Course outline
Module 1
Module 1: Introduction to Positive Emotions
Introduction to Positive Emotions
Knowledge check
Q1. According to Barbara Fredrickson's broaden-and-build theory, what is the primary function of positive emotions?
- A. To signal immediate danger and prepare the body for fight or flight
- B. To broaden people's thought-action repertoires and build lasting personal resources ✓
- C. To narrow attention so people can focus on a single goal
- D. To regulate blood pressure and heart rate after stressful events
Why: Fredrickson proposed that positive emotions broaden the scope of attention, cognition, and action, and over time this helps people build physical, intellectual, social, and psychological resources.
Q2. Which of the following is an example of a negative emotion's narrowing effect that the broaden-and-build theory contrasts with positive emotions?
- A. Joy prompting playful exploration
- B. Interest encouraging learning about a new topic
- C. Fear motivating an immediate escape response ✓
- D. Contentment inspiring reflection on one's life
Why: Fear narrows attention and action tendencies toward specific survival responses such as fleeing, which contrasts with the broadening effect of positive emotions.
Q3. Which of the following is NOT one of the ten positive emotions commonly discussed in Fredrickson's work?
- A. Joy
- B. Gratitude
- C. Anger ✓
- D. Awe
Why: Anger is a negative emotion. Joy, gratitude, and awe are among the positive emotions Fredrickson describes, along with others such as love, hope, pride, amusement, interest, serenity, and inspiration.
Q4. In the broaden-and-build framework, what are 'thought-action repertoires'?
- A. Fixed sequences of behavior tied to a single emotion
- B. The range of possible thoughts and actions a person considers in a given moment ✓
- C. Daily schedules that people use to organize their goals
- D. Physiological patterns of heart rate and breathing
Why: Thought-action repertoires refer to the set of thoughts and actions that come to mind when a person experiences a given emotion. Positive emotions expand this repertoire, while negative emotions tend to narrow it.
Q5. Which statement best describes how positive emotions are believed to contribute to long-term well-being?
- A. They eliminate the need for negative emotions entirely
- B. They build resources such as social bonds, skills, and resilience that persist beyond the momentary experience ✓
- C. They only matter during the brief moment they are felt
- D. They increase dependence on external rewards for motivation
Why: The theory proposes that the broadened thinking and behavior prompted by positive emotions accumulates into durable resources, which contribute to greater resilience and well-being over time.
Module 2
Module 2: The Broaden-and-Build Theory Explained
The Broaden-and-Build Theory Explained
Knowledge check
Q1. According to Barbara Fredrickson's broaden-and-build theory, what is the primary function of positive emotions?
- A. To narrow attention so people can respond quickly to threats
- B. To broaden people's thought-action repertoires and build lasting personal resources ✓
- C. To signal that a person has completed a goal and should stop acting
- D. To reduce physiological arousal after a stressful event has ended
Why: Fredrickson proposed that positive emotions broaden the range of thoughts and actions people consider in the moment, which over time helps them build enduring physical, intellectual, social, and psychological resources.
Q2. How do negative emotions like fear differ from positive emotions in their typical effect on thinking, according to the theory?
- A. Negative emotions broaden thinking while positive emotions narrow it
- B. Negative emotions narrow thought-action repertoires toward specific survival responses, such as fight or flight ✓
- C. Negative emotions have no measurable effect on the range of possible actions
- D. Negative and positive emotions both narrow thinking equally
Why: Negative emotions like fear prompt narrow, specific action tendencies (fleeing, fighting) that were adaptive for survival, whereas positive emotions widen the set of options a person considers.
Q3. Which of the following is an example of a resource that positive emotions may help build over time?
- A. Muscle fatigue from prolonged exercise
- B. Social bonds and friendships ✓
- C. A habit of avoiding all unfamiliar situations
- D. Heightened focus on a single threatening stimulus
Why: Social resources such as friendships and relationships are among the enduring resources the theory says positive emotions help build, alongside intellectual, physical, and psychological resources.
Q4. What is the 'upward spiral' idea within the broaden-and-build framework?
