Recovering from negative events by boosting implicit positive affect

Abstract

Upregulation of implicit positive affect (PA) can act as a mechanism to deal with negative affect. Two studies tracked temporal changes in positive and negative affect (NA) assessed by self-report and the Implicit Positive and Negative Affect Test (IPANAT; Quirin, Kazén, & Kuhl, 2009). Study 1 observed the predicted increases in implicit PA after exposure to a threat-related film clip, which correlated positively with the speed of recognising a happy face among an angry crowd. Study 2 replicated increases in implicit PA after exposition to the same film clip, and showed that such increases were enhanced by priming self-referential stimuli. The findings are discussed against the background of personality systems interaction (PSI) theory (Kuhl, 2000, 2001), which emphasises the role of the implicit self in affect regulation.

Keywords:

• Implicit affect regulation
• Implicit self
• Experiential self-access
• Personality systems interaction theory
• IPANAT
• Implicit positive affect
• Self-actualisation
• Mood recovery

Acknowledgements

This work was facilitated by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Grant QU 274/4–1).