Praise for Positivity"The first time I heard Barb Fredrickson speak, the famous psychologist sitting next to me said, "That's the real thing!" This book, like Barb, is the "Real Thing:" It's the perfect blend of sound science and wise advice on how to become happier. Barbara Fredrickson is the genius of the positive psychology movement." —Martin E. P. Seligman, Ph.D., author of Authentic Happiness

"Positivity is positively wonderful! Barbara Fredrickson offers sure-fire methods for transforming our lives from so-so to joyous. Highly recommended." —Daniel Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence

"Positivity is literally the feel good book of the year, providing a scientifically sound prescription for joy, health, and creativity. Read one to two chapters daily as needed or until grumpiness subsides." —Daniel Gilbert, Ph.D., professor of psychology, Harvard University, Author of Stumbling on Happiness

"Written by one of the most influential contributors to this new perspective in science, Positivity provides a wonderful synthesis of what positive psychology has accomplished in the first decade of its existence. It is full of deep insights about human behavior, as well as useful suggestions for how to apply them in everyday life. What is more, the book keeps you in suspense describing the often convoluted process by which discoveries in science are made. In basic research, the journey is often as important as reaching the destination; and Professor Fredrickson is a wonderfully clear and helpful guide along the journey." —Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Ph.D., Author of Flow

"Here at last, from an eminent research psychologist, is the science that supports and informs the power of positive thinking. And what a pleasure to read such lucid and vividly illustrated prose."—David G. Myers, Ph.D., professor of psychology, Hope College, and author of The Pursuit of Happiness

"Sometimes there are moments, in every field, when history gasps. When former limitations and biases, old conventions and limiting paradigms, are suddenly eclipsed as something new is established. Positivity ushers in such a moment. Fredrickson's work is a stunning achievement: her utterly original science of "what good are positive emotions?" – hope, inspiration, joy and the like – has implications for diverse fields from evolutionary theory to business leadership, and from the whole of psychology to flourishing families. Read this book and randomly spread it to others. It will create a positive revolution in a world that is ready for a positive revolution."—David Cooperrider, Ph.D., professor of management, Case Western Reserve University, and Author of Appreciative Inquiry

"Behind most every significant scientific breakthrough is a rigorous, tough minded investigator who passionately pursues the truth. Barb is that person and her life's work represents a priceless contribution to the world of psychology. Positivity is a treasure trove of new data-based insights and breakthrough thinking. Barb is one of a kind and so is her new book. Her work and this book are simply brilliant."—Jim Loehr, Ed.D., Bestselling author and CEO of The Human Performance Institute

"Positivity is filled with morsels of knowledge and practices that build pathways to flourishing for yourself and for others. For those with an appetite for solid psychological science put into the service of improving people’s lives, this book will fill you up and inspire action."—Jane E. Dutton, Ph.D., professor of business, University of Michigan, and author of Energize Your Workplace

"Positivity is a book that will bring comfort to anyone who has suffered even 10 minutes of depression." —George E. Vaillant, M.D., author of Spiritual Evolution

"Nothing looks happier than a bunch of young primates orchildren at play. The need for connection and exploration never leaves us, evenas adults. As is clear from this inspiring book by Barbara Fredrickson, apositive, outgoing attitude greatly enriches our lives as well as that of thosearound us." —Frans de Waal, Ph.D., author of Our Inner Ape

"Positivity is a wonderful mixture of scientific facts and inspiration. The science is clear and accessible, and the information encouraging and life affirming. Even if our everyday lives seem more neutral than positive, and even if our lives are far more painful than positive, there is real and practical benefit for us in this book."—Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness

"Positivity is an inspiring book. It provides overwhelming evidence on the power of positive thoughts and feelings. And it gives you well-tested ways to achieve them."—Lord Richard Layard, Ph.D., professor, London School of Economics, and author of Happiness: Lessons from a New Science

