Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, USA.
Aging Ment Health. 2011 Sep;15(7):882-93. doi: 10.1080/13607863.2011.569488. Epub 2011 May 23.
Using data from a 30-day diary study with 239 adults (81 young, 81 middle-aged, and 77 older adults), this study examined whether a specific ratio between positive and negative affect distinguished individuals with different mental health status and especially flourishing from non-flourishing individuals. In addition, the study addressed whether there were age differences in the positivity ratio when daily affect data were used, and whether the proposed critical positivity ratio of 2.9 discriminated equally well between individuals with different mental health status across the adult lifespan. Findings showed that the ratio of positive to negative affect differed across adulthood such that age was associated with an increasing preponderance of positive to negative affect. The positivity ratio was also associated with mental health status in the hypothesized direction; higher positivity ratios were associated with better mental health. Finally, although the data supported the notion of a positivity ratio of 2.9 as a 'critical value' in young adulthood, this value did not equally well discriminate the mental health status of middle-aged and older adults.
本研究使用 239 位成年人（81 位年轻人、81 位中年人、77 位老年人）为期 30 天的日记研究数据，考察积极情绪与消极情绪的特定比例是否能区分不同心理健康状态的个体，特别是区分幸福个体与不幸福个体。此外，该研究还探讨了在使用日常情绪数据时，正性率是否存在年龄差异，以及提议的 2.9 的关键正性率是否能在成年期不同心理健康状态的个体之间同样很好地区分。研究结果表明，积极情绪与消极情绪的比例在成年期存在差异，年龄与积极情绪相对于消极情绪的优势增加有关。正性率也与心理健康状态呈假设方向相关；较高的正性率与更好的心理健康相关。最后，尽管数据支持了 2.9 的正性率作为年轻成人的“关键值”的概念，但该值并不能同样很好地区分中年和老年成年人的心理健康状态。
