The study examined trait emotional intelligence as a predictor for emotional reactions experienced during the first full week of the lockdown in Poland (from 16th to 22nd March). One hundred and ...thirty persons (101 women and 25 men; 4 did not report their gender)participated in the baseline measurement of trait emotional intelligence, positive and negative affect, and affect intensity and in a one-week daily diary. Trait emotional intelligence correlated positively with baseline positive affect and positive intensity, while negatively with baseline negative affect and negative intensity. Trait emotional intelligence marginally significantly predicted a lower frequency of anger, disgust, and sadness during the first week of the pandemic. Trait emotional intelligence predicted a lower intensity of fear, anxiety and sadness. The study showed a complex dynamics of emotional experiences during the first week of the COVID-19 pandemic. Positive states of relaxation and happiness were experienced more frequently and more intensely compared to the negatively-valenced emotions. The protective role of trait emotional intelligence during the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak was mainly associated with experiencing negative emotions (fear, anxiety, and sadness) less intensely, but not less frequently.
Venting—an emotion‐focused form of coping involving the discharge of negative feelings to others—is common in organizational settings. Venting may benefit the self via the release of negative ...emotion, or by acting as a catalyst for changes to problematic work situations. Nonetheless, venting might have unintended consequences via its influence on those who are the recipients of venting from others. In light of this idea, we provide a theoretical explanation for how leaders in particular are affected by venting receipt at work. Drawing from the transactional model of stress, we theorize that venting tends to be appraised as a threat, which triggers negative emotion that, in turn, potentiates deviant action tendencies (i.e., interpersonal mistreatment). Yet, our theory suggests that not all leaders necessarily experience venting in the same way. Specifically, leaders with higher need for cognition are less influenced by surface‐level cues associated with others’ emotional expressions and find challenging interpersonal situations to be less aversive, thereby attenuating the deleterious effects of receipt of venting. In an experience sampling study of 112 managers across 10 consecutive workdays, we find support for our theoretical model. Altogether, our findings provide insight into the costs incurred when leaders lend an ear to those who vent, which can result in negative downstream consequences.
One of the most important developments in American politics over the last 40 years has been the rise of negative partisanship—the phenomenon whereby Americans largely align against one party instead ...of affiliating with the other. Though it has the power to reshape patterns of political behavior, little is known about the microfoundations driving negative partisanship. In this article, we show how the growing racial divide between the two major parties, as well as the presence of partisan‐friendly media outlets, have led to the rise of negative partisanship. We also utilize the growing literature on personality and politics to show how the Big Five personality traits are predictive of negative partisanship. The results suggest that the psychological roots of negative partisanship are both widespread and, absent drastic individual and structural‐level changes, likely to persist.
Numerous cross-sectional studies found psychosis to be associated with less awareness of emotions, a decreased use of adaptive (e.g. reappraisal) and an increased use of maladaptive emotion ...regulation (ER) strategies (e.g. suppression). In this study, we tested whether state levels of emotion awareness and momentary use of specific ER strategies moderate the link between negative affect at one timepoint (t-1) and paranoia at the next timepoint (t) in a six-day experience sampling study. Individuals with psychotic disorders (n = 71) reported on the presence of paranoia, negative affect, emotion awareness and the use of six ER strategies (reappraisal, acceptance, social sharing, distraction, suppression and rumination) ten times per day. Multilevel regression analysis revealed that higher awareness at t-1 reduced the association of negative affect at t-1 and paranoia at t, whereas rumination had an opposite, amplifying moderation effect. Our results provide novel insight into the conditions under which negative affect translates into delusional beliefs. The finding that emotion awareness and rumination have a relevant role corresponds with current psychological conceptualisations of psychosis and with the attempt to treat delusions by focusing on reducing ruminative thoughts. To investigate the causal effect, treatment trials with a focus on enhancing these components of emotion regulation are needed.
Despite cross-sectional evidence of significant associations between loneliness and the Big Five personality traits, elucidating the directionality of these associations requires further longitudinal ...investigation. To address this gap, the present study examined the longitudinal relationship between loneliness and personality traits, controlling for negative affect. Data were drawn from the Health and Retirement Study collected in 2012, 2016, and 2020 (N = 9671). The random intercept cross-lagged panel model was used, enabling the examination of within-person associations. Results showed that loneliness predicted subsequent declines in extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. Furthermore, neuroticism was found to be a positive predictor of future loneliness, whereas the other personality traits were negative predictors. In addition, negative affect had bidirectional associations with neuroticism and predicted future loneliness. Overall, these results show that these variables are unidirectionally or bidirectionally linked at the within-person level. These findings also highlight the need for multifaceted interventions that include a range of approaches, such as promoting positive personality traits, managing negative affect, and enhancing social skills.
