The present survey study investigated cultural differences in social support, well-being, distress, positive and negative emotions in relation to infertility, by analyzing mean difference, correlation, regression and moderation on these variables. 117 women with primary infertility were recruited from fertility clinics in Sweden and Iran. Cultural differences were found regarding well-being and distress, indicating that infertility may pose a greater stigma in Iran than in Sweden. Even so, both samples reported high distress levels which confirmed infertility as a psychological stressor. Social support buffered against distress in the Swedish sample. Well-being was to a greater extent estimated by emotions in the Swedish sample, and by social support in the Iranian sample. Results were discussed in relation to aspects of individualism and collectivism.

Retaliation is a well-established response to abusive supervision. Leading edge research explains the occurrence of supervisor-directed retaliation through processes associated with the strength model of self-control (Baumeister, Vohs, & Tice, 2007). The present research builds on these ideas by considering the role of emotions in the retaliatory processes. 407 participants completed an online survey that included questionnaires measuring personality traits associated with self-control and emotional experiences. Findings indicate that a predisposition to negative emotional experiences predicts retaliatory behavior in response to abusive supervision, even for individuals with a high capacity for self-control. It is suggested that future research should determine whether emotion-driven retaliation is mediated by a desire for revenge.

In the scientific study of the emotions the goal is to find natural kinds. That is, to find categories about which interesting scientific generalizations and predictions can be formed. Core affect is dimensional approach to the emotions which claims that emotions emerge from the more basic psychological processes of valence (pleasant/unpleasant) and arousal (activation/deactivation). Lisa Feldman Barrett (2006b) has recently argued that the discrete emotion approach has failed to find natural kinds and thus should be dismissed as a failed paradigm. She offers core affect as an alternative theory that will better capture natural kinds in emotionally salient phenomena. In this thesis I evaluate Barrett’s claim on the basis of a philosophically robust understanding of natural kinds and a careful assessment of the empirical evidence. I argue that while core affect is not a natural kind, subsets of core affect space may be natural kinds.

Nostalgia is a psychological phenomenon we all can relate to but have a hard time to define. What characterizes the mental state of feeling nostalgia? What psychological function does it serve? Different published materials in a wide range of fields, from consumption research and sport science to clinical psychology, psychoanalysis and sociology, all have slightly different definition of this mental experience. Some claim it is a psychiatric disease giving melancholic emotions to a memory you would consider a happy one, while others state it enforces positivity in our mood. First in this paper a thorough review of the history of nostalgia is presented, then a look at the body of contemporary nostalgia research to see what it could be constituted of. Finally, we want to dig even deeper to see what is suggested by the literature in terms of triggers and functions. Some say that digitally recorded material like music and videos has a potential nostalgic component, which could trigger a reflection of the past in ways that was difficult before such inventions. Hinting towards that nostalgia as a cultural phenomenon is on a rising scene. Some authors say that odors have the strongest impact on nostalgic reverie due to activating it without too much cognitive appraisal. Cognitive neuropsychology has shed new light on a lot of human psychological phenomena‘s and even though empirical testing have been scarce in this field, it should get a fair scrutiny within this perspective as well and hopefully helping to clarify the definition of the word to ease future investigations, both scientifically speaking and in laymen‘s retro hysteria.Keywords:

There has been nothing written, as far as we researched, about the decision-making when a family manager decides upon the advice of an external consultant. With this research we tried to build an understanding on the topic with a special focus to the role of emotions in the process. Five family managers of five different family businesses in Sweden were interviewed. The interviews were semi-structured so that the factors that play a role in the decision-making could be explored. The factors that were identified were coded and afterwards further analyzed, together with the help of new gathered theory. In other words an abductive approach was used. We found that emotions in the decision-making mainly arise when the advice is given in the field of expertise of the family manager concerned. The emotions arise from a psychological ownership of the family manager over a pre- formed solution or approach to the issue the consultant is hired for. In order for the advice to be accepted, the advice has to be in the line of the preformed solution or approach. We believe these findings to be valuable to encourage more research on the topic, but also the findings can contribute to the everlasting field of research to find the optimal technique to consult to family businesses.

