Positivity by Barbara Fredrickson

Post date: Feb 1, 2014 3:44:32 PM

Book

Review

This book was first published in the USA in 2009, and is a seminal positive psychology text on the concept of positivity. It is written in everyday language for the benefit of individuals, but it also has detailed notes pages which include full references for the science behind the theory. Fredrickson explains her 'Broaden and Build' theory of positive emotion which states that positivity brings creative thinking and personal resilience, and that with enough positivity we can reach a 'tipping point' beyond which positivity increases incrementally, and we begin to 'flourish'. Most people have a 2 to 1 positivity to negativity ratio, while people who 'flourish' have at least a 3 to1 positivity to negativity ratio (they have reached the tipping point). The benefits of positivity don't end there, they are shown to be physical as well as mental, Fredrickson says: 'The latest scientific evidence tells us that positivity doesn't simply reflect success and health, it can also produce success and health.' (p18)

Put like this it all sounds a bit improbable, but Fredrickson explains that everyone has the potential to increase their positivity – neuroplasticity means that our brains are capable of rewiring themselves, and Fredrickson claims that 'the glittering gift of positivity' comes when we experience more positive emotions: joy, gratitude, serenity, interest, hope, pride, amusement, inspiration, awe, and love.

There is a danger that we try to suppress negative emotions in order to increase our positivity, but Fredrickson explains that we should not suppress our negative emotions (anger, contempt, depression) claiming that 'Negativity is important. Nobody can flourish without it.'...'There's no emotion that ever needs to be shunned or suppressed.'(p.33), and those people who bounce back from the hard knocks that inevitably happen to us all 'don't deny the reality of negativity, but they don't wallow in it either” (p.103). It is less about reducing negativity (and certainly not about suppressing negativity) than it is about increasing positivity in our lives, to give us more resilience so that we can bounce back.

Fredrickson worked with Marcial Losada, who developed the 'Losada ratio', the mathematical model for the positivity 'tipping point' . Whilst researching the attributes of high performing teams in businesses he found that “Teams with higher positivity were more flexible and resilient – they never got stuck in critical, self-absorbed advocacy” (p.127) and “Losada's maths led to the bold prediction that only when positivity ratios are higher than 3 to 1 is positivity in sufficient supply to seed human flourishing.” (p129).

In the second part of the book, Fredrickson looks at practical activities and exercises that individuals can do to reduce their negativity and unlock their positivity including disputing our negative thinking (a technique used in CBT), and practising 'mindfulness'. Through mindfulness, says Fredrickson 'you learn to observe the contents of your mind calmly, in a non-reactive way. ... In a state of mindfulness, it becomes possible to accept one's thoughts – even negative thoughts – without acting on them or reacting to them emotionally. The power of mindfulness is that it can literally sever the link between negative thoughts and negative emotions' (p.167).

The penultimate chapter is a 'toolkit' for individuals to use to decrease negativity and to increase their positivity ratio.

1. Be open: mindful awareness day-to-day 'experience the richness of the present moment' -awareness & acceptance.
2. Create high-quality connections with others.
3. Cultivate kindness – be kind to others.
4. Develop distractions - to break the grip of ruminating on the negatives – by engaging in activities that fully absorb you.
5. Dispute negative thinking – literally challenge your negative thoughts and seek to become just as quick with disputation as you are with your negative thoughts: 'Nip them in the bud with your fast facts, before they have a chance to blanket your day in doom and gloom' (p.204).
6. Find nearby nature - be ready by locating a dozen places you can get to in minutes to connect to 'green or blue, to trees, water, or sky... Make these places regular distractions, whether to exercise, socialize, or just be one with nature.' (p.205)
7. Learn to apply your strengths - take the 'VIA survey' to identify your personal strengths (see Seligman, Authentic Happiness) and then try to reframe your work so that you use them every day.
8. Meditate mindfully: daily meditation for as little as 10mins, tp help you focus on the present moment.
9. Meditate on loving-kindness – in order to build compassion: 'Your goal is to rouse warm and tender feelings' (p.209), then extend the feeling to yourself, and then to others.
10. Ritualize gratitude - 'notice the gifts that surround you' and develop ways of focusing on gratitude.
11. Savour positivity – cherish an event (past, present, or future) an attend to good moments more fully in the present.
12. Visualize your future – imagine yourself 10 years from now if all goes well.

'The more you train your eye, mind, and heart to the positivity in your life, the more of it you'll find.... Even mild positivity, experienced often, can lead you to your higher ground.” (p.230).

Academic interest

This is a seminal positive psychology text, distilling years of research into a form that is useful to non-academics as well as to academics in the field.

Practitioners

'Positivity' is clearly written in everyday language, but the supporting notes at the back of the book provide further information on the scientific evidence behind Fredrickson's Broaden and Build theory. The second part of the book contains exercises and activities that can be used by practitioners with their clients to tackle negative thinking patterns and to increase positivity, and the 'new toolkit' contains a number of specific activities and exercises – including the idea of building personal positive emotion portfolios, which is fully explained towards the end of Chapter 11.

