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A Positive Perspective on Attentional Bias: Positive Affectivity and Attentional Bias to Positive Information

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Abstract

In recent years there has been growing interest in determining the attentional basis of positive affectivity. Investigators have sought to evaluate the hypothesis that elevated positive affectivity is characterized by an attentional bias that favours the processing of positive information over neutral information. Unfortunately, in the studies carried out to date, the assessment procedures used by researchers to assess such attentional selectivity have either been methodologically limited or methodologically flawed. Hence, the validity of the hypothesis has remained indeterminate. To overcome the problems associated with attentional assessment procedures used in previous studies, and so shed light on the attentional basis of positive affectivity, we employed an appropriate variant of the attentional probe task. Our findings show that participants high in positive affectivity displayed greater relative attention to positive information compared to neutral information, than was the case for their low positive affectivity counterparts. Thus, the present results support the hypothesis that an attentional bias to positive information, relative to neutral information, is characteristic of elevated positive affectivity.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by Australian Research Council Grants DP140104448 and DP140103713, and by a grant from the Romanian National Authority for Scientific Research, CNCS–UEFISCDI, Project Number PNII-ID-PCCE-2011-2-0045.

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Correspondence to Ben Grafton.

Appendix

Appendix

 

Word pair (positive word/neutral word)

 

Word pair (positive word/neutral word)

1

controlled/represents

49

certainty/telegraph

2

nonchalant/tabernacle

50

placid/wallet

3

imperturbable/residentially

51

relieve/statute

4

unfalteringly/thermoplastic

52

daring/manned

5

extrovert/regrouped

53

unruffled/scorecard

6

fearless/registry

54

snug/mead

7

safe/hole

55

secure/reveal

8

restful/pointer

56

lively/quoted

9

buoyant/spinach

57

brightness/respective

10

accomplish/functional

58

comfortable/profession

11

calm/knee

59

contented/inaugural

12

favourable/transition

60

gregarious/modulation

13

soothing/explorer

61

happier/consult

14

pleased/whereas

62

fun/cup

15

enchanting/delivering

63

friendly/contract

16

peaceful/narrative

64

tranquil/motorist

17

glad/punt

65

rejoice/focally

18

carefree/sideline

66

heroic/tailor

19

excited/plaster

67

passionate/nomination

20

ecstatic/mixtures

68

jovial/cohere

21

exuberant/inference

69

confident/passenger

22

blissful/dispense

70

cheerful/segments

23

successes/frequency

71

elated/kernel

24

bold/loop

72

stable/buying

25

harmless/pantheon

73

undisturbed/occupations

26

unwavering/bimolecular

74

unconcerned/supplements

27

resting/cottage

75

poised/ballot

28

steady/tissue

76

keen/pump

29

unstressed/decorators

77

assured/allotment

30

assertive/propeller

78

protected/recording

31

ease/wire

79

composed/treasury

32

charisma/flitting

80

eager/refer

33

cosy/digs

81

warmly/themes

34

serene/entity

82

sociable/instancy

35

zeal/dock

83

energetic/criterion

36

gentle/mirror

84

proudly/resembles

37

enjoy/acres

85

satisfaction/jurisdiction

38

zest/bean

86

enthusiastic/illustration

39

outgoing/reversed

87

achieving/alongside

40

merry/ankle

88

brave/tubes

41

rewarding/logistics

89

fulfilled/generated

42

relaxed/habitat

90

courageous/supersonic

43

thrilled/equating

91

triumphs/outfield

44

enjoyment/temporary

92

glee/cues

45

jubilation/impresario

93

euphoric/citywide

46

pleasure/speaking

94

delighted/maintains

47

overjoyed/applicant

95

joy/bob

48

docile/awhile

96

casual/trucks

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Grafton, B., MacLeod, C. A Positive Perspective on Attentional Bias: Positive Affectivity and Attentional Bias to Positive Information. J Happiness Stud 18, 1029–1043 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-016-9761-x

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