The aim of this study was to investigate emotions and emotion regulation of a downsizing in an industrial company. The sample consisted of persons who had experienced a downsizing but have kept the employment, within a same position or being transferred to another one. Data consisted of two focus group interviews, analysed by an inductive thematic analysis. The results have indicated that emotional reactions changed over time as well the emotional regulation did during the different phases. The groups differed in emotional reaction related to the time of decision regarding the retention of employment. One conclusion is that fast and accurate information during the different phases of a downsizing process may lead to more positive emotional reactions, which in consequence may result in a positive experience of the reduction process as a whole. The confidence in management increased across the time, due to its decisiveness during the process of downsizing. / Syftet med studien var att undersöka individers emotionella upplevelser och emotionsreglering i samband med nedskärningsprocess på ett industriföretag. Urvalet bestod av individer som varit med om en nedskärningsprocess och fått behålla sin anställning, antingen på samma tjänst eller blivit omflyttade till annan tjänst. Data samlades in genom fokusgruppsintervjuer och analyserades med induktiv tematisk analys. Resultatet indikerar att de emotionella upplevelserna av nedskärningsprocessen förändrades över tid liksom emotionsregleringen vid de olika faserna i processen. Resultaten från de olika grupperna vad gäller emotionell reaktion skiljer sig åt framförallt vid tidpunkten för beslut om behållande av anställning. En slutsats är att snabb och tydlig information i samband med nedskärningsprocessens olika faser leder till mer positiva emotionella upplevelser, vilket bidrog till att nedskärningsprocessen som helhet upplevdes som positiv. Företagsledningens agerande, som visade på handlingskraft, ledde till ett ökat förtroende för företagsledningen.

This thesis illustrates the complexity of emotions in the entrepreneurial context. By using vignettes and in-depth interviews conducted among nine employees from entrepreneurial firms in Lithuania and nine employees from entrepreneurial firms in the Netherlands, this study offers a perspective on how emotional display of the entrepreneur influence employee’s behavior. The display of two negative (anger and fear), two positive (joy and confidence) emotions, and entrepreneurial passion are studied and the findings show that there is (a) a significant relationship between entrepreneur’s display of positive and negative emotions and employee’s behavior (e.g., motivation and decision-making); (b) the entrepreneur’s emotions have potentially positive and negative effect on the employee’s behavior and this is largely influenced by the relationship and dynamics between the employee and entrepreneur defined by the duration and intensity of the relationship, the formal/informal distance between the entrepreneur and employee, past experiences with the entrepreneur, the degree of honesty and sincerity expressed, and the level of mutual trust; (c) the reaction of the employees is partly based on the characteristics above as well as on sensitivity towards the emotions to whom they are displayed. In terms of reactions, the employees have a certain emotional balance based on the past situation, current situation, and the personal preference towards the degree and frequency of positive versus negative emotions. Each emotional display is weighed on this balance and inflicts a feeling, which results in a certain behavior. Finally, studying (d) the patterns between Dutch and Lithuanian employees in their perception of the entrepreneurs’ emotions, the results show that Dutch employees, in general, are more direct and assertive. They indicate that they greatly enjoy displays of positive emotions, passion and a degree of informalities when the relationship with the entrepreneur develops, but in negative situations they have the tendency to direct their irritation-adjusting behavior directly towards the entrepreneur. Lithuanian employees are more focused on finding solutions to negative situations together with colleagues rather than confronting the entrepreneur, and to balance on so called “blinding” effect they greatly value rationality and reason from the entrepreneur. To interpret and fully understand the specifics of the findings we use valence, appraisal, and expectancy theories. Based on this analytical approach, we provide two tentative models that, we think, both well summarize the results of this research and call for a need for a further research suggesting that there might be much more hidden behind the curtains of the emotional scene introduced by this thesis.