Self-helpers

'Positivity' is written in accessible, everyday language (but if you are interested in the science behind the ideas in the book, it has detailed notes pages at the back). The first part of the book explains why positivity works, while Part II contains exercises and activities that can be used by individuals to tackle negative thinking patterns and to increase positivity. The 'new toolkit' contains a number of specific activities and exercises – including the idea of building personal positive emotion portfolios, which is fully explained towards the end of Chapter 11 – an idea I really like. The could be physical scrapbooks or folders, or they could be created on a computer if you prefer to work in that way.

Best Bits

These are some of my favourite quotes for the book:

In support of the findings that positivity increases our creativity:

'Data from a wide range of experiments show clear causal connections between people's emotional states and their outlooks on life. The more positivity courses through your neural circuits and your veins, the broader your mind will be. Positivity literally expands your peripheral vision, allowing you to see more than you typically do.' (p.73)

Some of the key players in positive psychology whose research and findings about the benefits of positivity support Fredrickson's 'broaden and build' theory:

'The association between positivity ratios and flourishing is so robust that it emerges even though Losada, Gottman, Schwartz, and I each gathered our data totally independently of one another, using very different measures and approaches... whether you're one person, two partners, or and eight-person team, positivity ratios are worth your attention.' (p.133).

When discussing negative emotions and how to challenge habitual negative thinking patterns through disputation, Fredrickson writes:

'Disputing negative thinking nips negativity in the bud. When you dispute negative thoughts, you're left with a mild sense of disappointment, mixed with a healthy dose of hopefulness. When you fail to dispute them you wallow in disappointment, which mushrooms into anxiety, hopelessness, shame, dread, and more.' (p.162-3).

Disputation is an important skills to develop as suppressing negative thoughts can be counter-productive:

'But science shows that attempts to block out negative thoughts and emotions backfires. Instead of reducing unwanted negativity, suppression multiplies your misery, mentally, physically, and socially. Perhaps counter-intuitively, being open to negativity is healthier than being closed off from it.' (p.166)

Mindfulness meditation has been show to have very positive effects, particularly in managing the negativity and stress we experience. Describing the effects of mindfulness, Fredrickson writes that, through it:

• '...you learn to observe the contents of your mind calmly, in a non-reactive way. You learn to accept a thought as just a thought. It's imply an occurrence in your mind that arises, takes shape, and passes, much as a particular pattern among the clouds forms in the sky, then soon dissipates. In a state of mindfulness, it becomes possible to accept one's thoughts – even negative thoughts – without acting on them or reacting to them emotionally. The power of mindfulness is that it can literally sever the link between negative thoughts and negative emotions.' (p.167)

Personal strengths are those aspects of ourselves that are important to us, and they are very individual. When using our personal strengths in our work (or in our daily lives) the things we do become more meaningful. Often we can become deeply absorbed in what we are doing. Fredrickson suggests we identify our personal strengths, and then:

'...reshape your work or daily life in such a way that you're able to apply your strengths more often... Simply exercising a strength and making a contribution as profoundly gratifying, a source of heartfelt personal meaning.' (p.190).

Summarising the chapter in increasing positivity in our lives, Fredrickson says:

'Perhaps you've noticed that some of the approaches are quite simple: open your eyes to kindness and gratitude. Savor goodness when you see it. Visualize your best possible future. Be more social. Go outside. ….. Together these approaches will unlock more of the six most common positive emotions within you – love, joy, gratitude, serenity, interest, and hope. As they do so, they will open your mindset and put you on a course of resilience and growth.

Other approaches require more effort. Redesign your job or your daily life to better utilize your strengths. Learn to meditate, with mindfulness training, loving-kindness, or both... Although these self-change efforts are larger, their positivity pay-offs have already been shown to be great.' (p.198)

In the 'new toolkit' Fredrickson describes activities and exercises to increase positivity. Here is one of my personal favourites, in a section she calls 'Hunt and Gather' in an idea drawn from James Pawleski:

'Pull together objects and momentos that create for you a heartfelt connection with each of the ten forms of positivity... Each portfolio might contain photos, letters, quotes, or objects that carry deep personal meaning for you.' (p.214)

'Use only the light touch of recognition as you identify new memories to add, not the heavy hand of intellectual dissection' (p.215)

In summary:

• 'If you can keep your positivity ratio above the critical 3-to-one threshold – honestly, with genuine, heartfelt positivity that fully accepts life's inevitable sources of negativity – you'll soon become your best. And at your best, before long you'll become a positive influence on the world around you.' (p.223).

About the author

Barbara Fredrickson (PhD) is a Professor at the University of North Carolina (having completed her PhD at Stanford University). She has received awards for her work on positivity, including the prestigious Templeton Prize for Positive Psychology, and is an important researcher in the field.