What Do You Do When Things Go Right? The Intrapersonal and Interpersonal Benefits of Sharing Positive Events.

TLDR

The study discusses the importance of understanding how people cope with positive events, cultivate positive emotions, and enhance social bonds. Four studies examined the intrapersonal and interpersonal consequences of seeking out others when good things happen (capitalization). Communicating positive events increases daily positive affect and well‑being beyond the event itself, and active, constructive responses further enhance these benefits; additionally, enthusiastic partner responses in close relationships are linked to higher relationship well‑being.

Abstract

Four studies examined the intrapersonal and interpersonal consequences of seeking out others when good things happen (i.e., capitalization). Two studies showed that communicating personal positive events with others was associated with increased daily positive affect and well-being, above and beyond the impact of the positive event itself and other daily events. Moreover, when others were perceived to respond actively and constructively (and not passively or destructively) to capitalization attempts, the benefits were further enhanced. Two studies found that close relationships in which one's partner typically responds to capitalization attempts enthusiastically were associated with higher relationship well-being (e.g., intimacy, daily marital satisfaction). The results are discussed in terms of the theoretical and empirical importance of understanding how people "cope" with positive events, cultivate positive emotions, and enhance social bonds.