"From its earliest days, the field of positive psychology has been fortunate to have Barbara Fredrickson as its preeminent researcher. Possessing the rare combination of brilliance in science and thoughtfulness about human behavior, she is the world’s leading expert on positive emotion and the first to seriously investigate the meanings, causes, functions, and implications of joy, gratitude, serenity, interest, hope, pride, amusement, inspiration, awe and love. Now, Fredrickson has written a book that many of us have been waiting for a decade for her to write. Seamlessly weaving scientific findings with compelling anecdotes and stories, Positivity is both a joy to read and a revelation. Fredrickson’s book meets not one but two sets of standards – those of the best books in science and those of the best in popular psychology, engaging and accessible to all."—Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D., professor of psychology, University of California at Riverside, and author of The How of Happiness

Reviews

"...Fredrickson, one of the pioneers of [positive psychology] knows her stuff. She is a sure-footed and compassionate guide to [this field's] many findings. Indeed, the best nuggets stem from [her] own work into what she calls the 'broaden-and-build theory...'"

The Washington Post "...Fredrickson has been building her theory for many years, and broadening it with new ideas and rigorous laboratory evidence. Positivity is an accessible and inspiring version of this project..."Wray Herbert, We’re Only Human. (Click here for full review)

Ode to Joy and Serenity and Curiosity and . . .

Tuesday, December 16, 2008 By Wray Herbert

Young patas monkeys love to play tag on the savannahs of West Africa, and they have an odd play habit.

When they are being chased, they fling themselves on to saplings, which bend and catapult them in

unexpected directions. This exuberant and quirky behavior disappears as the speedy red monkeys grow

into adulthood, with one exception: When fleeing a predator, adults will fling themselves on to saplings,

which bend and catapult them to escape.

University of North Carolina psychologist Barbara Fredrickson uses the antics of patas monkeys as both

an example and metaphor for her “broaden and build” theory of positive emotions. The young monkeys

are engaging in pointless fun, just for the sheer joy of it—or so it seems. In fact, their joy and play are

creating a reserve of body memories that—way down the line—could keep them alive.

Positive emotions are life savers. That is Fredrickson’s answer to a question that has perplexed

psychologists for years: What are positive emotions for? The survival value of negative emotions is

obvious: Fear helps us avoid attackers, and disgust alerts us to poisons, and so forth. But what possible

good are joy, contentment, gratitude, and curiosity? Fredrickson believes that these emotions increase

cognitive flexibility, trump harmful negativity, and create a reservoir of resilience that helps us cope with

life’s travails. She pulls together some of her most provocative and convincing studies in a new book,

Positivity (Crown Publishers).

Consider this deceptively simple experiment. Fredrickson used lab techniques to “prime” the emotions

of a large group of volunteers. Some were primed for amusement, some for serenity, still others for

anger or fear or nothing at all. Then she asked them simply to make a list of things they would like to do

at that moment. Those who were amused or serene listed significantly more possibilities than the

others, suggesting that their minds were more open to ideas, more exploratory. She ran a similar

experiment with abstract shapes, and found that the positive thinkers were more apt to see hidden

patterns, to make connections. Those who were angry or fearful were too narrowly focused on details to

see the big picture.

This is what Fredrickson calls “broadening,” and she had shown this cognitive benefit time and again in a

variety of studies. But what is the value of such openness beyond the moment? This is where it gets

really interesting. Fredrickson has shown that these moments of serenity or amusement have an

accumulative effect over time. They break down the barriers between self and others, and build trust. In

short, positivity creates open-mindedness, which sparks even more good feelings, creating an upward

spiral of emotions. This is the “building” for the future: Over time, those with the most positive

moments become more mindful and attentive, more accepting and purposeful, and more socially

connected.

