A new study suggests people beliefs, opinions can be a positive psychological experience read more at here http://spinonews.com/index.php/component/k2/item/653

A new study from the University at Buffalo that assessed bodily responses suggests that standing up for your beliefs, expressing your opinions and demonstrating your core values can be a positive psychological experience.

Mark Seery, an associate professor in UB's Department of Psychology says, there can be a clear divergence between what people do and say and how they feel. The external behavior isn't necessarily a good indication of their internal experience.

He says there is a long tradition in social psychology investigating how people are affected by pressure to conform to a group. The vast majority of the work has focused on behavior and self-reported attitudes, with the assumption that it's uncomfortable being the lone dissenter and that people are motivated to conform because it relieves their discomfort.

Seery and other researchers are measuring cardiovascular responses to get a sense for how people are evaluating personal resources versus the demands of the situation.

When trying to reach a goal, evaluating high resources and low demands leads to a mostly positive, challenge, which corresponds with feeling confident. Low resources and high demands lead to a much less confident state called threat, which may produce feelings of anxiety.

Researchers assigned participants into one of four experimental conditions, each with a goal to either fit in with a group's political opinion or assert their individuality, and with a group that either agreed or disagreed with participant’s opinion on the issue.

Seery says, when participant’s goal was to fit in with a group of people who disagreed with them, their cardiovascular responses were consistent with a psychological threat state. In contrast, when the goal was to be an individual among a group of people who disagreed with them, their cardiovascular responses were consistent with challenge.

The results have interesting implications, when someone can be surrounded by family members, coworkers or even neighborhood lawn signs that run contrary to personal opinions.

 

You may have to work to reach a goal, but when you experience challenge, it is more like feeling invigorated than overwhelmed. It is consistent with seeing something to gain rather than focusing on what can be lost.