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128 Biobehavioral Resilience to Stress

Edge, Altman & Sherwood, 2003). Here, we focus specifically on positive

reappraisal, which has direct implications for physiological recovery. Reap-
praisal refers to the act of revising individuals’ appraisal of a situation in a
way that is usually less negative than they had originally conceived it (Gross,
1998). By thinking about a situation in some new way, individuals can
change their view to perceive a new and a more positive meaning (Park &
Folkman, 1997). A common example of positive reappraisal can be found in
the experience of grief. Those who experience the loss of a loved one are oft en

encouraged to cope by focusing on the positive impact of a life well-lived,
memories of shared experiences, joy, and love. Similarly, very stressful expe-
riences can be reappraised as cherished opportunities to develop personal
strengths, achieve new insights, or serve others in need.
A change in emotional response typically follows positive reappraisal
(Gross, 1998). It is important therefore to note that the process of reappraisal

is distinct from that of suppression; the latter describes an effort to change or
hide emotional response directly, irrespective of cognitive appraisal. Labo-
ratory studies suggest that reappraisal is the more successful of these two
emotional regulation strategies. In a study by Gross (1998), experimental
participants who were given instructions to reappraise emotionally disturb-
ing information by focusing on technical details experienced less emotional
reactivity as well as a less sympathetic arousal (skin conductance, fi nger tem-

perature, finger pulse transit time) than those who were instructed simply to
mask their emotions. Other studies have gone further to suggest that rather
than detachment or distraction, a more powerful type of reappraisal in natu-
ralistic situations may be able to reappraise aversive events in a positive light.
Folkman and Moskowitz (2000) reviewed the coping literature and found

that the co-occurrence of positive affect with negative affect can be very

adaptive as a means of coping with chronic stress. In one study, care-giving

partners of men suffering from AIDS experienced high levels of dysphoric

mood, but also had levels of positive affect that were comparable with the
general population (Folkman, Chesney & Christopher-Richards, 1994). Th e

authors posited that experiencing positive affect in the midst of a negative

life experience can have beneficial outcomes for psychological well-being.
In another study, individuals assessed as having been resilient to stress prior
to the terrorist attacks of 9/11 reported levels of negative emotion similar to
those experienced by their nonresilient peers aft er the attacks but diff ering
from that they also reported higher levels of positive emotion (Fredrickson
et al., 2003). In addition, these positive emotions apparently served to buff er
resilient individuals against depressive symptoms.
There is little question that positive reappraisal is beneficial to psycho-

logical recovery from stress. There is also evidence to suggest that the positive

emotions that result from positive reappraisal may contribute to physiologi-
cal recovery. The results of at least two studies indicate that induced positive

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