And healthier. This is the hidden and unanticipated benefit of laughter and peacefulness and

thankfulness, according to Fredrickson’s studies. Positive emotions apparently work as an antidote to

negativity. Fredrickson proved this by stressing people out with a public speaking task; this task made

them predictably anxious, and also pumped up their heart rate, their blood pressure, and other signals

of stress. Then she had them watch movies: some joyful or serene, others sad. She found that the

positive emotions literally trumped the anxiety, undoing the body’s stress response, and returning the

joyful and serene viewers to a steady state much more rapidly than the others. Since elevated heart rate

and blood pressure can cause a range of serious health problems over time, Fredrickson concludes that

positivity is literally life-saving.

Fredrickson has been building her theory for many years, and broadening it with new ideas and rigorous

laboratory evidence. Positivity is an accessible and inspiring version of this project.

For more insights into the quirks of human nature, visit “We’re Only Human” at

www.psychologicalscience.org/onlyhuman. Selections from the blog also appear regularly in the

magazine Scientific American Mind and at http://www.sciam.com/.

"...Positive psychology pioneer Fredrickson introduces readers to the power of harnessing happiness to transform their lives, backed up by impressive lab research. The book includes compelling case studies, concrete tips, a Positivity Self Test, and a tool kit for decreasing negativity and raising the positivity ratio. Positivity offers readers a chance to experiment with positivity and very possibly lead richer lives..." Publishers Weekly (Click here for full review) ( No se encuentra )

"...[Fredrickson] has undertaken the difficult task of presenting self-help information in a scientific context. ...[and] has achieved an admirable balance between a careful explanation of her research and theories and a warm-hearted invitation to readers to deal with their own positivity ratio."PsycCRITIQUES (Click here for full review)

Are You Positive?Review By: Raymond D. Fowler

Review of: Positivity: Groundbreaking Research Reveals How to Embrace the Hidden Strength of Positive Emotions, Overcome Negativity, and Thrive By: Barbara Fredrickson, New York, NY: Crown, 2009. 277 pp. ISBN 978-0-307-39373-9. $24.95

As I prepared to leave home on an extended trip, the last thing I packed into my overstuffed carryon bag was my copy of Positivity: Groundbreaking Research Reveals How to Embrace the Hidden Strength of Positive Emotions, Overcome Negativity, and Thrive. My flight from San Diego was just the beginning of a trip that would take me to New York, Princeton, Philadelphia, Melbourne, Australia, and Oslo, Norway, and would involve several weeks of travel. Putting together the material I needed for several professional presentations and clothes for a variety of climates taxed my packing skills, and doing all of the last-minute things necessary before leaving home left me exhausted and frazzled. I love travel and ordinarily look forward to it, but not this time.Before I went to bed at midnight to grab some sleep before getting up at 4:00 a.m. for an early flight, my thoughts were anything but positive: �I should have packed days ago; I know I�ll forget something important; I�m too old to keep up this pace; I�ve taken on too many projects.� Getting to sleep, usually easy for me, seemed to take forever. My mind raced from taking inventory of the contents of my suitcase to futile efforts to relax with meditation.Negativity fueled by fatigue and stress dominated me for half an hour before another set of thoughts took over: �I have tickets to see a great Broadway play with one of my favorite people; my travel to Princeton will bring me in contact with a high school friend I haven�t seen in decades; in Philadelphia, I�ll be participating in a research meeting with some of the best minds in psychology and public health; overseas, I�ll be going to some of the most beautiful places in the world. And, approaching 80, I�m fortunate to be physically healthy, so I can have the joy of going places and doing things. So why am I lying here complaining? Racing around to prepare for a trip and a touch of sleep deprivation are small prices to pay for all that: I should be one of the happiest men on the planet.� And before I dozed off, I decided that I probably was.

