Is endorsement of fear of happiness associated with behavioral aversion to reward?

Author

Amanda Collins

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Winer, Eric Samuel

Committee Member

Allen, Laura

Committee Member

Armstrong, Kevin J.

Date of Degree

12-13-2019

Original embargo terms

Visible to MSU only for 3 Years

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Open Access

Major

Psychology

Degree Name

Master of Science

Degree Name

Master of Science (M.S.)

College

College of Arts and Sciences

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Department of Psychology

Department

Department of Psychology

Abstract

Previous research suggests that some individuals have negative views about happiness and may actively avoid positivity due to associating it with previous negative experiences. The Approach-Avoidance Task (AAT) is a paradigm that examines approach and avoidance tendencies. However, the AAT has previously never been used to examine motivational tendencies in individuals who fear happiness. In this study, we used the AAT to examine if individuals who fear happiness respond aversively in the face of prospective positivity. Results revealed that the difference between the duration of pulling the joystick for both stimuli is negatively related to fear of happiness (FHS) such that individuals with higher FHS scores pulled the joystick for a shorter amount of time for positive stimuli than neutral. This suggests that individuals with a fear of happiness may exhibit aversive tendencies for positive information in comparison to neutral information, similar to that seen in depressed individuals.

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11668/16450

Comments

Depression||Happiness||Avoidance||AAT||Emotion

Recommended Citation

Collins, Amanda, "Is endorsement of fear of happiness associated with behavioral aversion to reward?" (2019). Theses and Dissertations. 2874.
https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/td/2874