POTENTIAL INTERACTIONS BETWEEN THE BUILT AND BROADENED: EXPLORING FREDRICKSON'S BROADEN-AND-BUILD THEORY OF POSITIVE EMOTIONS

Abstract

The current study aims to confirm and explore further Fredrickson's (2001, 2004) Broaden-and-Build theory of positive emotions. Specifically, it strives to confirm the premises that positive emotions can broaden (perception of workplace and general social support) and build personal resources (resilience). In addition, it examined potential interactions between broaden and built resources via mediation analyses (i.e. both forms of perception of social support mediating the relationship between positive emotions and resilience; resilience as a mediator between positive emotions and both forms of social support). Data was collected from Australia, Hungary, China, Japan, Singapore using pen and paper surveys or online surveys as part of another larger ongoing study (n = 641). As predicted, higher positive emotions predicted higher levels of both types of perception of social support and resilience. Only general perceptions of social support mediated the relationship between positive emotions and resilience. Resilience also mediated the relationship between positive emotions and perceptions of general social support only, indicating that only specific personal resources interacted with each other. Findings thus support the premises of the Broaden-and-Build theory and provides preliminary insights into how personal resources may mutually influence each other.