The good feelings left from the night before made getting up before dawn seem like the start of an adventure, not a burden, and even the hassles of airport security did not dampen those feelings. When I opened Barbara Fredrickson�s Positivity after takeoff, I was amused to see that her opening example, comparing positivity with negativity, was almost perfectly mirrored by my experience of the night before: A woman who oversleeps and feels frustrated and irritated initially experiences facing the issues of the day as burdensome and then, on reframing, is able to turn things around and make it a good day. Perhaps the central issue of this book is this: How do you get from negativity to positivity�and why should you?

What Is Positivity?

Fredrickson does not initially define positivity, but she tell us what it does and how it works: �It reigns whenever positive emotions�like love, joy, gratitude, serenity, interest, and inspiration�touch and open your heart� (p. 16). And �positivity fundamentally changes the way we humans see the world, how we think, and what we do� (p. 17). Positivity, she tells us, is more than the absence of negativity and health risks; it �doesn�t simply reflect success and health, it can also produce success and health� (p. 18).What good is positivity? Fredrickson provides six facts about positivity: It feels good, it changes how your mind works, it transforms your future, it puts the brakes on negativity, it obeys a tipping point, and you can increase your positivity (pp. 9�11). Fredrickson�s most important contribution to the understanding of how positive emotions affect our lives is what she calls the broaden-and-build principle: �They broaden people�s ideas about possible actions, opening our awareness to a wider range of thoughts and actions than is typical� (p. 21). And �by opening our hearts and minds, positive emotions allow us to discover and build new skills, new ties, new knowledge, and new ways of being� (p. 24). From an evolutionary point of view, Fredrickson believes that positive emotions, through the mechanisms of broadening and building, helped our human ancestors build behavioral resources and traits that helped them survive in the face of threats and that they still serve a similar purpose in day-to-day life.Negativity, positivity�s antonym, hardly appears until later in the book. We learn that while positivity promotes curiosity and openness to new experiences, negativity inhibits curiosity and openness and constrains one�s knowledge and experience of the world. Positivity encourages exploration and involvement; negativity encourages caution and holding back. Individuals dominated by negativity have fewer and less diverse experiences with the world and thus fail to experience and learn as much as those who are more positive.But wait�if positivity is so good and negativity so bad, would our lives be better if they were 100 percent positive? Not at all, says Fredrickson. She agrees with Diener and Biswas-Diener (2008) that a little negativity is a good thing. �To experience 100-percent positivity,� says Fredrickson, �defies and denies the humanness of life. It would mean that you�d buried your head in the sand, and it would eventually drive others away from you� (p. 32). If that brief rationale seems insufficient, the reader must wait over 100 pages to get a more thorough explanation of why entertainer Mae West was wrong when she said, �Too much of a good thing is wonderful� (West, n.d.).Fredrickson explains the difference between necessary and gratuitous negativity. Necessary negativity is based on the facts in one�s life and is commensurate with those facts; this sort of negativity is grounded in reality and is healthy. Gratuitous negativity is excessive and disproportionate to the circumstances�and it leads to no good outcomes.

The Positivity Ratio

Fredrickson was sure, from her extensive research, that positivity was very good, but what was its relationship to negativity? Fredrickson had a fortunate encounter and collaboration with Marcial Losada, a social and organizational psychologist who was studying the performance of business groups. Losada developed a mathematical model of Fredrickson�s broaden-and-build theory. Analyzing statements made by members of corporate teams, Losada (1999) discovered that high-performance teams were those that maintained a positivity/negativity ratio higher than 2.9 (the best teams had ratios around 5:1). Fredrickson wondered whether these ratios, which applied to business teams, would also apply to individuals: �Would people who I could identify as flourishing have positivity ratios greater than 3:1? Would the ratios for those who were languishing fall below 3:1?� (p. 129). Her research revealed that most people have ratios about 2:1; those who are flourishing average slightly above 3:1 (Fredrickson & Losada, 2005).Can there be too much positivity? Losada�s data and his model suggested that the upper level for flourishing is around 11:1. Although the research to test this tipping point has not yet been done, Fredrickson speculates that positivity provides a lift that promotes flourishing while �appropriate negativism� provides grounding in reality. Using the metaphor of a sailboat, she notes: �Although it�s the sail hanging on the mast of positivity that catches the wind and gives you fuel, it�s the keel of negativity that keeps the boat on course and manageable� (p. 137).Scientific or Self-Help, or Both?

