From Micro-Moments to World Beliefs: Testing the Association Between Positive Social Connections and the Belief in the Benevolence of Others (2024)
Undergraduate: Natalie Tuinstra
Faculty Advisor: Barbara Fredrickson
Department: Psychology and Neuroscience
Positivity resonance, a co-experienced kind-hearted positive emotion, is theorized to be an indicator of the affective quality of social interactions. Moments of positivity resonance have been shown to have a significant impact on individual well-being, relationship satisfaction, and community civility. However, whether such moments of positive connections influence people’s belief about others remains relatively unexplored. In addition to investigating the relationship between positivity resonance and the belief in the benevolence of others, I investigated whether people who intentionally cultivate social opportunities, or prioritize positivity, could get a bigger boost. Using archival data from a 12-week study, I examined these associations at both the within- and between-person levels. Participants (N = 100) completed surveys about their daily episodes, reporting on their social interactions. Results revealed a significant positive association between positivity resonance and benevolent beliefs at the between-person level, indicating that individuals who experienced more positivity resonance also reported stronger benevolent beliefs. Contrary to expectations, prioritizing positivity did not moderate this relationship. A significant main effect of prioritizing positivity was observed at the between-person level, revealing that individuals who consistently prioritized positivity reported higher overall levels of benevolent beliefs, regardless of their experiences of positivity resonance. The results suggest a potential long-term association between positivity resonance and benevolent beliefs, highlighting potential avenues for reducing loneliness and strengthening social connections._x000D_
Keywords: positivity resonance, prioritizing positivity, benevolent beliefs