- A. Positive emotions lead to broader thinking, which builds resources that make it easier to experience further positive emotions ✓
- B. Negative emotions gradually intensify until they peak and then disappear
- C. Each new goal a person achieves requires a stronger emotion than the last
- D. Physical exercise continuously raises heart rate until exhaustion occurs
Why: The upward spiral describes a reinforcing cycle: positive emotions broaden attention and action, the resulting resources make future positive emotions more likely, and this cycle can gradually improve well-being over time.
Q5. Why might the broaden-and-build theory suggest that positive emotions have an evolutionary advantage?
- A. Because they cause people to ignore all potential dangers in their environment
- B. Because the resources built through broadened thinking can improve survival and adaptability in the long term ✓
- C. Because they make people more likely to stay in one place and avoid exploration
- D. Because they reduce the need for sleep and food
Why: Fredrickson argued that the accumulated physical, social, and intellectual resources built through broadened thinking enhance survival and adaptive capacity, giving positive emotions an evolutionary function beyond feeling good in the moment.
Module 3
Module 3: Joy, Interest, Contentment, and Love
Joy, Interest, Contentment, and Love
Knowledge check
Q1. According to Barbara Fredrickson's broaden-and-build theory, what is the primary function of positive emotions?
- A. To signal immediate danger and prepare the body for fight or flight
- B. To broaden people's thought-action repertoires and build lasting personal resources
- C. To reduce physiological arousal after a stressful event
- D. To strengthen the connection between negative memories and behavior
Q2. In broaden-and-build theory, how do negative emotions such as fear differ from positive emotions in their effect on attention and action?
- A. Negative emotions broaden attention, while positive emotions narrow it
- B. Both types of emotion narrow attention to the same degree
- C. Negative emotions narrow attention and urge specific actions, while positive emotions broaden attention and open up possibilities
- D. Negative emotions have no measurable effect on thought-action repertoires
Q3. Which of the following best describes interest as a positive emotion in the broaden-and-build framework?
- A. A desire to avoid a threatening situation
- B. A drive to explore, learn, and absorb new information and experiences
- C. A calm state of satisfaction after completing a task
- D. A strong feeling of connection with a specific loved one
Q4. How does contentment differ from joy, according to the broaden-and-build theory?
- A. Contentment motivates playful, creative action, while joy motivates rest
- B. Contentment arises from circumstances that feel safe and complete, prompting people to savor the present and integrate their current life, while joy tends to spark playful, energetic urges to act
- C. Contentment is a negative emotion that signals a need for change
- D. Joy and contentment produce identical behavioral urges
Q5. Why does Fredrickson describe love as an upward spiral of positive emotions and resources?
- A. Because love depends entirely on the expectation of receiving rewards
- B. Because love combines multiple positive emotions and builds lasting social, physical, and psychological resources that in turn create more opportunities for positive emotion
- C. Because love reduces the need for any other positive emotion
- D. Because love is experienced only briefly and then fades into neutrality
Module 4
Module 4: How Positive Emotions Broaden Attention and Thought
How Positive Emotions Broaden Attention and Thought
Knowledge check
Q1. According to Barbara Fredrickson's broaden-and-build theory, what is the primary effect of positive emotions on thought-action repertoires?
- A. They narrow attention to a single threat or goal
- B. They broaden the range of thoughts and actions a person considers in the moment ✓
- C. They eliminate the need for problem-solving
- D. They cause people to act impulsively without considering consequences
Why: Broaden-and-build theory proposes that positive emotions such as joy, interest, and contentment widen the scope of attention, cognition, and action, in contrast to negative emotions, which tend to narrow thought-action repertoires toward specific survival responses.
Q2. Which of the following is a typical experimental finding supporting the broadening effect of positive emotions on attention?
- A. Participants in positive mood states remember fewer details from a scene
- B. Participants in positive mood states show a wider scope of visual attention, such as noticing more of the global context in a display ✓
- C. Participants in positive mood states consistently focus on only one object in a display
- D. Participants in positive mood states perform worse on tasks requiring flexible thinking
Why: Studies by Isen, Fredrickson, and others have shown that people induced into positive moods often display broader attentional scope, such as attending to the overall gestalt of a figure or noticing peripheral information, compared with people in neutral or negative states.