Fredrickson, like other writers in positive psychology, has undertaken the difficult task of presenting self-help information in a scientific context. Founded in 1998 by then-APA president Martin Seligman, positive psychology�s early emphasis was on building a research foundation. A cadre of mostly young researchers, including Fredrickson, was attracted to the new field, and generous funding from foundations provided support that moved research rapidly forward.Seligman, who strongly urged and facilitated the early research emphasis, was the first to write a research-based book for the general public encouraging, as his subtitle states, Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment (Seligman, 2002). Positivity is the most recent of several such books by positive psychologists that have followed, including Happier (Ben-Shahar, 2007), Thanks! (Emmons, 2007), Happiness (Diener & Biswas-Diener, 2008), and The How of Happiness (Lyubomirsky, 2008).Fredrickson describes her credentials and her view of herself as a scientist, but a scientist who has found something so valuable that she had to write this book: Frankly it was hard for me to start this book. The new discoveries about positive emotions are so compelling that it was difficult to pull myself away from the laboratory and from writing scientific articles to write this book. Yet I felt called to do so. You need to know the news about positivity. . . . You will never look at feeling good the same way again. (p. 13)Consistent with that intent, Fredrickson has divided her book into two sections: Part I, which focuses on how her research developed, and Part II, which provides self-evaluation instruments and methods of increasing one�s positivity. In my opinion, Fredrickson has achieved an admirable balance between a careful explanation of her research and theories and a warm-hearted invitation to readers to deal with their own positivity ratio.References

Ben-Shahar, T. (2007). Happier: Learn the secrets to daily joy and lasting fulfillment. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

Diener, E., & Biswas-Diener, R. (2008). Happiness: Unlocking the mysteries of psychological wealth. Malden, MA: Wiley-Blackwell.

Emmons, R. (2007). Thanks! How the new science of gratitude can make you happier. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin.

Fredrickson, B. L., & Losada, M. (2005). Positive affect and the complex dynamics of human flourishing. American Psychologist, 60, 678�686. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.60.7.678

Losada, M. (1999). The complex dynamics of high-performance teams. Mathematical and Computer Modelling, 30, 179�192. doi:10.1016/S0895-7177(99)00189-2

Lyubomirsky, S. (2008). The how of happiness: A scientific approach to getting the life you want. New York, NY: Penguin.

Seligman, M. E. P. (2002). Authentic happiness: Using the new positive psychology to realize your potential for lasting fulfillment. New York, NY: Free Press.

West, M. (n.d.). Too much of a good thing is wonderful. Retrieved from http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/504.html

This publication is protected by US and international copyright laws and its content may not be copied without the copyright holders express written permission except for the print or download capabilities of the retrieval software used for access. This content is intended solely for the use of the individual user.

Source: PsycCRITIQUES.

Vol.54 (51)

Accession Number: psq-2009-5418-1-3 Digital Object Identifier: 10.1037/a0018151

“...Positivity has a wide-ranging appeal. Both critical scientific readers and people who are just being introduced to the science of positive psychology will find the book compelling. ...I would especially recommend this book to anyone who is doubtful about the value of studying positive emotions scientifically.”The Journal of Positive Psychology (Click here for full review)( en archivo de ADOBE )

"...One of my absolute favorite things about this book was something I didn’t expect. Dr Fredrickson includes lots of brief anecdotes about how she uses the strategies she recommends in her own life (including how she has used them during challenging personal experiences). This brought a tremendous amount of warmth and the ring authenticity to the book. The touching personal examples showed the author as a real person as well as a very accomplished scientist..."Dr. Alice Boyes (Click here for full review)

Positivity by Dr Barbara Fredrickson – Book Review

You can get the unabridged audiobook version of Positivity (download it to your computer in a few minutes) COMPLETELY FREE with this free trial of Audible Positivity Barbara Fredrickson Audiobook.