In rural destinations, community festivals and events displaying agricultural and livestock exhibits with a combination of entertainment activities are one of the heritage attractions that draw large numbers of visitors. They have not only provided an economic stimulus along with social and cultural benefits to these small communities, but also played a role in increasing the tourism appeal to nonlocal visitors. Considering the significance of a rural community festival to its hosting local residents and out-of-town visitors, attracting and keeping a flow of visitors has been of great importance for both the festival organizers and destination marketing organizations. In this respect, identification with and retention of loyal visitors who are psychologically committed to the festival are a practical means for ensuring a consistent number of visitors to that festival and its hosting community. The present study examined how festival visitors' develop loyalty to festivals and hosting communities through the affective and psychological processes within the Mehrabian-Russell (M-R) model. Specifically, this study explored how emotions engendered through tourism product consumption influence visitors' psychological attachment, evaluations of their festival and place experiences, and loyalty in a festival context. The study further examined if festival visitors' positive experiences could have an influence on their preference of festival communities. Through an onsite and follow-up mixed-mode survey, data were collected during Spring/Summer 2008 from visitors to three community festivals in Texas. Data analysis was performed using structural question modeling (SEM). The study findings provided empirical evidence in support of the M-R model within the festival contexts. The study results revealed that festival atmospherics had a positive indirect effect on festival loyalty via positive emotions, festival commitment, and festival satisfaction, which in turn positively influenced place loyalty. Additionally, the findings in this study provided empirical support for the applicability of product consumption emotions to visitors' emotions generated from tourism product consumption situation specific to the festival contexts. The findings of the study have theoretical and practical implications. For theory, these findings offer support for the M-R model within festival context. The model's focus on emotional response to environmental stimuli is an important addition to established cognitive-based models of loyalty development processes. For practice, the study offers some guidance for festival organizers and destination marketing managers for developing effective marketing strategies that focus on the festival atmospherics that ultimately retain and attract new festival goers.

In this work I investigate the role of emotion in the moral philosophies of Immanuel Kant and T.H. Green. Noting Kant's reputation as a rationalist holding a predominately negative view toward emotions, I studied the works of Kant with this two-fold question in mind: Why did Kant allegedly find emotions as hindrances to moral actions, and what exactly would such a view entail if it were indeed his perspective? Based on Kant's writings regarding duties to others in Doctrine of Virtues, I show that in his discussion on sympathetic actions there appears to be a reliance on emotions in the construction of a moral response to another's fate. I place Kant's theory in juxtaposition with T.H. Green's moral philosophy because Green, a lesser-known British Idealist, is commonly presented as a theorist within the Kantian tradition. However, working exclusively with Green's major work, Prolegomena to Ethics, there are notable differences between Kant and Green. Green does not hold a negative view of emotions as Kant did, and more fundamentally, the distinction between Kant and Green stems from their differing perspectives of human nature. Whereas Kant presented human nature as comprised of two coexisting, and conflicting, natures - the animal nature and the moral nature - Green dissolved this dualism by making reason that which unifies the human being's animal nature and moral nature. Hence, it is my purpose to study Green's moral philosophy against the backdrop of Kant's moral theory, with particular focus on the role of emotions and sympathy in human behavior. In this comparative analysis, I show how Green's theory, although heavily indebted to Kant, works to correct some problematic issues that arise from Kant's denigration of emotions inherent in his dualism. Furthermore, in this discussion that begins as an examination of two views on the relationship between emotions and morality, one is pressed to entertain a deeper question concerning how these thinkers arrived at their views of human nature. This progression is indeed appropriate, at least when considering Kant and Green, because their regard for emotions is directly dependent upon their views of human nature as distinct from animal nature. In the end, it is suggested that Green's theory not only serves to correct Kant's work, but by rectifying Kant's problematic dualistic view of human nature, Green created a philosophy all his own that may more accurately represent the true nature of humankind.

Over the years, multiple studies have been conducted to determine what influences writing. Through the studies, few concrete conclusions have been reached on why individuals write the way they do. Research on children has shown that reading does influence writing; however, there has been little research done on adults. Some research has been conducted on how emotions influence writing, but no solid consensus has been reached. This study asked a select group of agricultural journalism and communications student writers what they perceived influenced their writing. The results of this study have implications for the way agricultural journalism and communications students learn and are taught. The study may serve as a model for further research. The purposive sample was agricultural journalism and communications students who were selected by the lead instructor at their school. The instructors served as gatekeepers. Each U.S. university with an agricultural journalism and communications program was asked to participate. The study showed that respondents believe many things influence their writing, and the factor mentioned most was surroundings. Respondents also mentioned the things they read and the things they had written in the past as influencers of their writing. The following recommendations were made based on the findings and conclusions of this study. Researchers should continue to look at what writers believe influences their writing as a way to develop better writers. Instructors should focus on teaching students in various surroundings. Students should not be allowed to write only in the surrounding in which they feel the most comfortable. Research should be conducted to determine if what respondents perceive influences their writing truly does.