Experiencing and cultivating positive emotions in the midst of stress is a powerful stress regulation strategy. In this course, I will introduce a neuroaffective model of how people use positive emotions to regulate their stress. In this model, the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and ventral striatum (VS) generate positive appraisals of the environment and of the self. During stress, these regions generate the initial positive appraisals of some stressor elements, and when people initially appraise a stressor element as negative, these regions coordinate with the cognitive reappraisal system to change the meaning of that negative element to be more positive. This vmPFC/VS positive appraisal mechanism is also a critical ingredient in other stress regulation processes, including positive feelings, motivated safety-seeking behavior, physiological soothing, and social support. This model contributes to the stress/emotion regulation and neuroscience literatures by outlining multiple psychological mechanisms through which positive appraisal, via the vmPFC/VS, helps promote resilient responses to stress.
Learning Objectives:
After the session, participants will be able to:
Identify the primary brain regions associated with positive emotions.
Describe the difference between positive appraisals and reappraisals.
Apply this neuroaffective model to understanding resilience in others.
