Unlocking the Power of Positive Emotions: Broaden and Build Theory

Anyone that has followed Psychology Fanatic knows I occasionally criticize excessive positive thinking. One may incorrectly surmise that I discount positive psychology’s impact on wellness—I don’t. Wellness ceases to exist without a flow of positive experience. I, however, am skeptical of the absurd magical promises that evolved from reputable research. Original findings are distorted, creating unsupported exaggerations, spoiling the literature with reckless feel-good propaganda. Nevertheless, wellness is found in positive psychology—not pathology. The mission of positive psychology is to foster factors that invite flourishing both for the individual and society. Broaden and build theory focuses on how positive emotions achieve this aim.

​An early pioneer in positive psychology is Barbara Fredrickson. Her work is often overlooked, which is a shame. Her broaden-and-build hypothesis captures perfectly the foundational benefits of positive affect. Fredrickson posits that positive emotions not only signal flourishing but also undo the effects of negative emotions, creating an upward spiral of wellness.

Emotions are Adaptive

We are often plagued by “negative” emotions, such as anxiety, sadness, anger, and despair. These feelings can be overwhelming and may lead us to perceive the world in a distorted manner. Emotions serve an adaptive purpose; they help us respond to our environment and protect ourselves from harm. However, when these negative emotions become prolonged or magnified, they can turn destructive and interfere with our personal growth and overall well-being. In moments of intense emotional distress, our instinctive response may trigger protective behaviors—such as withdrawing from situations or defensively attacking perceived threats. While these responses are necessary for dealing with legitimate dangers in life, relying too heavily on them can ultimately hinder our ability to engage fully with the world around us.

When emotional systems go haywire due to persistent negativity or stressors in our lives, we begin to view everything through a lens of fear and apprehension. This narrowed perspective leads us to retreat into ourselves rather than seek connection or solutions outside of our immediate discomforts (Greenberg, 2015). The consequences of this withdrawal can be far-reaching; not only do we risk stagnation in personal development but also miss out on opportunities for meaningful interactions that could alleviate some of that emotional burden. It is crucial for individuals experiencing such turmoil to recognize the importance of addressing their emotional health proactively—whether through therapeutic practices like mindfulness or seeking supportive connections—to restore balance within themselves and regain a broader outlook on life’s challenges.

Positive Affect and Approach Behaviors​

Positive affect, according to science, promotes approach behaviors that continue action, prompting adaptive engagement with surrounding environments. Emotions typically viewed as positive—such as joy, interest, contentment, and security—stimulate a growth oriented mindset. Subjects experiencing positive affect approach, explore and play; and as a result, they gather resources and build skills.

Diana Fosha explains:

“The categorical emotions necessarily narrow our focus to the challenges most salient for survival. By contrast, positive emotions broaden it and lead to the enhancement and expansion of our repertoires, which in turn, motivate and fuel exploration” (Fosha, 2009).

John Kim and Noelle Cordeaux explain the broadening concept this way:

“Positive emotions broaden our thought and action skill sets, specifically the skills and behavior we regularly use. When we experience one of the main positive emotions, our minds tend to open up and we are able to think outside the box” (Kim & Cordeaux, 2021).

Positive Emotions Build Coping Resources

Fredrickson theorizes that positive emotions play a pivotal role in broadening our momentary thought-action repertoires, which enhances our ability to respond creatively and flexibly to various situations. By fostering an expansive mindset, these positive feelings allow individuals to consider a wider range of options and approaches when faced with challenges.

This broadened perspective not only aids in immediate problem-solving but also contributes to the development of enduring resources for coping over time. In essence, Fredrickson views positive emotions as complementary forces that work alongside the protective surges we experience during adverse circumstances. While negative emotions may prompt us to react defensively or narrowly focus on threats, positive emotions encourage exploration and engagement with our environment. Thus, by cultivating positivity, we can build resilience and develop strategies that enhance our overall well-being and adaptability in the face of life’s difficulties.

