Have you ever found yourself constantly thinking of events in your life that were unfavorable? Or has it ever happened that one bad news sends you into a spiral of distressing events that could happen or may have happened? How relatable was it when Julia Roberts said “The bad stuff is easier to believe? You ever notice that?” in Pretty Woman (1990).
What is Negativity Bias?
As humans, we tend to focus more on the unpleasant and negative experiences of our lives than the positive experiences. Negativity bias is our inclination towards negative aspects of our life than the positive ones. It is the imbalance in understanding our surroundings by giving more weight to negative circumstances than positive circumstances. Research indicates that the effect of negative emotions on humans psychologically is three times stronger than the positive ones. Negative emotions, thoughts, and events not only tend to consume our minds quickly, but also remain in our heads for a longer time.
Where does Negativity Bias stem from?
This aspect of our human nature goes long back to the times of cavemen. It is considered to be an adaptive evolutionary behaviour (Cacioppo & Berntson, 1999; Vaish et al., 2008; Norman et al., 2011). Being exposed to environmental dangers such as the possible attack of animals, the cavemen were constantly on the lookout and remained alert of any threat that could bring danger to their lives. For them being focused and continuously attentive to the negative events that could occur was the only way of increasing their chance of survival. This intense focus on the negative stimuli has impacted the early development of the generations to come.
What Negativity Bias looks like?
Here are a few examples of what negativity bias may look like:
You are mostly paying heed to the unpleasant remarks somebody makes about you instead of the compliments that you receive.
On a day filled with multiple good incidents you tend to solely focus on that one bad thing that happened.
You overthink the bad things that have happened to you repeatedly.
You think of the negative outcomes that could occur instead of the positive ones before starting something new, such as a business.
You overthink the things you said or could have said during a conversation you had earlier, or during a meeting.
Negative and unpleasant news tend to have a greater effect on you than positive news.
Positivity Ratio
Fredrickson and Losada, 2005 developed the concept of positivity ratio as the interpreter of well-being. Positivity ratio is the ratio of positive to negative effects. According to research, the 5:1 ratio is the most appropriate ratio. Dr. John Gottman from The Gottman Institute studied married couples, and found that when both individuals encountered equal positive and negative interactions, they usually split. Whereas couples who experienced five positive events for every negative event were usually maintaining a successful marriage.
How to overcome the negative bias?
Studies have shown that there is a difference in how men and women manifest negative events and interactions. Women usually internalize the negative events that occur in their lives. This could be in the form of loneliness or depression. Whereas men externalize these events for example the display of anger in the form of physical fights. Here are some ways to overcome the negativity bias:
Recognizing
When you catch yourself having negative thoughts or emotions, pause and take a moment. Remind yourself that it is the brains' way of protecting you, and you no longer need to protect yourself for survival in that way. Think of how these thoughts serve you and question them.
Shift your focus
Make a conscious effort at redirecting yourself to the positive thoughts when you start having the negative ones. Visualize and focus on the positive things.
Balance
Bad things can benefit you. Remember most often things aren’t as bad as they seem. It is essential to have both the bad and good, criticism and praise, punishments, and rewards.
Negative golden rule
We’ve been taught to treat others the way we ourselves would like to be treated. However, since the bad can cause more damage, the authors of the book ‘The Power of Bad’ conceptualized the Negative Golden Rule. It states that do not treat others in a way you would not like to be treated. Instead of correcting the bad things you might have done, refrain from doing such things in the first place.
Small acts
Make it a habit to perform small acts of goodness every day. You do not have to wait to participate in a big charity or have a breakthrough to overcome the negative events. Simple acts of a good deed in your daily life can have positive impacts, and help rewire your brain’s inclination towards negativity.
References
Cacioppo, J. T., & Berntson, G. G. (1999). The affect system: Architecture and operating characteristics. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 8(5), 133.
Vaish, A., Grossmann, T., & Woodward, A. (2008). Not all emotions are created equal: the negativity bias in social-emotional development. Psychological Bulletin, 134(3), 383.
Vaish, A., Grossmann, T., & Woodward, A. (2008). Not all emotions are created equal: the negativity bias in social-emotional development. Psychological Bulletin, 134(3), 383.
Fredrickson, B. L., & Losada, M. F. (2005). Positive Affect and the Complex Dynamics of Human Flourishing. American Psychologist, 60(7), 678–686. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.60.7.678
Moore, Catherine. “What Is The Negativity Bias and How Can It Be Overcome?” PositivePsychology.com, 26 Apr. 2021, positivepsychology.com/3-steps-negativity-bias/.
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