GLOSSARY
U
Ubuntu
Pronounced “oo-boon-too.” A normative ethical system among people of South Africa which (i) prizes relationships of interdependence, (ii) fellowship, reconciliation, (iii) relationality, (iv) community friendliness, (v) harmonious relationships, and (vi) other-regarding actions(...)
Uncertainty
An aversive state that people are motivated to reduce arising from the lack of information about an event.
Undoing Effect of Positive Emotions
The claim that subjectively pleasant, positive emotions undo or resets the cardiovascular aftereffects of unpleasant, negative emotions.
Unrealistic Optimism
The systematic tendency to form beliefs that are biased, and often false, but have significant benefits because they increase wellbeing, contribute to mental and physical health, and support productivity and motivation.
Upward Spiral of Lifestyle Change
An extension of the upward spiral of positive emotions. The upward spiral of lifestyle change suggests that engaging in positive health behaviours leads to experiencing positive emotions and intrinsic motivation that encourages persistence in an activity.
Upward Spiral of Positive Emotions
The observation that the effects of positive emotions accumulate and compound. That is, the effects of positive emotions, broadened thinking, and positive meaning share reciprocal relations. The broadened attention and cognition triggered by (...)