Research suggests that both performing prosocial behaviors (i.e. acts of kindness towards others) and simply recalling them can increase well-being. Do performing and recalling prosocial behaviors ...impact well-being equally? To investigate this question, we conducted a study with a 2 × 2 design in which participants were randomly assigned either to perform prosocial behaviors, recall prosocial behaviors, both perform and recall prosocial behaviors, or do neither (control). Participants in all conditions assigned to perform and/or recall prosocial behaviors increased in well-being more than those in the control condition. However, participants in the three prosocial conditions did not significantly differ in their well-being gains. Presumably, it is much easier to recall, rather than perform, prosocial behavior. Accordingly, our results suggest that happiness seekers and well-being interventionists consider recalling acts of kindness as a cost-effective practice to raise well-being.
Compulsive buying involves a preoccupation with, or urges to, buy, that are experienced as intrusive and uncontrollable. Compulsive buying is associated with impaired functioning and serves to ...alleviate negative emotional arousal. Anxiety sensitivity (AS: fear of arousal-related somatic sensations) is a known risk factor for negative emotional arousal. The present study investigated whether AS was linked to compulsive buying, over and above negative affect (depression, anxiety, stress), in a sample of Canadian undergraduates. Results showed that females (vs. males) were more likely to report spending in the moment and experiencing guilt after shopping. Males were more apt to report experiencing negative feelings about shopping. Anxiety predicted the tendency to spend in the moment and to buy compulsively, while stress and depression predicted post-purchase guilt. AS-Physical and AS-Cognitive concerns predicted compulsive buying over and above negative affect. No role was found for AS-Social concerns. The findings are discussed in terms of clinical implications and directions for future research.
•Compulsive buying is thought to serve as a means of alleviating negative affect.•Anxiety sensitivity (AS) is a risk factor for negative emotional arousal.•AS may underlie the relationship between compulsive buying and negative affect.•Anxiety was predictive of compulsive buying behaviours.•AS (Cognitive, Physical) predicted compulsive buying over and above negative affect.
Affective functioning is central to most contemporary models of alcohol use. However, the affective structure at the within- and between-person levels is rarely investigated nor is the differential ...predictive value of specific affect dimensions assessed across state and trait formats. We examined a) the structure of state and trait affect using experience sampling methodology (ESM) and b) predictive associations between the empirically derived affect facets and alcohol use. Participants were 92 heavy drinking college students aged 18–25 who completed 8 momentary assessments of their affect and drinking a day for 28-days. We found evidence for a single positive affect factor at both the within- (i.e., state) and between-person (i.e., trait) levels. We found a hierarchical factor structure for negative affect, represented by a general, superordinate dimension as well as facet-level sadness, anxiety, and anger dimensions. Associations between affect and alcohol use differed across trait and state levels and across specific types of negative affect. Lagged state positive affect and sadness as well as trait positive affect and sadness were inversely associated with drinking. Lagged state anxiety and trait general negative affect were positively associated with drinking. Thus, our study demonstrates how associations between drinking and affect can be studied in relation to general (e.g., general negative affect) and more specific aspects of affective experiences (e.g., sadness versus anxiety) concurrently within the same study and across trait and state levels of assessment.
•Positive affect exhibited a unidimensional factor structure within- and between-persons.•Negative affect exhibited a nuanced factor structure within- and between-persons.•Lagged state and trait positive affect were inversely associated with drinking.•Lagged state anger and anxiety were positively associated with drinking.•Drinking events were characterized by increased positive affect, sadness, and anger.
Social rejection predicts negative affect, and theoretical work suggests that problem-solving deficits strengthen this relation in real-time. Nevertheless, few studies have explicitly tested this ...relation, particularly in samples at risk for suicide. This may be particularly important as social rejection and negative affect are significant predictors of suicide. The aim of the current study was to examine whether cognitive (i.e., perceiving problems as threats) and behavioral (i.e., avoidance) facets of problem-solving deficits moderated the real-time relation between social rejection and negative affect. The sample consisted of 49 young adults with past-month suicidal ideation. Demographic information, social problem-solving deficits, as well as depressive/anxiety symptoms and stress levels were assessed at baseline. Social rejection and negative affect were assessed using ecological momentary assessment over the following 28 days. Dynamic structural equation modeling was used to assess relations among study variables. After accounting for depressive/anxiety symptoms, stress levels, sex, and age, only avoidance of problems bolstered the real-time positive relation between social rejection severity and negative affect (b = 0.04, 95% credibility interval 0.003, 0.072). Individuals with suicidal ideation who possess an avoidant problem-solving style may be particularly likely to experience heightened negative affect following social rejection and may benefit from instruction in problem-solving skills.
•Social rejection severity predicted negative affect in real-time over 28 days.•Avoidance of problems increased negative affect after social rejection.•Thinking of problems as threats did not increase negative affect after rejection.
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