How Our Brain Cultivates Positive Emotions: The Psychology of Happiness.

I am happy about cracking the prestigious exam!

Happy to hear about your promotion!

I got selected for finals, I am so happy!

You are getting married, so happy for you!

Happiness!!!.. A word we use often to define almost every positive emotion we feel. But how exactly do we feel happy?  From where exactly do positive emotions come from? Aren’t you going to feel happy for the fact, we can create happiness, not just feel it? Positive psychology is the field that studies all the happy emotions we feel. 

 Let’s decode the psychology of happiness. 

What are emotions?

Definition of emotions

Emotions are an important aspect of being human. Moreover, doctors try to find out why when we feel none of them. They are subjective feelings. They originate as a product of a specific event in the present, past, or future. Emotions are short lived and we are always aware of their occurrence. All emotions don’t occur in the same way. Russell’s Circumplex model of Emotions describes emotions in two dimensions. It shows it over a circumplex and highlights frequency and intensity as two organizing principles.

Circumplex model of emotions

Image: Circumplex Model

Positive emotions are pleasant events, whereas negative emotions are unpleasant or undesired. Both types of emotions are important to experience in a lifetime. Positive emotions are essential for thriving in life. They help us attain success and improve our well-being.  Negative emotions are also important. They increase our chances of surviving in a changing environment and provide us with a counterbalance to happy feelings. If we never experience bad emotions, we will never be able to appreciate positive ones.

Next, we will be talking about positive emotions and their formation.

How are positive emotions formed?

How the psychology of happiness works is explained by two theories

Brain Theory

    Image: Brain Theory

    The prefrontal cortex (PFC)  and amygdala are the two main brain regions that experience positive emotions. The regulation of emotions occurs inside the PFC and increased activity in the amygdala predicts a higher level of negative affect. PFC helps in goal setting and discovering pathways to achieve them. It keeps track of everyday experiences related to long-term goals and occasionally initiates delayed gratification. Individuals with poor left posterior lobe activation cannot control their impulses or initiate goal-directed behavior. Moreover, those with higher activation in the right prefrontal cortex report having trouble controlling their emotions. 

    There is a link between the anterior left-side PFC and a positive effect. When we experience positive affect, the approach system or Behavioural activation system (BAS) starts and it activates this side of the brain. But things get reversed when there is a negative effect. This side of the brain is inhibited leading to the avoidance system. We also call it the behavioral inhibition system (BIS). 

    BIS and BAS

    Image: BIS and BAS

    We feel increased positive affect whenever we engage in behavior linked to goal attainment, and when we are faced with a threat, we try to withdraw ourselves from that. BAS  is responsible for incentives, and BIS is responsible for threats.

    Goal And Discrepancy Theory

      GOAL  and Discrepancy  theory

      Image: Goal and Discrepancy Theory

      This theory states that when we set a goal, this becomes our reference value. Then we engage ourselves in a discrepancy loop and try to minimize the distance between where we are and reference and value. People keep on adjusting their behavior to get closer to their reference value.

      The surrounding environment and circumstances always have a persistent impact on attaining goals. We make adjustments either to our expectancies or circumstances to overcome these impacts. It’s important to note that it is not progress but the rate of progress that decides whether we will experience a positive or negative effect. Negative emotions come from inadequate progress and positive emotions come from approaching another future goal.

      Positive Emotions and Negative Emotions in a Nutshell

      In conclusion, happiness is not a fleeting emotion. It is a complicated interaction between progress, goal-setting, and brain functioning. The activation of specific brain regions cultivates positive emotions. Mainly it’s the activation of our prefrontal cortex, which assists us in setting and achieving goals. Our ability to experience happiness depends on our progress toward these goals, and it further intensifies positive emotions arising from forward movement. Negative emotions develop when we make insufficient progress toward our goal and if we continue on the same pathway, we will feel more negative emotions. We can cut this discrepancy loop by using the negative effect as a signal to reassess our strategies.  Understanding the psychology of happiness helps us avoid the vicious cycle of negative emotions. It empowers us to create positive emotions. It also helps us to sustain those positive emotions in our lives. Start by setting meaningful goals and embracing the journey toward them, knowing that every step forward brings you closer to a more fulfilling and happy life.

      References:

      1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/psychology/circumplex-model
      2. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1469-8986.00067
      3. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Charles-Carver-7/publication/232551850_Origins_and_Functions_of_Positive_and_Negative_Affect_A_Control-Process_View/links/56606c5f08ae4931cd5977dd/Origins-and-Functions-of-Positive-and-Negative-Affect-A-Control-Process-View.pdf

      Written By: Kamni

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