Resilience and the role of savouring pleasure

• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2015-09-01
• Series: Frontiers in Psychology
• Subjects: Pleasure; positive affect; resilience; Savouring
• Online Access: http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/conf.fpsyg.2015.66.00010/full

Aims: A resilient individual is one who remains flexible and buoyant and possesses the ability to thrive in the face of adversity. Resilience is dynamic and can be developed to further enhance coping abilities. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between the ability to savour positive experiences (emotion regulation), positive affect, and psychological resilience. According to Fredrickson’s (2001) broaden-and-build theory, the experience of positive emotions develops and enhances lasting personal resources. That is, positive emotions not only feel good, they also improve an individual’s ability to endure life challenges and can increase wellbeing. Method: Data were collected from 224 adults (150 female) ranging between 18 and 77 years of age (m=41.81). Respondents completed self-report measures on-line: the Savouring Beliefs Inventory; the Positive and Negative Affect Scale; and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. Results: The scale data demonstrated a strong and statistically significant correlation between the ability to savour positive experiences and respondents’ level of resilience (r(.224) = .47, p < .001). In addition, savouring was found to be strongly related both to positive affect (r(.266) = .57, p < .001 and, inversely, to negative affect (r(235) = -.49, p < .001). Conclusions: To savour a positive emotion or experience is to be mindfully aware of the enjoyment derived from the moment. Together, these results suggest that the benefits of maximising pleasure through savouring a positive event may contribute to building resources to enhance resilience. The current study thus augments the broaden-and-build theory. The ability to regulate one’s feelings through savouring (anticipation, appreciation, and reminiscing) may be worth cultivating to assist in developing protective health factors.