Dispositional and induced optimism lead to attentional preference for faces displaying positive emotions: An eye-tracker study
Open accessAbstract
The aim of this study was to examine whether dispositional optimism and induced optimism are associated with an attentional bias for positive stimuli. Fifty-six healthy participants performed an eye-tracking task twice, while their gazing time at faces displaying joy, anger, pain, or a neutral expression was measured. Participants scoring high on dispositional optimism tended to gaze longer at joy faces during the first face-presentation trial compared to participants scoring lower on optimism, and this correlation became significant during the second face-presentation trial. In between the two presentations, participants received either an optimism manipulation or a control manipulation. There was no effect of type of manipulation on gazing behavior but post hoc analyses demonstrated that participants showing an increase in state optimism displayed a significant decrease in gaze duration for anger faces and a nearly significant increase in gaze duration for joy faces.
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Individuals with better psychological health are less likely to perceive daily stressors as threatening.
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From Psychological Health, Well-Being, and the Mind-Heart-Body Connection: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association (2021) · cites this paper as [162]
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- Authors
- Peters, M. L., Vieler, J. S. E., & Lautenbacher, S.
- Affiliations
- Maastricht University (NL)
- University of Bamberg (DE)
- Corresponding author
- Peters, Madelon L.
- Venue
- The Journal of Positive Psychology
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2015-06
- Volume
- 11
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 258-269
- ISSN
- 1743-9760 (ISSN-L)
- 1743-9779
- OpenAlex
- W2294986858
- Cited by
- 65
- References
- 13
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 7 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 4 · 2014: 1
- FWCI
- 8.10
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- Licence
- other-oa
- Locations
- The Journal of Positive Psychology (publishedVersion)
- Research Publications (Maastricht University) (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- Research Publications (Maastricht University) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Optimism, Hope, and Well-being
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Face Recognition and Perception
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Keywords
- dispositional optimism, attentional bias, positive emotions, facial expressions, gaze duration, eye tracking, emotion recognition, joy, anger, pain
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