The DOI matches its Crossref record; 269 of the 269 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Bad is Stronger than Good
Abstract
The greater power of bad events over good ones is found in everyday events, major life events (e.g., trauma), close relationship outcomes, social network patterns, interpersonal interactions, and learning processes. Bad emotions, bad parents, and bad feedback have more impact than good ones, and bad information is processed more thoroughly than good. The self is more motivated to avoid bad self-definitions than to pursue good ones. Bad impressions and bad stereotypes are quicker to form and more resistant to disconfirmation than good ones. Various explanations such as diagnosticity and salience help explain some findings, but the greater power of bad events is still found when such variables are controlled. Hardly any exceptions (indicating greater power of good) can be found. Taken together, these findings suggest that bad is stronger than good, as a general principle across a broad range of psychological phenomena.
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In the citing paper
“Baumeister iinni [36] argumentowali w2001 roku, że negatywne wydarzenia życiowe mają silniejszy wpływ na nasze życie niż pozytywne.”
From Does it only benefit the patient? Potentially positive impact of psychotherapy of traumatized people — on the therapist (2025) · cites this paper as [36]
In the citing paper
“The tendency for individuals to attend to negative news reflects something foundational about human cognition—that humans preferentially attend to negative stimuli across many domains24,25.”
From Negativity drives online news consumption (2023) · cites this paper as [24]
In the citing paper
“Since negative stimuli recruit relatively more attention than positive stimuli (Baumeister et al. 2001)”
From The brain basis of positive and negative affect: evidence from a meta-analysis of the human neuroimaging literature (2016) · cites this paper as Baumeister et al. 2001
In the citing paper
“negative valence has greater psychological impact than positive valence when it comes to reactions to life events, outcomes in relationships, and even fundamental psychological processes such as learning and attention.”
From The brain basis of positive and negative affect: evidence from a meta-analysis of the human neuroimaging literature (2016) · cites this paper as Baumeister et al. 2001
In the citing paper
“The relatively greater frequency of response for negativity that we observed within the left amygdala and insula might instead be related to the negativity bias (Baumeister et al. 2001) that is observed in the behavioral literature”
From The brain basis of positive and negative affect: evidence from a meta-analysis of the human neuroimaging literature (2016) · cites this paper as Baumeister et al. 2001
In the citing paper
“In a recent review of the literature supporting an unpleasantness bias, Baumeister, Bratslavsky, Finkenauer, and Vohs (2001) concluded that such evidence”
From Emotional Intensity Predicts Autobiographical Memory Experience (2004) · cites this paper as Baumeister et al., 2001
Citations
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Individual differences in reasoning: Implications for the rationality debate?
Stanovich, K. E., & West, R. F. (2000) · Behavioral and Brain Sciences · doi:10.1017/s0140525x00003435 · Cited by 4,481
Experimental evidence of massive-scale emotional contagion through social networks
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Metadata
- Authors
- Baumeister, R. F., Bratslavsky, E., Finkenauer, C., & Vohs, K. D.
- Affiliations
- The Ohio State University (US)
- Case Western Reserve University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Baumeister, Roy F.
- Bratslavsky, Ellen
- Vohs, Kathleen D.
- Venue
- Review of General Psychology
- Publisher
- SAGE Publications
- Published
- 2001-12
- Volume
- 5
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 323-370
- ISSN
- 1089-2680 (ISSN-L)
- 1939-1552
- OpenAlex
- W2158810025
- Cited by
- 7,678
- References
- 257
- Citations by year
- 2026: 527 · 2025: 532 · 2024: 486 · 2023: 458 · 2022: 461 · 2021: 564 · 2020: 516 · 2019: 480 · 2018: 443 · 2017: 415 · 2016: 395 · 2015: 395 · 2014: 366 · 2013: 318 · 2012: 277
- FWCI
- 33.72
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Review of General Psychology (publishedVersion)
- Digital Academic REpository of VU University Amsterdam (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Decision Sciences › General Decision Sciences › Decision-Making and Behavioral Economics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Social and Intergroup Psychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Personality Traits and Psychology
- Keywords
- negativity bias, emotional valence, negative emotions, self-avoidance, impression formation, stereotype formation, diagnosticity, salience, major life events, trauma, close relationships, social networks, learning process
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