“Positivity” is part of a new generation of self help books based on sound scientific research from Positive Psychology. Positive Psychology is a newish field of psychology (it began in the late 1990s) that is defined by its focus on positive emotions (e.g., joy, serenity, hope, pride, inspiration, awe, gratitude, interest, amusement, and love).

Dr Fredrickson has been one of the people at the forefront of the positive psychology movement. She’s well-respected, and her ideas and research are influential.

There are a couple of big concepts in this book (there are more than a couple but these are what most stood out to me).

The first big concept is the “Broaden-and-Build Theory”. It’s an important and popular theory in psychology. Dr Fredrickson developed it and it’s well supported by research. The Broaden-and-Build Theory explains how increasing positive emotions creates an upward spiral that not only leads to future positive emotions but also leads to more open, creative, and flexible thinking processes, enhanced psychological strengths (like being more resilient, accepting, and more driven by purpose), better social connections, and even better physical health.

The mechanisms of how and why this works are well explained in the book and are compelling. Anyone who has had an impression that spending time working on increasing positive emotions is self indulgent will have their mind changed by reading about this theory and the supporting research.

A second big concept is the idea of a “Positivity Ratio”. This refers to the ratio of positive to negative emotions needed to get the Broaden and Build effect. The ratio is 3:1. To flourish, its helps if people experience 3 or more positive emotions for every 1 negative emotion. (UPDATE: Dr Fredrickson has published an online test for calculating your Positivity Ratio).

What’s cool about the Positivity Ratio is that people can use it to do psychological detective work digging around in their own day to day experiences. The book contains a description of how to do this using self monitoring (making simple ratings of your activities and emotions using a specific format). This kind of self monitoring is part of virtually every effective psychological intervention. It takes some effort and time, but the information you’ll learn about yourself and your life from self monitoring will be well worth it. It’s by far the best way to get accurate self information that you can then use to “up” your Positivity Ratio.

Another theme of the book that I really liked is that emphasizes different kinds of positive emotions. Something I’ve learnt as a clinical psychologist is that most people think of themselves as feeling happy or not happy, or good or not good, rather than distinguishing which specific emotions they’re feeling, and which specific emotions they want to experience more or less of. Learning to habitually think about which particular emotion you’re experiencing is a critical psychological skill for people who want to increase their positive emotions or decrease their negative emotions. Why? Because if you want to increase feelings

of serenity in your life the strategy you use will likely be different than if you want to increase feelings of excitement. (Ditto for negative emotions. If you’re lonely, what you should do about it is obviously different than what you should do if you’re angry).

The opening example of the very first chapter of this book is fabulous. It beautifully illustrates how people get a new opportunity to influence their own emotions in each new moment of their lives by making micro decisions about which perceptual filters to use for interpreting their world as it is at that moment. I liked this a lot because it makes changing emotions less daunting. Each moment in our lives provides a new opportunity to enhance our emotional experience. We get lots of second chances to access Broaden and Build effects. Something else the example illustrates is that we’re always making choices about which emotions we experience even if we’re not consciously aware of this.

A lot of the strategies for increasing positivity included in the book will be familiar to most people (e.g., meditation, gratitude exercises), but to my mind this book is more about understanding the principles behind the strategies (how and why they’re effective) so you’ll be more likely to devote the effort to using them.

One of my absolute favorite things about this book was something I didn’t expect. Dr Fredrickson includes lots of brief anecdotes about how she uses the strategies she recommends in her own life (including how she has used them during challenging personal experiences). This bought a tremendous amount of warmth and the ring authenticity to the book. The touching personal examples showed the author as a real person as well as a very accomplished scientist. For example, Dr Fredrickson describes a ritual she has with her husband of asking to be “plugged in” when she needs a long hug. How sweet is that? And how easy (the instructions for getting plugged in are that the hug should be front-to-front and “last closer to a minute than to a second”).

