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Positive Interventions: An Emotion Regulation Perspective

Authors:
Jordi Quoidbach at University Pompeu Fabra
Jordi Quoidbach
Moïra Mikolajczak at Université Catholique de Louvain - UCLouvain
Moïra Mikolajczak
James J. Gross
James J. Gross
James J. Gross
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The rapid growth of the literature on positive interventions to increase “happiness” suggests the need for an overarching conceptual framework to integrate the many and apparently disparate findings. In this review, we use the process model of emotion regulation (Gross, 1998) to organize the existing literature on positive interventions and to advance theory by clarifying the mechanisms underlying their effectiveness. We propose that positive emotions can be increased both in the short- and longer-term through five families of emotion regulation strategies (i.e., situation selection, situation modification, attentional deployment, cognitive change, and response modulation), and we show how these emotion regulation strategies can be applied before, during, and after positive emotional events. Regarding short-term increases in positive emotions, our review indicates that attentional deployment, cognitive change, and response modulation strategies have received the most empirical support, whereas more work is needed to establish the effectiveness of situation selection and situation modification strategies. Regarding longer-term increases in positive emotions, strategies such as situation selection during an event and attentional deployment before, during, and after an event have received strong empirical support and are at the center of many positive interventions. However, more work is needed to establish the specific benefits of the other strategies, especially situation modification. We argue that our emotion regulation framework clarifies existing interventions and points the way for new interventions that might be used to increase positive emotions in both non-clinical and clinical populations.
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... Positive emotion regulation encompasses the use of attentional, cognitive, or behavioral strategies to either upregulate or downregulate positive emotional states. For the aim of the current study, we will focus on positive upregulating strategies, whose aim is to create, maintain, and amplify positive emotions (Bryant & Veroff, 2007;Quoidbach et al., 2015). These strategies can be deployed at different stages of the emotion generation process (Gross, 1998;Quoidbach et al., 2015;Vanderlind et al., 2022): (a) by selecting situations that improve mood (situation selection); (b) by focusing attention on stimuli that amplify positive emotions (attentional deployment); (c) by positively interpreting a stimulus to enhance pleasant emotions (cognitive change); and (d) by modifying and enhancing the expression of positive emotional states (response modulation). ...
... For the aim of the current study, we will focus on positive upregulating strategies, whose aim is to create, maintain, and amplify positive emotions (Bryant & Veroff, 2007;Quoidbach et al., 2015). These strategies can be deployed at different stages of the emotion generation process (Gross, 1998;Quoidbach et al., 2015;Vanderlind et al., 2022): (a) by selecting situations that improve mood (situation selection); (b) by focusing attention on stimuli that amplify positive emotions (attentional deployment); (c) by positively interpreting a stimulus to enhance pleasant emotions (cognitive change); and (d) by modifying and enhancing the expression of positive emotional states (response modulation). ...
... Each strategy was assessed through single items. Although the cognitive change item was created based on the extensive review by Quoidbach et al. (2015) about cognitive change strategies (i.e., counting blessings) to upregulate positive emotions, the attentional deployment and response modulation items were similar to those used in a previous EMA research on the regulation of positive emotions ("I tried to revel in the moment and concentrate on how good I felt" and "I emphasized my emotions by showing them," respectively, Heiy & Cheavens, 2014). Situation selection was not taken into consideration, since participants were asked to report ongoing feelings and momentary strategy use (i.e., the situation had already been previously selected). ...
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Article
Full-text available
  • Mar 2024
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... This approach can be integrated into sessions within cognitive behavioral approaches (e.g., Özer et al., 2013) and emotion regulation trainings (Eckert et al., 2016) targeted at addressing procrastination. Furthermore, interventions can equip individuals with skills to reappraise their perceived control and reformulate their values for specific learning tasks and situations in a positive light (Pekrun, 2006;Quoidbach et al., 2015). This approach can boost their sense of self-efficacy and increase motivation to engage in academic tasks (Respondek et al., 2017), rather than engage in procrastination. ...
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Thesis
Full-text available
  • Jun 2024
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Efforts should not only go into adaptive ways of coping with negative emotions but also simultaneously boosting positive emotions to reduce academic procrastination. Overall, the research articles in this dissertation complement and extend previous research as differentiated insights into the mechanisms by which academic procrastination and both negative and positive achievement emotions are related could be gained.
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... (6) Nurses proficient in EI are skilled communicators with physicians, colleagues, and patients, which in turn positively impacts patient satisfaction, according to Raeissi et al. (7) Studies, including those by Adams and Iseler (2014), have shown that high EI in nurses directly improves care quality and their commitment to patient care. (8) Furthermore, the ability to regulate emotions, a component of EI, is linked to enhanced team performance, thereby elevating the overall quality of nursing care provided, as identified by Quoidbach et al. (9) In a study by Saeed, Javadi, and Noouri (2013), the EI of nurses in a military hospital in Tehran was evaluated, comparing EI levels between general ward and intensive care unit nurses. (10) Results indicated higher EI in general ward nurses compared to those in intensive care, with a noted need for EI improvement in the latter, especially in emergency department nurses. ...
