Good is stronger than bad: positive life events are stronger

perceived changes in beliefs and growth.

Gonzalo Martínez-Zelaya*, Darío Páez ** & M. Ángeles Bilbao*
* Universidad de Santiago de Chile **University of Basque Country

gonzalomartinezphd@gmail.com

Stable cognitive representations about the world, others and Trauma studies show:
Just a few events, in some dimensions and in individuals with emotional disturbance, the change happens (Foa et al, 1999 and others researchers). Bigger
Basic ourselves, which allow us to manage within certain
mobilisation of coping occurs in negative events.
Beliefs expectations, and give us a perception of order and control of Negative events undermine or question the positive basics beliefs less than positives events reinforce them. Negative emotions provoke higher mobilisations in
life.(Janoff-Bulman, 1992) pursuit of an explanation, coping and behavior change; meanwhile positive emotions build cognitive and social resources. (Fredrickson, 2009)
Introduction

After a trauma or distress positive change takes place in relation to:

Set of circumstances which represent major challenges for a) discovery of personal strengths,
the adaptation resources of the individual, and that make b) increasement of the ability of giving social support, and improvement of its value,
Trauma significant challenges in the way of understanding the world, c) change in life priorities,
and their place in it. (Janoff-Bulman, 1992) d) perception of new opportunities,
f) ideological development

Positive psychological change experienced as a result of the Tedeschi et al. (2003) suggest that the growth is specific to the processes linked with distress or negative stress. However positive emotions and extreme positive
Post Traumatic life-changing events (“eustress”) can also favour cognitive expansion and improve personal resources.
struggle with highly challenging life circumstances.(Calhoun &
Growth People can grow through different life’s transitions; by sharing positive episodes with others; and learning new skills or changing their goals (McMillen, 2004). The
Tedeschi, 2004) extreme positive life-changing events also can generate “expansion and constructional” growth of psychological resources (Fredrickson, 2009)

To examine the effect of life-changing events –positive and negative– addressing basic beliefs on the world,
Aim others and one-self, and the post–stress growth, in 3 samples of the Basque Country.

Study 3
Samples

Study 1 Study 2
Representative sample of the Basque Country (N= 885). 64.2% women. Principal Students of psychology and relative who remembered a extreme life-changing events
occupations: Work (49%), domestic activities (20%), retired (16.9%). People response (N= 291). 59.1% women. Age range between 17 and 73 years old (M= 36.1, SD= 15.8). Students of psychology who remembered both extreme life-changing events (positive
about extreme positive life-changing events N=141 (mean of age = 40.6 years old); People response about extreme negative life-changing events 62.5%, extreme neutral and negative) (N= 245). 81% women. Age range between 20 and 52 years old (M=
extreme negative life-changing events N= 751 (Mean of age = 49.99 years old). life-changing events 8.9%, extreme positive life-changing events 28.6%. 22.7, SD= 4.01).

List of Extreme Life-changing events Posttraumatic Growth Inventory

Study 1: People response about ones of the events in the list. Valence of events is Impact of Beliefs Questionnaire IBQ (Tedeschi & Calhoun, 1996; short version, Páez et al., 2004).
Measures

previously defined by negative or positive. (Corsini, 2004, translated and adapted by Páez, 2004) This instrument rates the positive changes people perceive in the face of an
Study 2: People response about ones of the events in the list. Then response about impactful event, changes which would result from the emotional and cognitive
how live that events on a Likert-type scale, ranging from 1 (very negative) to 7 (very This scale assess the perceived changes in basic beliefs related to everyday processes that emerge in that situation. The original instrument was abbreviated.
positive). Then the events are clasificated like 1–2 (negative), 3–5 (neutral) and 6–7 emotional events by 12 items, six of reinforce of positive basic beliefs and six of Likert-type response and a range of 0 = I have not experienced this change, to 5 = I
(positive). reinforce of negative basic beliefs. Responses are scored on a Likert-type scale have experienced this change to a very great extent. The dimensions assessed are:
Study 3: People response about two events in the list: one positive and one ranging from 1 (totally false) to 7 (totally true) Appreciation of life, New possibilities, Spirituality/Change, Relating to others and
negative. Valence of events is previously defined by negative or positive. Personal strength.

