A Critical Review of the “Undoing Hypothesis”: Do Positive Emotions Undo the Effects of Stress?

Abstract

Research in affective science has shown that trait positive affect reduces the risk of developing disease and is protective against the progression of certain diseases. Research also suggests that trait positive affect predisposes individuals to more frequent experiences of positive emotional states. The undoing effect has been proposed as a potential mechanism explaining how positive emotions influence health outcomes. According to this hypothesis, the experience of state positive emotions or positive affect contributes to faster recovery from the body's physiological response to stress. This paper critically reviews literature concerning the undoing hypothesis. Several common methodological weaknesses were identified, including conceptual and design issues. Based on the reviewed studies two separate conclusions were drawn. First, there was insufficient evidence to conclude that the occurrence of positive emotional states speeds physiological recovery. Second, there was insufficient evidence to evaluate the undoing hypothesis as a potential mechanism through which state positive emotions affect health. Future research should focus on identifying the key parameters responsible for demonstrating the undoing effect when it is observed in order to understand how the experience of positive emotions may exert positive effects on health outcomes.