Q3. What does the 'build' component of broaden-and-build theory refer to?
- A. The physical construction of new neural pathways through exercise
- B. The idea that broadened thought-action repertoires help build lasting personal resources such as skills, social bonds, and knowledge ✓
- C. The process of constructing negative emotional memories
- D. The tendency of positive emotions to build up into long-lasting moods
Why: The 'build' part of the theory proposes that the momentary broadening caused by positive emotions accumulates over time, helping people develop enduring physical, intellectual, social, and psychological resources that improve future well-being and resilience.
Q4. In the context of broaden-and-build theory, how do negative emotions typically differ from positive emotions in their effect on thought-action repertoires?
- A. Negative emotions broaden thinking to help people consider many escape routes
- B. Negative emotions narrow thought-action repertoires, prompting specific action tendencies like fight or flight ✓
- C. Negative emotions have no measurable effect on attention or cognition
- D. Negative emotions always enhance creativity more than positive emotions
Why: Fredrickson argues that negative emotions narrow the range of possible responses toward specific adaptive actions, such as attacking when angry or escaping when afraid, which was useful for survival but limits broader thinking and resource building.
Q5. Which example best illustrates how a broadened thought-action repertoire produced by a positive emotion could benefit a person over time?
- A. A person feels joy after a vacation and immediately books another trip without thinking
- B. A person feels interest while exploring a new hobby, which leads them to try varied activities and eventually develop new skills and friendships ✓
- C. A person feels contentment and stops pursuing any goals for the rest of the week
- D. A person feels amusement and focuses only on one joke for an extended period
Why: The scenario in which interest broadens exploration and leads to accumulated skills and social connections reflects the 'build' process, where momentary broadened behaviors translate into lasting personal resources that enhance future well-being.
Module 5
Module 5: Building Lasting Resources: Physical, Social, and Psychological
Building Lasting Resources: Physical, Social, and Psychological
Knowledge check
Q1. According to Barbara Fredrickson's broaden-and-build theory, what is the primary function of positive emotions?
- A. To narrow attention and prepare the body for immediate fight-or-flight responses
- B. To broaden thought-action repertoires and build lasting personal resources
- C. To signal danger so that people avoid risky situations
- D. To reduce all negative emotions as quickly as possible
Q2. In the broaden-and-build theory, how do negative emotions typically differ from positive emotions in their effect on thought-action repertoires?
- A. Negative emotions broaden thinking more widely than positive emotions do
- B. Negative emotions narrow the range of likely thoughts and actions, often tied to specific survival responses
- C. Negative emotions have no measurable effect on thought-action repertoires
- D. Negative emotions expand creativity and openness to new possibilities
Q3. Which of the following is an example of a lasting physical resource that the broaden-and-build theory suggests positive emotions can help build?
- A. A temporary spike in adrenaline during a stressful event
- B. Improved cardiovascular health and greater physical resilience over time
- C. A quick increase in muscle tension for immediate action
- D. Heightened focus on a single threat in the environment
Q4. Why does the broaden-and-build theory emphasize that positive emotions build resources over time rather than only producing momentary effects?
- A. Because positive emotions permanently eliminate the need for negative emotions
- B. Because the broadened thinking and actions prompted by positive emotions accumulate into durable social, psychological, and physical resources
- C. Because positive emotions last longer in the brain than negative emotions do
- D. Because positive emotions only affect people who already have high levels of resources
Q5. Which example best illustrates how a positive emotion like joy can build social resources according to the theory?
- A. A person feels joy while playing a game with friends, which motivates playful interaction that strengthens their bonds and leads to lasting friendships
- B. A person feels joy and immediately focuses only on one task to the exclusion of all others
- C. A person feels joy and withdraws from social contact to conserve energy
- D. A person feels joy that quickly fades without changing their behavior or relationships
Module 6
Module 6: Upward Spirals and Positivity Ratios
Upward Spirals and Positivity Ratios
Knowledge check
Q1. According to Barbara Fredrickson's broaden-and-build theory, what is the primary function of positive emotions?