Impact on Basic Beliefs New Possibilities

Correlation between dimension of Impact
Post-stress Growth 5
on Basics Beliefs and Post-traumatic Growth
Reinforcement of Positive Basic Beliefs 4
3,33
2,85
Negative Events
Reinforcement of Positive Reinforcement of Negative
3 2,47 2,49
5 2,19 2,25
Neutral Events
7 2 1,53
4,5
1
Positive Events Basic Beliefs Basic Beliefs
6 5,55 5,54 4
5,07 0
5 3,5 Study 1 Study 2 Study 3
Negative Events 3
4 3,41
3,8 2,46 2,55 2,57 Negative Events Negative Events .312*** .200***
Neutral Events 2,5 2,23
Personal Strength
Results

3,07 2,99 2,14

3 Positive Events 2 1,78 1,89 Neutral Events Study 1
2 1,5 Positive Events 5 Positive Events .378*** -.097
1 4
3,3
1 2,96 2,81 2,83
Negative Events
0,5 3
Negative Events
2,57 2,57
Study 1 Study 2 Study 3
0 2
2,36
Neutral Events .136* .198**
Positive Events
Study 1 Study 2 Study 3 1

Reinforcement of Negative Basic Beliefs 0 Study 2 Neutral Events .571*** -.144

Study 1 Study 2 Study 3

7
6 Appreciation of Life Relating to Others Spirituality/Change Positive Events .367*** -.022
5 5 5 5
Negative Events 4 4 4 Negative Events .147* .215***
4 3,6 3,57
Study 3
3,09 3,08 3,01
3,23 Neutral Events 3
2,96
2,6 2,72 Negative Events 3 2,77 2,62 Negative Events 3 Negative Events
3 2,79 2,37 2,19
2,39
2,09 2,17
1,95
Neutral Events Neutral Events 1,96
Neutral Events
1,73
Positive Events 2
Positive Events
2
Positive Events
2
1,35 1,2
1,77
1,31
0,85 Positive Events
Positive Events .390*** .020
2 1,5 1,42 1 1 1 0,74

1 0 0 0 Note. * Significant correlation at p < .05 (unilateral); ** at p < .01; *** at p < .001.
Study 1 Study 2 Study 3 Study 1 Study 2 Study 3 Study 1 Study 2 Study 3
Study 1 Study 2 Study 3

The negative facts –emotionally intense– reinforce personal strength, and help to realize We can conclude that one explanation as to why
A change on beliefs in extreme negative life-changing events exists,
Conclusion

that one can count on others, or improve relationships with others. Developing new people appreciate and pursuit emotional sharing,
worsening them, but in positive events too, improving them markedly.
possibilities and the change of life-priorities are produced by positive and negative events, through a search of social support and venting
Although the extreme negative life-changing events are associated with
suggesting that independently of the balance of such events, they produce cognitive and allowed improvements in the relation with
lower growth than extreme positive life-changing events, both produce a
emotional adjustments, change of goals, purposes, and orientation of behaviors. others– that is coherent with the idea that social
psychological growth. The positive changes in basic beliefs are associated
Nevertheless, these changes are more powerful in positive life-changing events. The sharing helps especially to resolve socio-
consistently with post-stress growth in positive events and less intensely
asymmetrical impact on basic beliefs in favour of positive events, and post–stress growth emotional needs, more than cognitive or Self
in the negative ones. However, the interpersonal growth only takes place
from negative events, helped to re-build and keep a benevolent vision of the self and the related ones (Rime, 2005)
when emotional expression and a search of social support exist.
world, and increase the positive affectivity.

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