Emociones Positivas, el Enfoque Fredrikson

Publicado por: Redacción del medio el: 29/08/2009

Enlace: http://www.vidaymente.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=64&Itemid=126

Las emociones positivas son, por ejemplo, la alegría, la serenidad, la gratitud, y otras similares. Su característica común es que contribuyen a aumentar el bienestar subjetivo de quien las experimenta. Por lo tanto, son emociones que –al menos teóricamente—son buscadas y anheladas por los seres humanos, quienes apelan a diversos mecanismos para experimentarlas, desde la estimulación sensorial simple hasta la búsqueda de las más altas etapas de autorrealización personal.

Las emociones negativas son, por ejemplo, la ira, el asco, el miedo; su característica común es que son emociones que disminuyen el bienestar subjetivo de la persona que las siente. Según

veremos más adelante, este tipo de emociones impulsa vigorosamente a las personas a evitarlas mediante conductas que tienden a ser muy específicas: la ira lleva a la agresión; el asco, a la expulsión de aquello que nos repugna; y el miedo conduce a la huida.

Como muchas de las variables que caracterizan a la Psicología Positiva, las emociones positivas no han sido las más estudiadas, aun dentro del campo especializado de las emociones. De acuerdo con Fredrickson (2003), es sencillo entender por qué: en primer lugar, los científicos naturalmente se inclinan por entender aquello que aflige a las personas, guiadas por el tácito deseo de mitigar o suprimir aquello que afecta el bienestar de la humanidad; en segundo lugar, las emociones positivas son menos que las negativas, y es mucho más difícil diferenciarlas una de otra –basta pensar lo fácil que es distinguir entre tristeza y miedo, mientras que discriminar entre el buen humor y la satisfacción moral ya es más complicado--. En tercer lugar, desgraciadamente no es posible excluir cierto grado de prejuicio, ya que para una buena parte de la comunidad científica un estudio de la alegría o el buen humor –sobre todo hace un lustro o más— solía sonar “superficial” e incluso “frívolo”. Por último, mientras que es relativamente fácil explicar por qué existen emociones negativas, no es evidente la lógica detrás de las emociones positivas. En efecto, es relativamente sencillo de entender que el miedo, la ira y el asco (entre otros) tienen funciones orientadas hacia la preservación y supervivencia del cuerpo humano; por qué existen, por ejemplo, la serenidad o la alegría, ya no es tan evidente, al menos si se sigue la misma lógica.

Por otro lado, las emociones negativas también parecen ser mucho más fáciles de decodificar para una persona. En efecto, la tristeza, la ira y el miedo, por ejemplo, tienen expresiones faciales y verbales muy específicas: es fácil darse cuenta cuando alguien está furioso o cuando tiene ganas de atacar. Por otro lado, se requiere un observador socialmente sofisticado para deducir si una persona está feliz o simplemente satisfecha sólo a partir de sus expresiones faciales.

Una de las maneras de acercarse a una mejor comprensión de lo que son las emociones positivas y su sentido dentro del funcionamiento psicológico humano es descartando el uso de modelos ideados para entender las emociones negativas. De hecho, es necesario hacer a un lado la lógica según la cual se debe buscar la justificación de una emoción en base a la conducta que esa emo-ción genera o promueve en quien la siente; si bien la ira universalmente nos impulsa a agredir, la alegría no nos impulsa a ninguna conducta específica, y lo mismo puede decirse de prácticamente cualquier emoción positiva.

