a greater influence. Furthermore, gender and immigrant generation status were not significant moderators of these indirect effects. Conclusions: Findings indicate that committing to one’s ethnic identity enhances socioemotional well-being. They also demonstrate the complex interplay of social relationships and the enduring influence of maternal relationships during early adulthood. Results support the development of efforts geared toward facilitating ethnic identity commitment as well as leveraging the impact of social relationships in a manner that supports Latinx individuals.

Well-being of North Eastern Migrant Workers in Bangalore

2020 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-114
Author(s):  
Divya Pradeep ◽  
K. C. Adaina ◽  
Sonia Kahmei
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Migrant Workers ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Reconstruction Method ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
North East ◽  
Material Conditions

This paper explores the quality of life and subjective well-being of north-east migrant workers engaged in various formal and informal jobs in Bangalore. The composite well-being index reveals moderate well-being for the majority of workers. The disaggregated analysis, however, shows poor material conditions of life. Using the Day Reconstruction Method, we also find positive emotions associated with activities such as socialising but negative emotions for work and commuting. With respect to interacting partners, the negative emotions were highest while dealing with clients and customers. We also found positive correlations between life satisfaction and quality of life indicators, most strongly, with job quality. Lower quality of jobs, reported by women in comparison to men, suggests that organisations should aim to create more equal and enabling work spaces for all genders.

scholarly journals A Test of Resilience Theory in the Context of a Global Crisis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily C Willroth ◽  
Angela Moriah Smith ◽  
Dan Mroczek ◽  
Eileen Kranz Graham ◽  
amanda shallcross ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Resilience Theory ◽  
Stress Exposure ◽  
Total N ◽  
Baseline Levels ◽  
Resilient Response

Major stressors often challenge emotional well-being—increasing negative emotions and decreasing positive emotions. But how long do these emotional hits last? Prior theory and research contain conflicting views. Some research suggests that most individuals’ emotional well-being will return to, or even surpass, baseline levels relatively quickly. Others have challenged this view, arguing that this type of resilient response is uncommon. The present research provides a strong test of resilience theory by examining emotional trajectories over the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic. In two pre-registered longitudinal studies conducted in diverse U.S. samples (total N =1,147), we examined overall emotional trajectories and predictors of individual differences in emotional trajectories across 13 waves of data from February through September 2020. The pandemic had immediate detrimental effects on emotional well-being. Negative emotions decreased across six months, with the greatest improvements occurring almost immediately. Yet, positive emotions remained depleted relative to baseline levels, illustrating the limits of resilience. Individuals also differed substantially around these normative emotional trajectories and these individual differences were predicted by socio-demographic characteristics and stress exposure. We discuss three theoretical implications of the present investigation: (1) The extent to which resilience is normative depends on the outcome and the context. (2) Individual differences in resilience are large and complex, suggesting that broad claims that resilience is “ubiquitous” or “rare” may not be useful. (3) Resilience is multiply-determined and embedded within societal contexts that influence who experiences stress as well as who has access to resources to respond to stress.

scholarly journals The Complex Role of Discrete Emotions in Successful Aging

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 626-626
Author(s):  
Jeremy Hamm ◽  
Carsten Wrosch
Keyword(s):  
Successful Aging ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Stress Reactivity ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Empathic Accuracy ◽  
Discrete Emotions ◽  
Age Related ◽  
Positive And Negative Emotions

Abstract Research shows that emotions play an important role in successful aging. However, previous studies have largely focused on the implications of dimensional indicators of emotion, such as positive and negative affect. This approach may fail to capture important distinctions between discrete emotions such as sadness, loneliness, calmness, and empathy that could become more or less adaptive with age. The present studies adopt a discrete emotion perspective to examine age-related changes in the consequences of different positive and negative emotions for successful aging. Drawing from an evolutionary-functionalist perspective, Haase, Wu, Verstaen, and Levenson investigate whether sadness becomes more salient and adaptive in old age using a multi-method approach. Lee, Lay, Mahmood, Graf, and Hoppmann address the seemingly contradictory consequences of loneliness by examining how state- and trait-loneliness interact to predict older adults’ prosocial behaviors. Hamm, Wrosch, Barlow, and Kunzmann use two studies to examine the diverging salience and 10-year health consequences of discrete positive emotions posited to motivate rest and recovery (calmness) or pursuit of novelty and stimulation (excitement). Barlow and Mauss study the co-occurrence of discrete emotions and their age-dependent associations with well-being using an adult lifespan sample. Finally, Wieck, Katzorreck, Gerstorf, Schilling, Lücke, and Kunzmann examine lifespan changes in the adaptive function of empathy by assessing the extent to which empathic accuracy protects against stress-reactivity as people age. This symposium thus integrates new research on the role of discrete positive and negative emotions and will contribute to a deeper understanding of the complex relationships between emotions and successful aging.

scholarly journals Feeling the emotions, finding the resources: a pathway toward balanced parenting?

Aula Abierta ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 807-814
Author(s):  
Alessandro Pepe ◽  
Elisabetta Biffi ◽  
Eleonora Farina
Keyword(s):  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Emergency Situation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Emotion Management ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
General Distress ◽  
Personal Perceptions ◽  
Multiple Levels

The pandemic made childcare a major challenge for parents globally, both in the short and longer term. In this context, it is plausible that emotions and general distress experienced by parents have had an impact at multiple levels in their relationships with their children, potentially increasing their vulnerability. The present study focuses on the analysis of the prevailing emotions of Italian parents during the first lockdown, investigating possible associations with personal perceptions of well-being and readiness to cope with the emergency situation. 319 parents (93% mothers) answered to a semi-structured computer assisted web interview (CAWI; Kurniawan, 2018). The answers showed that parents went through intense emotions, both negative, like worry and anxiety (39.2% named only negative emotions and 32% negative emotions as prevalent) and positive emotional, like hope, serenity and joy (7.8% indicated only positive emotions and 9.5% positive emotions as prevalent). Parents’ perceived positive emotions have proved to be important resources linked to a higher level of personal well-being and the perception of being adequately equipped to deal with an emergency. Emotion management emerged as a key area affecting parents’ way of relating with their children during the strict lockdown: parents declared their need to be supported in building a positive emotional relationship with their children in a stressing situation, highlighting a difficulty in cope with and communicate their own emotionality.

scholarly journals Unpacking the Parenting Well-Being Gap: The Role of Dynamic Features of Daily Life across Broader Social Contexts

2020 ◽  
Vol 83 (3) ◽  
pp. 207-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Veronica Negraia ◽  
Jennifer March Augustine
Keyword(s):  
Positive Emotions ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Subjective Well Being ◽  
Dynamic Features ◽  
American Time Use Survey ◽  
Contextual Variation ◽  
Time Use Survey

Although public debate ensues over whether parents or nonparents have higher levels of emotional well-being, scholars suggest that being a parent is associated with a mixed bag of emotions. Drawing on the American Time Use Survey for the years 2010, 2012, and 2013 and unique measures of subjective well-being that capture positive and negative emotions linked to daily activities, we “unpack” this mixed bag. We do so by examining contextual variation in the parenting emotions gap based on activity type, whether parents’ children were present, parenting stage, and respondent’s gender. We found that parenting was associated with more positive emotions than nonparenting, but also more negative emotions. This pattern existed only during housework and leisure, not during paid work. Moreover, patterns in positive emotions existed only when parents’ children were present; patterns in negative emotions were primarily observed during earlier stages of parenting. Results were similar for men and women.

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