- A. To signal immediate danger and prepare the body for fight or flight
- B. To broaden people's thought-action repertoires and build lasting personal resources
- C. To narrow attention so that people focus on a single goal
- D. To reduce physiological arousal after a stressful event
Q2. Which of the following is an example of a 'broaden' effect of positive emotion as described in the theory?
- A. Heightened focus on a single threatening stimulus
- B. A strong urge to escape a situation immediately
- C. Considering a wider range of possible actions and ideas during play or enjoyment
- D. Rigid adherence to a previously planned course of action
Q3. In Fredrickson's theory, what are 'upward spirals'?
- A. Cycles in which negative emotions gradually intensify over time
- B. Reciprocal processes in which positive emotions lead to greater well-being, which in turn generates more positive emotions
- C. Physiological increases in heart rate during excitement
- D. Sequences of goal achievements that lead to lower motivation
Q4. What is the 'positivity ratio' that Fredrickson proposed in her research?
- A. The proportion of positive to negative words used in a person's speech
- B. The ratio of positive to negative emotional experiences a person has, with a threshold often cited near 3 to 1 for flourishing
- C. The ratio of time spent working to time spent resting
- D. The number of positive relationships compared to the number of negative ones
Q5. Why is the positivity ratio considered important for flourishing according to the broaden-and-build framework?
- A. Because it guarantees that negative emotions will never occur
- B. Because a sufficiently high ratio supports upward spirals that build resources, whereas a low ratio is associated with languishing and reduced resilience
- C. Because it directly determines a person's income and career success
- D. Because it eliminates the need for coping strategies during hardship
Module 7
Module 7: Applying Broaden-and-Build in Everyday Life
Applying Broaden-and-Build in Everyday Life
Knowledge check
Q1. According to Barbara Fredrickson's broaden-and-build theory, what is the primary function of positive emotions?
- A. To help people quickly prepare for fight-or-flight responses
- B. To broaden people's thought-action repertoires and build lasting personal resources ✓
- C. To reduce the intensity of negative emotions once they occur
- D. To increase physical energy for immediate task completion
Why: Fredrickson proposed that positive emotions broaden attention and thought-action repertoires, which over time build enduring physical, intellectual, social, and psychological resources.
Q2. Which of the following is an example of a 'broadened' mindset that positive emotions might produce?
- A. Narrowing focus on a single threat in the environment
- B. Noticing a wider range of options and connections in a situation ✓
- C. Preparing a rapid physical escape from danger
- D. Concentrating exclusively on one specific task while ignoring others
Why: Broadened cognition means taking in more information and considering more possibilities, such as seeing many options or connections, rather than narrowing to a single response.
Q3. Which everyday practice aligns best with applying broaden-and-build principles?
- A. Ignoring small pleasures because they seem trivial
- B. Deliberately savoring a pleasant moment, such as a good conversation with a friend ✓
- C. Focusing only on problems until they are completely solved
- D. Avoiding all activities that might produce temporary discomfort
Why: Savoring positive experiences extends and deepens positive emotions, allowing their broadening and building effects to accumulate over time.
Q4. Why does the broaden-and-build theory suggest that small, everyday positive emotions matter?
- A. Because only intense emotions produce any lasting benefit
- B. Because repeated positive experiences accumulate into lasting personal resources over time ✓
- C. Because they immediately eliminate all stress and negative emotion
- D. Because they are only useful when they occur in a work setting
Why: The theory holds that frequent positive emotions, even mild ones, build resources incrementally, and these resources compound into durable strengths like resilience and social connection.
Q5. Which of the following best describes an everyday application of broaden-and-build to handle a setback?
- A. Withdrawing from others and focusing only on the failure
- B. Using positive emotions such as interest or hope to consider several ways forward after a disappointment ✓
- C. Assuming that a single setback proves that nothing will improve
- D. Suppressing all feelings to avoid becoming emotional
Why: Positive emotions widen the range of thoughts and actions available, helping people generate multiple options and recover more flexibly from setbacks.