Dynamic approaches to emotions and stress in everyday life: Bolger and Zuckerman reloaded with positive as well as negative affects

Abstract

A decade ago, Bolger and Zuckerman (1995) incorporated personality into the study of daily life events and psychological distress. Their approach put an entirely new cast on research and theorizing in this area. In their work, they focused on the predominantly negative personality trait of Neuroticism. In this article we extend their work to include theory and measurement of positive events and indicators of well-being. Integrating these research strands offers the possibility of a comprehensive yet highly sensitive and dynamic approach to the study of emotions, stress, and health in everyday life.

Figures

Figure 1

Distributions of Daily Positive Event and Negative Event Scores

Figure 2

Within-person relations between person-centered positive affect and negative affect on days with high (+1 s.d.) and low (−1 s.d.) number of person-centered negative events (A) and with high and low number of person-centered positive events (B)

Figure 3

Within-Person Relations between Daily Negative Events and Daily Negative Affect for Individuals at High (+1 s.d.), Average (mean), and Low (−1 s.d.) levels of Neuroticism

Figure 4

Within-Person Relations between Daily Positive Events and Daily Enjoyment Appraisals for Individuals at High (+1 s.d.), Average (mean), and Low (−1 s.d.) levels of Extraversion