Variability in Emotions: The Moderating effect of Positive Cognitive Biases over Mean Level of Emotion on Short-term Variability

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.