The undoing hypothesis proposes that positive emotions serve to undo sympathetic arousal related to negative emotions and stress. However, a recent qualitative review challenged the undoing effect by presenting conflicting results. To address this issue quantitatively, we conducted a meta-analytic review of 16 studies ( N = 1,220; 72 effect sizes) measuring sympathetic recovery during elicited positive emotions and neutral conditions. Findings indicated that in most cases, positive emotions did not speed sympathetic recovery compared to neutral conditions. However, when a composite index of cardiovascular reactivity was used, undoing effects were evident. Our findings suggest the need for further work on the functions of positive emotions.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, governments use direct persuasion to encourage social isolation. Since self-persuasion is a more effective method of encouraging behavioural changes, using an experimental approach, we compared direct persuasion to self-persuasion on underlying motivations for voluntary social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. We asked the participants (N = 375) to write three arguments in support of social isolation (self-persuasion condition) or to evaluate three government graphics containing arguments for social isolation (direct persuasion condition). Then we asked the participants to evaluate perceived own vulnerability to COVID-19, the perceived severity of COVID-19, moral obligation to socially isolate and the attitude toward social isolation. Self-persuasion had a significant impact on the moral obligation to socially isolate, and through it on self-isolation intention. We also found evidence that individuals who perceived greater benefits from social isolation and who perceived a higher severity of COVID-19 have a higher intention to socially isolate. Significant sex and age differences also emerged. Our findings provide new insights into mechanisms of self-persuasion and underlying motivations that influence social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Writing-review & editing. All authors had full access to all data in the study and take responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.

Studies indicated that individuals who tend to smile while taking their photographs tend to experience more positive emotions in their life and, in turn, achieve superior outcomes in several life domains. However, little is known whether positive emotionality revealed in players' profile photographs is related to sports performance. This study examined whether the smiling intensity in volleyball players' profiles (full, partial, and no smile) predicted individual (e.g., points scored, service, and reception errors) and team performance (winning a match). Building upon previous studies on positive emotions, we expected that players presenting full (Duchenne) smiles would achieve better results. We analyzed 196 volleyball players' profiles from the Polish highest-level professional league competition (PlusLiga). Raters coded smile intensity. Using three-level path models, we found that teams with more frequent Duchenne smiles performed as well as those who presented Duchenne smiles less often. We conclude that positive emotionality (as reflected in profile photo smiling) might be independent of male volleyball accomplishments.

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