Which theory posits that positive emotions broaden and build personal resources?

• A. Drive-Reduction Theory
• B. Emotion
• C. Broaden-and-Build Theory of Emotion
• D. Cognitive Label/Appraisal

Answer: (C)

Positive emotions broaden our momentary thought-action repertoire and, over time, help us build enduring personal resources. This is the core idea of the Broaden-and-Build Theory of Emotion, which explains how positive feelings expand the range of thoughts and actions we consider and pursue, leading to the development of resilience, social connections, skills, and coping strategies. In practice, when you feel good, you’re more likely to explore, be creative, seek social support, and try new activities, and these experiences accumulate into lasting personal resources.

Drive-Reduction Theory focuses on reducing physiological drives to restore balance, not on how positive emotions expand thinking or build resources. The broad term “Emotion” is too vague to capture the specific mechanism described. Cognitive Label/Appraisal theories explain how we interpret or label emotions, not how positive emotions broaden cognition and build resources.