Fredrickson wrote:

“In contrast to negative emotions, which carry direct and immediate adaptive benefits in situations that threaten survival, the broadening thought-action repertoires triggered by positive emotions are beneficial in other ways. Specifically, these broadening mindsets carry indirect and long-term adaptive benefits because broadening builds enduring personal resources, which function as reserves to be drawn upon later to manage future threats” (Fredrickson, 2001).

Functions of Negative and Positive Emotions​

Negative and positive affects are fundamentally incompatible, each serving distinct yet opposing functions in our emotional landscape. Historically, negative affect has held greater survival value; emotions such as fear and anger have evolved to protect us from immediate threats more effectively than the more gentle feelings associated with love or joy. For instance, when faced with a life-threatening situation—like encountering a charging bear—the instinctual response is to flee or defend oneself rather than engage in social bonding or reflection on happier moments. This instinctive reaction is driven by the body’s need for self-preservation, emphasizing that during times of genuine danger, our focus must narrow sharply to essential stimuli that ensure our safety.

Conversely, positive affect plays a crucial role in broadening our awareness and enhancing cognitive flexibility. When we experience positive emotions, we become more open to new experiences and ideas; this expansion of perception allows us to soak up insightful contextual information that can lead to personal growth and flourishing. In essence, both narrowing and broadening of attention are necessary for a well-rounded emotional experience. Flourishing requires an interplay between these two states: while negative emotions help us respond effectively to immediate dangers by sharpening our focus on critical aspects of our environment, positive emotions enrich our lives by promoting exploration and connection with others. Together, they create a dynamic balance that enables us not only to survive but also thrive amidst life’s challenges.

​Environments and Emotions

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi wrote that, “The only path to finding out what life is about is a patient, slow attempt to make sense of the realities of the past and possibilities of the future as they can be understood in the present” (Csikszentmihalyi, 1998, p. 3). Insightful discoveries about life, the core of purpose, is found in the contextual surrounding of experience. When our minds are constantly harassed with fright, we live a narrow existence, missing a wealth of available riches. The loss of meaning contracts our souls, further limiting experience.

Environments flood senses with stimuli, more information than even the brightest minds could ever process. Humans evolved a highly selective attention, prioritizing and filtering information, limiting data to manageable portions for more complex processing. Negative affect narrows selected information to even smaller chunks, only focusing on threats. People suffering from depression or anxiety have strong negative observational biases, limiting attention to only depressing and anxiety producing stimuli (or stimuli interpreted as depressing or threatening). Filtering observations to only those that match current mood, creating less demand on cognitions by eliminating dissonance by fitting the present into current narratives.

Positive Emotions are Self Fulfilling

The self-fulfilling filtering prolongs negative affective states, limiting creative and broadening thought. We get stuck in a downward spiral that limit resources for future demands. We must interrupt the spiral and react against the current flow. Mindfulness practices combat limited filtering by directing attention to forgotten elements in our environment (which includes inner body states). We have natural attention styles. Our biology combines with past and present environments to create approach and withdrawal patterns.

​Changing these patterns is a cognitive exercise, purposely seeking stimuli previously filtered. Legitimately threatening elements must be addressed—sometimes immediately. We preserve life and wellness first. But often creative solutions serve us better, requiring purposeful slowing and pondering. Yet, finite cognitions evade when driven by fear. We rely on habitual reactions that often perpetuate problems, borrowing protections now against future gains. Our anger and fear (when prolonged) work against long term improvement. Fredrickson suggests that positive emotions function as an antidote to “lingering effects of negative emotions” (Fredrickson, 2001), freeing us from habitual action that extract heavy costs on our futures.

Kevin Rathunde smartly suggests that creative solutions demand more than broadened or narrowed focus but “a complex, or dialectical one that broadens and narrows information depending on the task at hand and the specific point in time” (Rathunde, 2000, p. 1). This flexible approach is invaluable, allowing efficient adjusting to situations.

