Psychophysiological effects of emotional responding to goal attainment

• Published in: Biological psychology Vol. 84; no. 3; pp. 474 - 487
• Main Authors: Kreibig, Sylvia D., Gendolla, Guido H.E., Scherer, Klaus R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 01.07.2010; Elsevier
• Subjects: Achievement; Achievement emotion; Adolescent; Adult; Appraisal; Behavioral psychophysiology; Biofeedback, Psychology - methods; Biological and medical sciences; Blood Pressure - physiology; Electrocardiography - methods; Emotion; Emotions - physiology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Galvanic Skin Response - physiology; Goal attainment; Goals; Heart Rate - physiology; Humans; Individuality; Motivation; Photic Stimulation - methods; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychophysiological responding; Psychophysiology; Self Report; Statistics, Nonparametric; Young Adult; Emotion; Appraisal; Goal attainment; Motivation; Psychophysiological responding; Achievement emotion; Affect affectivity; Evaluation; Goal pursuit; Emotion emotionality; Psychological effect; Achievement; Psychophysiology
• ISSN: 0301-0511; 1873-6246; 1873-6246
• DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2009.11.004

Effects of positive performance feedback on self-reported emotion and associated physiological responding and their relation to motivational engagement were investigated in an achievement context. To create a situation of self-relevant goal striving and goal attainment, appraisals of goal relevance and goal conduciveness were manipulated by presenting 65 female undergraduate students with a psychological test, followed by positive performance feedback. Emotional responding during the 1-min feedback showed elicitation of various positive achievement-related emotions associated with broad sympathetic activation (decreased pre-ejection period, increased cardiac output, and increased skin conductance and response rate). Individual-level emotion reports indicated distinct subgroups of participants experiencing primarily either interest, joy, pride, or surprise. Between-participants physiological reactivity was found to differ based on primary self-reported feelings. We discuss motivational antecedents and consequences in achievement-related emotions.