How positive affect buffers stress responses

Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, vol. 39, pp. 153–160

Abstract

Positive affect can help to dampen the impact of adverse life events, facilitating healthy cognitive and emotional functioning after stress. The present review highlights recent findings on the stress buffering effects of these pleasant feeling states, focusing on studies utilizing acute and chronic stress in daily life, stress manipulations in the lab, and examinations of affective and cognitive adaptations during tasks involving difficult or risky events. We review novel findings that neural reward systems dampen activity of brain areas involved in signalling stress and highlight the role of endogenous opioids and other neurochemicals in this buffering effect. We show that across different timescales and physiological systems, positive affect buffers against accumulating stress responses in the body and brain.

Authors 4

1. Henk van Steenbergen corresponding Aachen Cognitive Psychology Unit Institute of Psychology, Leiden University Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands

   Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, The Netherlands

2. Ellen R. A. de Bruijn Aachen Department of Clinical Psychology Institute of Psychology, Leiden University Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Clinical Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands

   Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, The Netherlands

3. Anna C. K. van Duijvenvoorde Aachen Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology Institute of Psychology, Leiden University Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands

   Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, The Netherlands

4. Anne‐Laura van Harmelen Aachen Education and Child Studies Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition

   Leiden University

   Affiliation as printed

   Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, The Netherlands

   Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, The Netherlands