​Broaden and Build Theory and the Nervous System

Different approaches to managing our emotional responses are closely linked to the functions of the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems. The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for our body’s fight-or-flight response, which activates when we face salient threats or stressors (Porges, 2009). In these instances, our body burns energy rapidly as it prepares us to react quickly—whether that means fleeing from danger or confronting a challenge head-on. This immediate activation serves an essential purpose in ensuring survival; however, it also comes at a cost if engaged persistently.

Conversely, the parasympathetic nervous system governs relaxation and recovery processes. When activated, it allows us to digest food, store energy, and engage in reflective thinking—all crucial activities for gathering information about our environment and improving future decision-making.

To truly flourish in life, individuals must learn to navigate the balance between these two systems effectively. Relying solely on a “business as usual” attitude can be detrimental; growth often demands proactive adjustments that prepare us before crisis situations arise. By building resources during calm periods—such as cultivating positive emotions or engaging in practices like mindfulness—we create reserves that can be drawn upon when challenges inevitably occur. Emphasizing this proactive approach enables not only better management of stress but also fosters resilience over time. As we shift toward prioritizing personal development through intentional actions rather than reactive measures alone, we increase our capacity for adaptability and well-being amidst life’s unpredictability.

​Positive Emotions Contributes to Wellbeing

The broadening of attention and stockpiling of resources contribute to wellbeing by improving future problem solving. We gather wisdom, build skills, and actively recover from demands. One of the most relevant realms of human wellness is relationships. Complex human interaction demands constant cognitive effort to read relevant signs from words, voice inflections, body expressions, and surrounding context. Relationship interactions are a cognitive-affective-behavioral process (thinking, feeling, and acting).

We must integrate thinking, feeling and behavior for healthy attachment and the blessings of shared emotion and physical resources. Broadening observations translates into more effective navigating of problematic social situations. The more fearful or angry we are, the less adept we become at reading the medley of signals. Kaidi Wu and Edward C. Chang of University of Michigan reminds that, “Positive affect broadens one’s attention and thinking and expands cognitive horizons” (Wu & Chang, 2019, p. 114).

A 2006 study observed that positive affect priming encouraged a more global examination of photos. Lab subjects primed with positive affect later recalled more peripheral stimuli from viewed photos (Wadlinger & Isaacowitz, 2006). Promulgating fear is a powerful weapon to limit cognitive examination of contextual information. Many politicians shamefully use this to extreme.

Barbara Fredrickson and Thomas Joiner suggest that positive emotions don’t need to be extraordinary to successfully engage the broaden-and-build benefits.

They explain:

“Momentary experiences of mild, everyday positive emotions broaden people’s awareness in ways that over time and with frequent recurrences, build consequential personal resources that contribute to their overall emotional and physical well being. Through incremental broaden and build processes, then, positive emotions both open the mind and nourish growth of resources” (Fredrickson & Joiner, 2018, p. 194).

Associated Concepts

• Positive Emotions: These emotions are feelings and mental states characterized by optimism, joy, gratitude, hope, love, and contentment. They play a crucial role in promoting overall well-being and psychological resilience. Positive emotions contribute to improved physical health, cognitive flexibility, and social connections.
• Undoing Hypothesis: This hypothesis suggests that positive emotions undo some of the damaging effects of stress and heightened arousal, bringing the body back to a healthy functioning state.
• PERMA Model: Positive Emotions are one of the five elements of the PERMA model, which stands for Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment. Uplifting emotions are seen as a prime indicator of flourishing and can be cultivated to improve well-being.
• Mental Health: This topic encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It’s vital for resilience, relationships, and overall quality of life. Genetics, lifestyle, and social support significantly impact mental health.
• Joy in Wholeness: This concept involves embracing self discovery, addressing interconnected aspects of personality, and finding joy in difficult moments. This encompasses self-acceptance, self-compassion, self-care, celebrating achievements, exploring passions, and connecting with others.
• Savoring Life: This refers to the mindful appreciation and enjoyment of everyday moments, fostering gratitude and well-being. It involves various techniques, such as basking, thanksgiving, marveling, and luxuriating, leading to improved mental and physical health.
• Self-Compassion Theory: This theory is rooted in kindness, common humanity, and mindfulness, fosters improved mental well-being and resilience. Unlike the problematic pursuit of self-esteem, self-compassion offers similar benefits and encourages action without promoting self-deception.

