Memory for pleasant and unpleasant experiences: some methodological considerations.

Turner, Ralph H.; Barlow, John A.

doi:10.1037/h0063231

Cited by 17 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Kellermann (1984) hypothesized that bad is stronger than good because it is usually extreme, unexpected, or unusual and therefore captures awareness. Just as movement in a still room attracts attention, so negative (novel) events capture more attention than positive (normal) patterns (Thorngate, 1976; Turner and Barlow, 1951). That which is unusual has more impact than that which is expected, explaining why one bad act has more impact in impression formation than one good act (Skowronski and Carlston, 1989).…”

Section: Explanations For Negative Tendenciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cross-cultural research and positive organizational scholarship

Cameron

2017

CCSM

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Purpose In view of the emphasis in cross-cultural research on negative factors such as cultural misfit, cultural distance, and the liability of foreignness, the purpose of this paper is to offer one explanation for why this is the case and highlight the advantages of giving at least equal emphasis to research on positive factors. Three propositions are offered to guide future cross-cultural research. Design/methodology/approach Summaries of empirical studies on the inherent inclinations of human systems toward the negative, as well as inclinations toward the positive, produce explanations for each of these biases and their implications for cross-cultural scholarship. Findings By prioritizing positive factors instead of negative factors, individuals and organizations perform at much higher levels than when the reverse is the case. Virtuous practices, in particular, are associated with positively deviant performance. Inasmuch as virtuousness is universally valued, its emphasis can address some of the liabilities of difference inherent in cross-cultural contexts. Originality/value The three propositions offered in the paper explain why negative biases exist, how positive biases provide an advantage to individuals and organizations, and highlight future directions for cross-cultural research. Social scientists have been challenged to help enable 51 percent of the world’s population to flourish by mid-century, and prioritizing positive cross-cultural phenomena is one prescription for achieving that objective.

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Section: Explanations For Negative Tendenciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cross-cultural research and positive organizational scholarship

Cameron

2017

CCSM

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“…Kellermann (1984) hypothesized that bad is stronger than good because it is usually extreme, unexpected, or unusual and therefore captures awareness. Just as movement in a still room attracts attention, so negative (novel) events capture more attention than positive (normal) patterns (Thorngate, 1976;Turner & Barlow, 1951). That which is unusual has more impact than that which is expected, explaining why one bad act has more impact in impression formation than one good act (Skowronski & Carlston, 1989).…”

Section: Explaining Negative and Positive Inclinationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Paradox in Positive Organizational Change

Cameron

2008

The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science

152

124

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Positive organizational change is a paradox. On one hand, natural human inclinations toward the positive and heliotropic tendencies foster a proclivity toward positive change in human systems. On the other hand, human beings react more strongly to negative than to positive stimuli, so the presence of negative events overshadows positive events. Paradoxically, both tendencies—toward the positive and in response to the negative— are important enablers of positive change, but because the negative usually dominates, positive factors have to be given extra emphasis for positive change to occur. The concept of “positive” has created a great deal of controversy and confusion in organizational studies, spawning critics as well as promoters. The major connotations of this concept in organizational scholarship are clarified, and a way to reconcile the paradox of positive change is proposed. New investigations of positive organizational change are introduced that address various aspects of the positive change paradox.

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“…To the best of this writer's knowledge, Turner and Barlow (1951) conducted the last study bearing on the recall of pleasant and unpleasant experiences. They found no differences in recall as a function of type of affective experience; but intense experiences, whether pleasant or aversive, were retained better than neutral experiences.…”

Section: Affective Experiences and Word Valuementioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of motivations on the availability and retrieval of memory traces.

Weiner

1966

Psychological Bulletin

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Memory for pleasant and unpleasant experiences: some methodological considerations.

Cited by 17 publications

References 11 publications

Cross-cultural research and positive organizational scholarship

Cross-cultural research and positive organizational scholarship

Paradox in Positive Organizational Change

Effects of motivations on the availability and retrieval of memory traces.

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