This authoritative handbook reviews the breadth of current knowledge about positive emotions: their nature, functions, and consequences for individuals and society. Specific emotions are analyzed in depth, including happiness, pride, romantic love, compassion, gratitude, awe, challenge, and hope. Major theoretical perspectives are presented and cutting-edge research methods explained. The volume addresses neurobiological and physiological aspects of positive emotions as well as their social and intrapersonal contexts. Implications for physical health, coping, and psychopathology are explored, as are connections to organizational functioning and consumer behavior.

Michele M. Tugade, PhD, is Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Vassar College, where she directs the Emotions and Psychophysiology Laboratory. Her research focuses on the function of positive emotions in the coping process, the mechanisms that promote resilience in the face of stress and adversity, and emotion-related processes associated with health and well-being. Dr. Tugade received a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award from the National Institute of Mental Health and is an elected member of the International Society for Research on Emotions.
 
Michelle N. Shiota, PhD, is Associate Professor of Psychology at Arizona State University, where she directs the Shiota Psychophysiology Lab for Affective Testing. Her research and publications focus on positive emotion, positive reappraisal, aging and emotion, and emotion in close relationships. Dr. Shiota is an associate editor of the American Psychological Association journal Emotion and coauthor of the textbook Emotion. She is an elected member of the Society for Experimental Social Psychology.

Leslie D. Kirby, PhD, is Research Assistant Professor and Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Vanderbilt University, where she codirects the Discrete Emotions and Appraisal Lab. Her research focuses on human emotions from the perspective of appraisal theory, with a particular interest in the differential motivational functions served by various positive emotions. Dr. Kirby received a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award from the National Institute of Mental Health and is an elected member of the International Society for Research on Emotions.

 

Foreword, Barbara L. Fredrickson
Introduction, Michele M. Tugade, Michelle N. Shiota, and Leslie D. Kirby
I. Theoretical Foundations
1. The Differentiation of Positive Emotional Experience as Viewed through the Lens of Appraisal Theory, Craig A. Smith, Eddie M. W. Tong, and Phoebe C. Ellsworth
2. Infusing Positive Emotions into Life: The Broaden-and-Build Theory and a Dual-Process Model of Resilience, Michele M. Tugade, Hillary C. Devlin, and Barbara L. Fredrickson
3. The Evolutionary Perspective in Positive Emotion Research, Michelle N. Shiota
4. What Is a Positive Emotion?: The Psychological Construction of Pleasant Fear and Unpleasant Happiness, Paul Condon, Christine D. Wilson-Mendenhall, and Lisa Feldman Barrett
5. Personality and Positive Emotion, Kimberly M. Livingstone and Sanjay Srivastava
II. The Biology of Positive Emotion
6. Approach Motivation and Its Relationship to Positive and Negative Emotions, Eddie Harmon-Jones, Tom F. Price, Phillip Gable, and Carly K. Peterson
7. Animal Neuroscience of Positive Emotion, Jeffrey S. Burgdorf, Jaak Panksepp, and Joseph R. Moskal
8. Autonomic Nervous System Aspects of Positive Emotions, Sylvia D. Kreibig
9. Spontaneous Human Laughter, Michael J. Owren and R. Toby Amoss
10. Nonverbal Expressions of Positive Emotions, Disa A. Sauter, Nicole M. McDonald, Devon N. Gangi, and Daniel S. Messinger
III. Social Perspectives and Individual Differences
11. Positive Emotions, Social Cognition, and Intertemporal Choice, Piercarlo Valdesolo and David DeSteno
12. Positive Emotions in Close Relationships, Claire I. Yee, Gian C. Gonzaga, and Shelly L. Gable
13. Traversing Affective Boundaries: Examining Cultural Norms for Positive Emotions, Chelsea Mitamura, Janxin Leu, Belinda Campos, Chelsea Boccagno, and Michele M. Tugade
14. Vive la Différence: The Ability to Differentiate Positive Emotional Experience and Well-Being, Leslie D. Kirby, Michele M. Tugade, Jannay Morrow, Anthony H. Ahrens, and Craig A. Smith
15. Positive Emotions across the Adult Lifespan, Joseph A. Mikels, Andrew E. Reed, Lauren N. Hardy, and Corinna E. Löckenhoff
IV. Select Positive Emotions
16. Finding Happiness: Tailoring Positive Activities for Optimal Well-Being Benefits, S. Katherine Nelson and Sonja Lyubomirsky
17. Pride: The Fundamental Emotion of Success, Power, and Status, Jessica L. Tracy, Aaron C. Weidman, Joey T. Cheng, and Jason P. Martens
18. Romantic Love, Lisa M. Diamond
19. Compassion, Jennifer E. Stellar and Dacher Keltner
20. Gratitude, Anthony H. Ahrens and Courtney N. Forbes
21. Transcending the Self: Awe, Elevation, and Inspiration, Michelle N. Shiota, Todd M. Thrash, Alexander F. Danvers, and John T. Dombrowski
22. The Challenge of Challenge: Pursuing Determination as an Emotion, Leslie D. Kirby, Jannay Morrow, and Jennifer Yih
23. Hope Theory, Jennifer S. Cheavens and Lorie A. Ritschel
V. Outcomes of Positive Emotions
24. Health Psychology: The Importance of Positive Affect, Judith Tedlie Moskowitz and Laura R. Saslow
25. Positive Emotion Disturbance across Clinical Disorders, June Gruber, Sunny J. Dutra, Aleena C. Hay, and Hillary C. Devlin
26. Positive Emotions in Organizations, Stéphane Côté
27. Positive Emotions in Marketing and Social Influence, Samantha L. Neufeld and Vladas Griskevicius
Conclusions and Future Directions, Leslie D. Kirby, Michele M. Tugade, and Michelle N. Shiota