情緒的變動： 正向認知偏誤對情緒強度與其短期變動性之調節效果

Abstract

過去研究發現，就長期而言人們對於幸福感的自我評估穩定而且偏高， Cummins與Nistico（2002）雖曾試圖解釋此現象，卻未曾以實徵研究證實該現象以及其背後的心理機制。本研究延續Cummins與Nistico的推論並進一步探究在生活事件的影響下人們是透過何種心理機制維持幸福感長期的穩定性，以及心理機制的作用如何展現在幸福感短期的變動狀態上，特別是容易受到生活事件影響的正負向情緒。由於過去文獻大多關注於幸福感絕對值高低分的個別差異，與幸福感短期變動的相關議題則缺少較為聚焦的討論，本研究從正向認知偏誤的角度著手，試圖探討幸福感短期的變動隱含在生活狀態中的意義，以及個體處於不同生活狀態時正向認知偏誤對於提升幸福感所扮演的角色。過去文獻不但發現正向認知偏誤較高者有較高的幸福感感受，也傾向對事件有比較正面的觀感。因此研究者推論當其感知到的生活狀態和期待中有落差時，會展現出對事件有比較正向看法的認知策略以調節理想和現實不一致的感受。敏感於正負向事件的幸福感因而比較容易向上提升，回復到偏高的基準點。反之，當其生活狀態較佳時，對事件有比較正向看法的認知策略比較不會發生作用，幸福感比較不會隨事件而變動因而維持在穩定的狀態。幸福感短期的變動性乃存在於個體內，會隨情境而產生改變。本研究以73位修習普通心理學的大學部學生為研究樣本，受試者在填寫完人格測量的問卷之後，進行長達10天的追蹤研究，參與實驗的同學在每晚就寢前必須完成當天的正負向生活事件，以及當天的生活滿意度、正負向情緒。研究結果支持前述的推論，正向認知偏誤對生活狀態與幸福感變動性的關係確有調節效果，進一步分析的結果也顯示正向認知偏誤在生活狀態高低不同時會展現出不同的調控策略。文章最後，研究者除了對研究限制和研究內容做了一些反省，並提供了一些未來可能的研究方向。

Previous research have shown that long-term mean level of well-being appeared to be moderately high and stable. Although Cummins(2002) tried to explain this phenomenon, he never directly examined it nor its underlying mechanism. Present research continue the inference of Cummins and take one step further to clarify possible mechanisms of maintaining stability of well-being and how positive and negative emotions may moderate the short-term variability of well-being, especially positive or negative emotions, influenced by moderating effect. Since most research have been focused on individual differences in well-being’s mean level, issues regarding short-term fluctuation of well-being were rarely discussed. While the purpose of this research was to understand how fluctuation of well-being meant for life, in addition, we also examined how positive cognitive bias (PCBs) played a role in maintaining well-being throughout different situations. Previous research showed that PCBs were correlated with mental health as well as positive view for life events. Hence, we postulated that when perceiving discrepancies between expectation and reality, those with higher PCBs are more likely to use cognitive strategies to enhance subjective well-being so that it bounced back to the set-point it used to be. However, when situation got better, effect of PCBs wore off so that well-being remained rather stable without being influenced too much by life events. Short-term variability of well-being exists within individuals and it changes along with situations. Participants were 73 undergraduate students who took introduction to Psychology and received extra credit for coursework. After filling out questionnaires for trait measurement, they recorded their daily well-being, including life satisfaction, positive emotion, negative emotion, and daily life events for ten days. Results supported our inference that PCBs moderated day-to-day relation between one’s life state and variability of well-being. Moreover, further analysis revealed that individuals with PCBs used different cognitive strategies at different life states so that their long-term well-being could maintain high and stable. Possible implication for clinical intervention were also discussed.