Abstract
Evidence shows that people feel mild positive moods when no strong emotional events are occurring, a phenomenon known as positive mood offset. We offer an evolutionary explanation of this characteristic, showing that it improves fertility, fecundity, and health, and abets other characteristics that were critical to reproductive success. We review research showing that positive mood offset is virtually universal in the nations of the world, even among people who live in extremely difficult circumstances. Positive moods increase the likelihood of the types of adaptive behaviors that likely characterized our Paleolithic ancestors, such as creativity, planning, mating, and sociality. Because of the ubiquity and apparent advantages of positive moods, it is a reasonable hypothesis that humans were selected for positivity offset in our evolutionary past. We outline additional evidence that is needed to help confirm that positive mood offset is an evolutionary adaptation in humans and we explore the research questions that the hypothesis generates.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 235-256 |
| Number of pages | 22 |
| Journal | Personality and Social Psychology Review |
| Volume | 19 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2015 Aug 11 |
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All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Social Psychology
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Why People Are in a Generally Good Mood. / Diener, Ed; Kanazawa, Satoshi; Suh, Eunkook M.; Oishi, Shigehiro.
In: Personality and Social Psychology Review, Vol. 19, No. 3, 11.08.2015, p. 235-256.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
TY - JOUR
T1 - Why People Are in a Generally Good Mood
AU - Diener, Ed
AU - Kanazawa, Satoshi
AU - Suh, Eunkook M.
AU - Oishi, Shigehiro
PY - 2015/8/11
Y1 - 2015/8/11
N2 - Evidence shows that people feel mild positive moods when no strong emotional events are occurring, a phenomenon known as positive mood offset. We offer an evolutionary explanation of this characteristic, showing that it improves fertility, fecundity, and health, and abets other characteristics that were critical to reproductive success. We review research showing that positive mood offset is virtually universal in the nations of the world, even among people who live in extremely difficult circumstances. Positive moods increase the likelihood of the types of adaptive behaviors that likely characterized our Paleolithic ancestors, such as creativity, planning, mating, and sociality. Because of the ubiquity and apparent advantages of positive moods, it is a reasonable hypothesis that humans were selected for positivity offset in our evolutionary past. We outline additional evidence that is needed to help confirm that positive mood offset is an evolutionary adaptation in humans and we explore the research questions that the hypothesis generates.
AB - Evidence shows that people feel mild positive moods when no strong emotional events are occurring, a phenomenon known as positive mood offset. We offer an evolutionary explanation of this characteristic, showing that it improves fertility, fecundity, and health, and abets other characteristics that were critical to reproductive success. We review research showing that positive mood offset is virtually universal in the nations of the world, even among people who live in extremely difficult circumstances. Positive moods increase the likelihood of the types of adaptive behaviors that likely characterized our Paleolithic ancestors, such as creativity, planning, mating, and sociality. Because of the ubiquity and apparent advantages of positive moods, it is a reasonable hypothesis that humans were selected for positivity offset in our evolutionary past. We outline additional evidence that is needed to help confirm that positive mood offset is an evolutionary adaptation in humans and we explore the research questions that the hypothesis generates.
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84936863988&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1177/1088868314544467
DO - 10.1177/1088868314544467
M3 - Article
C2 - 25253069
AN - SCOPUS:84936863988
VL - 19
SP - 235
EP - 256
JO - Personality and Social Psychology Review
JF - Personality and Social Psychology Review
SN - 1088-8683
IS - 3
ER -