Sin embargo, esto no significa que las emociones positivas no tengan un valor evolutivo, pues de otro modo, sería muy difícil explicar por qué surgieron en la historia filogenética humana y, sobre todo, por qué son tan buscadas y valoradas por todos los seres humanos. Barbara Fredrikson (2003) ha descubierto experimentalmente que las emociones positivas sí cumplen una función valiosa: la de expandir los intereses de quien las siente a un rango más amplio de posibilidades, fomentando así el aprendizaje y la adquisición de habilidades nuevas, no ligadas directamente con la supervivencia, pero de gran utilidad para la exploración y explotación del mundo que rodea a la persona. Probando su teoría, llamada de Ampliación y Construcción

(Broaden-and-Build), demostró que las personas que experimentan emociones positivas tienden a resolver problemas más creati-va y globalmente, en vez de enfocarse en soluciones ya conocidas y en detalles. Evidentemente, no todos los problemas se resuelven mejor mediante estrategias creativas e innovación; cuando las personas se enfrentan a situaciones extremas y tienen un tiempo restringido a menudo es mejor la restricción conductual que las emociones negativas promueven. Pero cuando se trata de inves-tigar las posibilidades, de problemas con muchas soluciones posibles, y en general de contex-tos no amenazantes, la apertura mental incentivada por las emociones positivas tiene mucho más sentido.

De hecho, aplicando esta teoría es posible entender por qué las emociones positivas tienden a ser mucho más frecuentes en los niños, quienes las necesitan precisamente para explorar su entorno y desarrollar a través de esa exploración habilidades críticas, como las relaciones sociales, las estra-tegias cognitivas para resolver problemas, las virtudes psicológicas del optimismo y la resiliencia, y la coordinación motora que luego los llevará a la plenitud física en la juventud (Fredrikson, 2003).

Por último, las emociones positivas tienen otro efecto, derivado precisamente del efecto “Expan-sión y Desarrollo”. Ya que las emociones negativas restringen las alternativas de conducta de la persona, así como los elementos en los que se centra su atención, las emociones positivas tienden a hacer lo opuesto, y con ello disminuyen e incluso revierten los efectos de las emociones nega-tivas. Entre estos efectos se destacan por su nocividad las respuestas fisiológicas asociadas, por ejemplo, con el estrés y la disminución en la eficiencia del sistema autonómico central: enferme-dades cardíacas, presión arterial, y la capacidad de cicatrización y renovación de tejidos, entre otros; de hecho, existe cierta evidencia experimental que indica que estos efectos fisiológicos adversos pueden verse mitigados por las emociones positivas (Fredrikson, 2003). Sin embargo, existe cierta evidencia en el sentido que esta llamada “hipótesis de desac-tivación” (“undoing hypothesis”) implica que, proporcionalmente, el efecto de una emo-ción negativa es mucho más perdurable y potente, por lo cual, para que la “desactivación” se dé, es preciso una acción soste-nida más larga e intensa de las emociones positivas (Seligman 2002).

  PSICOLOGÍA POSITIVA - información adicional

Buenos y felices días!

El link adjunto pertenece a la asociación internatinal de Psicología positiva. os aconsejo entrar . incluye información del 2º congreso internacional que será este verano en Filadelfia, muy aconsejable ir.

www.ippanetwork.org/

bibliografía:

http://www.positivityratio.com/index.php último libro de Barbara Fredickson

La ciencia del bienestar , Carmelo Vázquez - Alianza Editorial

Psicología positiva Aplicada , Carmelo Vázquez Desclée de Brouwer

Psicología de la salud ocupacional, Marisa Salanova - Editorial Sintesis

Psicología positiva , Alan Carr - Editorial Paidós

Deseo que fluyais con sus lectura.

Un saludo,

Maite Sánchez-Mora

 

Pregunta publicada el 09/03/2011 en la categoría MÓDULO 1 (Debates de MÓDULO 1.- ¿Qué es el Coaching?).

Coaching para el desarrollo de organizaciones sanitarias(11-54-322-3)

Campus Virtual EduSalud.com