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Article
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Objective: The study of emotional intelligence in critical care nursing is crucial. In high-pressure environments like critical care units, nurses not only provide vital medical care but also emotional support to patients and their families. Understanding and managing their own emotions, as well as empathetically responding to others, can significantly improve patient outcomes and the overall quality of care. This study was conducted to explore the relationship between emotional intelligence and the quality of nursing care among critical care nurses in Jordan. Design: A cross-sectional design was used with the Assessing Emotions Scale and Quality of Nursing Care instrument. Setting: Ministry of Health, AL-Bashir, Prince Hamza, and Jordan Hospitals. Patient and participants: One hundred eighty-five nurses from different hospitals participated in the study. Results: Of the participants, 65.4% were female (n=121), 37.3% were working in intensive care units (n=69), and the mean age of participants was 30.54 years (SD=4.73). A positive relationship between emotional intelligence and quality of nursing care (r=0.785, p=0.001) was found. Furthermore, the study revealed positive correlations between nurses' age, years of experience, and emotional intelligence, with correlation coefficients (r) of 0.715 and 0.731, respectively, and p-values of less than 0.5. Conclusion: These results will help administrators develop strategies and educational programs to improve the quality of nursing care in hospitals.
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Article
Full-text available
  • May 2024
Background: Internet usage has increased during the pandemic. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between internet addiction (IA), happiness, and aggression in the context of difficulties in emotion regulation (DER). The psycho-social symptoms of the COVID-19 pandemic appear to be more persistent over time compared to its physical symptoms, especially regarding Internet addiction in the young population. This study seeks to understand these effects on happiness and aggression through difficulties in emotion regulation. Participants and Procedure: The sample of this study consisted of 325 university students. Data were gathered using the Young Internet Addiction Scale Short Form, Oxford Happiness Scale Short-Form, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale Brief-Form, and Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire. Results: The results showed that internet addiction was negatively related to happiness, and this relationship was mediated by difficulties in emotion regulation. Similarly, internet addiction was positively related to aggression, and this relationship was fully mediated by difficulties in emotion regulation as well. Conclusion: These research findings emphasize the need for creating effective interventions to enhance emotion regulation skills in internet-addicted adults. The results are discussed in light of the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
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... Individuals living with chronic mental health or life limiting physical health conditions may be more likely to experience lower levels of positive affect or transiently positive emotional experiences [28], which may further dispose them to future psychological distress [29,30]. This indicates that an individual's disposition to initially experience positive affect states, and secondly attend to and savour them, may be impacted by their psychological and physical levels of functioning and well-being [31,32]. Consequently, there is a need to examine the efficacy of savouring interventions when applied exclusively to clinical populations, as their therapeutic potential on altering positive and negative affect states may operate through different pathways than when applied to healthy, non-clinical populations [33,34]. ...
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Article
Full-text available
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... Given that happiness is universally acknowledged as one of the most important goals (Diener et al., 2002;Duncan, 2010;Zerwas & Ford, 2021), it is important to understand not only ways of enhancing positivity, but also ways of diminishing negativity. Past work, particularly in the area of emotion regulation, has identified a number of highly effective strategies for mitigating emotional negativity (see Gross, 1998;Werner & Gross, 2010 for reviews), including situation selection (e.g., Webb et al., 2018), situation modification (Quoidbach et al., 2015), cognitive reappraisal (e.g., Troy & Mauss, 2011;vanOyen Witvliet et al., 2010;see Gross & Thompson, 2007 for a review), response modulation (Schutte et al., 2009), and emotional labeling (e.g., Lieberman et al., 2007). ...
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  • Mar 2024
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Full-text available
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Counting Blessings Versus Burdens: An Experimental Investigation of Gratitude and Subjective Well-Being in Daily Life
Article
  • Feb 2003
The effect of a grateful outlook on psychological and physical well-being was examined. In Studies 1 and 2, participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 experimental conditions (hassles, gratitude listing, and either neutral life events or social comparison); they then kept weekly (Study 1) or daily (Study 2) records of their moods, coping behaviors, health behaviors, physical symptoms, and overall life appraisals. In a 3rd study, persons with neuromuscular disease were randomly assigned to either the gratitude condition or to a control condition. The gratitude-outlook groups exhibited heightened well-being across several, though not all, of the outcome measures across the 3 studies, relative to the comparison groups. The effect on positive affect appeared to be the most robust finding. Results suggest that a conscious focus on blessings may have emotional and interpersonal benefits.
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