Overview

Key Messages

1. Positive emotions change the way the brain processes information: when people experience positive emotions, their momentary thinking and behavior expand.
2. When a person can perceive and process more stimuli, it enables them to create more connections between elements. People become more curious, open to new experiences, and creative (broaden).
3. Through this expanded perception and thinking, positive emotions contribute to the building of resources. These include cognitive (e.g., expert knowledge), social (e.g., friendships), psychological (e.g., resilience and optimism), physical (e.g., health), and behavioral (e.g., flexibility) resources.
4. The long-term accumulation of these resources has positive effects and elicits further positive emotions, creating an upward spiral.