What Good Are Positive Emotions?

In addition to the original research that underlies AI theory and practice, in the decade between the publication of the first edition of this book in 2001 and the research that underlies the second edition, a major body of research has emerged on the importance of positive thinking and action to our well-being as human beings. The origin of this exploration was Martin Seligman’s book about the importance of positive emotions. A graduate student at the time, Barbara Fredrickson, began to do research on the power of the positive in human behavior and won, in 1998, an award for her outstanding paper on the subject. Over the past decade, the impact of her research has legitimized the Appreciative Inquiry process in major ways. Her research asked the question: “What good are positive emotions?” and the answers she found as a result of her research have led to a major shift in how we understand the powerful positive impact that experiencing positive emotions have on our bodies and behaviors.