A Few Words by Psychology Fanatic

Positive effect isn’t some life time state. It is achieved in individual moment. Accordingly, we just need to improve a few additional moments. Basically, we improve our hectic lives a single moment at a time, transforming those moments into psychological capital. The prospect of improving our lives often overwhelms, causing more depression than joy. We need broader views at these junctures. We need creative solutions to the reoccurring problems. Notably, we can’t achieve novel solutions with narrowed vision forced by the reign of fear. Escape may require temporarily detaching from anxiety producing news or political conversations.

​We capitalize on the freed mental space by cultivating positive affect with pleasurable and meaningful activities. Eliminating bad and integrating good eventually reaches a tipping point where downward spirals flip, narratives change, and life begins to broaden and build, moving us to a new state—a flourishing life. We can still be happy with where we are, we just naturally progress from there. Positive psychology is powerful and the key to wellness, not in a magical unexplainable way but through our natural approach and avoid biology. We can broaden and build through positive affect, creating a better life.

Last Update: May 1, 2025

References:

Csikszentmihalyi, Mihaly (1998). Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life (Masterminds Series). Basic Books. ISBN-10: 0465024114; APA Record: 1997-08434-000
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Fosha, Diana (2009). Emotion and Recognition at Work Energy, Vitality, Pleasure, Truth, Desire & The Emergent Phenomenology of Transformational Experience. Diana Fosha and Daniel J. Siegel (eds.), In The Healing Power of Emotion: Affective Neuroscience, Development & Clinical Practice. W. W. Norton & Company; 1st edition. ISBN-10: 039370548X; APA Record: 2009-20446-000
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Fredrickson, B.; Joiner, T. (2018). Reflections on Positive Emotions and Upward Spirals. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 13(2), 194-199. DOI: 10.1177/1745691617692106
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Fredrickson, B. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive Psychology. The broaden-and build theory of positive emotions. The American psychologist, 56(3), 218-226. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037//0003-066x.56.3.218
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Greenberg, Leslie S. (2015). Emotion-Focused Therapy: Coaching Clients to Work Through Their Feelings. American Psychological Association; 2nd edition. DOI: 10.1037/14692-000; ISBN-10: 1433840979
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Kim, J.; Cordeaux, N (2021). Using Broaden-and-Build Theory In Your Coaching Practice. JRNI. Accessed 4-20-2021. Published 2-19-2021. Website: https://www.jrni.co/blog/broaden-and-build-theory
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Porges, Steven W. (2009). Reciprocal Influences Between Body and Brain in the Perception and Expression of Affect A Polyvagal Perspective. Diana Fosha and Daniel J. Siegel (eds.), in The Healing Power of Emotion: Affective Neuroscience, Development & Clinical Practice.  W. W. Norton & Company; 1st edition. ISBN-10: 039370548X; APA Record: 2009-20446-000
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Rathunde, K. (2000). Broadening and Narrowing in the Creative Process: A Commentary on Fredrickson’s “Broaden-and-Build” Model. Behavioral Development Bulletin, 3(1), 1. DOI: 10.1037/1522-3736.3.1.36c
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Wadlinger, H., & Isaacowitz, D. (2006). Positive mood broadens visual attention to positive stimuli. Motivation and Emotion, 30(1), 87-99. DOI: 10.1007/s11031-006-9021-1
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Wu, K., & Chang, E. (2019). Feeling Good—and Feeling Bad—Affect Social Problem Solving: A Test of the Broaden-and-Build Model in Asian Americans. Asian American Journal of Psychology, 10(2), 113-121. DOI: 10.1037/aap0000129
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