Jean Ervin works as a fund raising executive at a women's rights organization in San Diego. Though she has been with the organiz
ation for only a year now, she has already been promoted and often gets excellent feedback from her manager. Her manager says that the key to Ervin's good performance is that she is happy with the work she does and she is excited about the challenges in tasks, which she takes up with a lot of enthusiasm. Which of the following mood dimensions is Ervin most likely to be feeling? low positive affect neutral affect low negative affect high positive affect high negative affect
Positive affectivity, as the name suggests, refers to positive emotions. Those include joy, energy, enthusiasm, and pride, among others. People who are high in positive affectivity tend to search and find happiness in meaningful experiences. High positive affect people are usually more open, friendly, and responsible than others. Notice how Ervin is excited about the challenges and tasks she has to carry out. She sees them as opportunities for learning, for growth. She finds pleasure not in the money she is making or the fame she could have at some point, but in the experiences she has the opportunity to live.
