Emotional experiences can bring about personal growth. For instance, feeling guilty may prompt one to learn from a mistake, and this learning can bring about different and better future behavior. Four studies (N = 570) found that belief in free will facilitated learning from emotional experiences, as deterministic beliefs were associated with reduced learning. Studies included both correlational (Study 1) and experimental (Studies 2-4) designs. Emotional responsiveness, as defined by low psychopathy scores, also facilitated learning from emotional experiences (Studies 3 and 4). The degree of learning associated with emotional experiences was measured by self-rating (Studies 1 and 2), independent evaluations of lessons learned (Study 3), and whether participants joined a campus recycling program (after being made to feel guilty about an environmental transgression; Study 4). / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Psychology in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Psychology. / Degree Awarded: Summer Semester, 2009. / Date of Defense: July 7, 2009. / Determinism, Free Will, Psychopathy, Emotion, Guilt / Includes bibliographical references. / Roy Baumeister, Professor Directing Dissertation; Al Mele, Outside Committee Member; Dianne Tice, Committee Member; Frank Fincham, Committee Member; Thomas Joiner, Committee Member.
Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_168513 |
Contributors | Stillman, Tyler F. (authoraut), Baumeister, Roy (professor directing dissertation), Mele, Al (outside committee member), Tice, Dianne (committee member), Fincham, Frank (committee member), Joiner, Thomas (committee member), Department of Psychology (degree granting department), Florida State University (degree granting institution) |
Publisher | Florida State University |
Source Sets | Florida State University |
Language | English, English |
Detected Language | English |
Type | Text, text |
Format | 1 online resource, computer, application/pdf |
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